The Best Foods for Dogs With Allergies
Humans aren’t the only ones with allergies—our dogs can get them, too. Canine allergies can lead to numerous skin conditions that can be frustrating to manage. These allergies can be due to environmental causes or from the food our dogs eat.
Recognizing the Signs
Dogs with allergies often experience a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including itchy skin, ear infections, and bloating. Itchy skin can manifest as excessive licking, scratching, or chewing, while ear infections may lead to redness, swelling, and discharge.
Prepare to Help Your Veterinarian
It’s important for your veterinarian to have one consistent contact during this process. That person should prepare to answer the following questions:
- What are you feeding your dog, and how long have you fed this food?
- What treats, medications, and table scraps does your dog eat?
- Where and how is dog food stored?
- Is your dog on any flea and tick preventatives?
- If other pets live in your house, what do they eat?
- When did the dog’s itching start and does it get worse during specific seasons?
What Can You Do to Relieve Food Allergies?
There is no cure for food allergies, so it’s important to identify the allergen and eliminate it from the dog’s diet. The only way to reliably pinpoint the cause of a food allergy is with an elimination diet. Your veterinarian can relieve the symptoms by prescribing anti-inflammatory medications, such as Cytopoint, Apoquel, or prednisone.
There are two types of elimination diet. Novel protein diets contain only one protein and one carbohydrate with a minimum number of additives, and they avoid ingredients in the dog’s previous food. Novel protein diets should not include ingredients capable of cross-reactivity with proteins in the dog’s previous diet, such as lamb, beef, and milk or chicken, whitefish, and salmon. The hydrolyzed protein diet includes a protein that is broken down into small bits easier to digest. However, the dog can still experience an allergic reaction to these proteins.
Dr. Feinstein prefers using a prescription novel protein diet provided by the veterinarian. “These foods are much more palatable than they used to be.” Some veterinarians recommend a single-protein diet so that it’s easier to understand exactly what you’re feeding their dogs. You should know not only the brand, but also the protein content of your dog’s food. But they can be contaminated with other proteins from foods manufactured in the same place or may have unlabeled ingredients.
Home-cooked diets with ingredients specified by your veterinarian can work if they’re balanced and meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards. It can be difficult to provide a proper nutritional balance on your own, especially if you’re feeding a young large-breed dog.
There are two types of elimination diet. Novel protein diets contain only one protein and one carbohydrate with a minimum number of additives, and they avoid ingredients in the dog’s previous food. Novel protein diets should not include ingredients capable of cross-reactivity with proteins in the dog’s previous diet, such as lamb, beef, and milk or chicken, whitefish, and salmon. The hydrolyzed protein diet includes a protein that is broken down into small bits easier to digest. However, the dog can still experience an allergic reaction to these proteins.
Dr. Feinstein prefers using a prescription novel protein diet provided by the veterinarian. “These foods are much more palatable than they used to be.” Some veterinarians recommend a single-protein diet so that it’s easier to understand exactly what you’re feeding their dogs. You should know not only the brand, but also the protein content of your dog’s food. But they can be contaminated with other proteins from foods manufactured in the same place or may have unlabeled ingredients.
Home-cooked diets with ingredients specified by your veterinarian can work if they’re balanced and meet Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) standards. It can be difficult to provide a proper nutritional balance on your own, especially if you’re feeding a young large-breed dog.
