Food Allergies In Dogs

Most humans are really not aware of what is healthy for their pets to eat. It is important to become aware of the sensitivity that our dogs have to certain foods and dietary supplements because that often means that you can love your pet for longer. Currently, food allergies in dogs are thought to account for about 5% of all skin cases and 15% of allergic skin diseases seen by Veterinarians.

The most common food allergies in dogs derive from beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, eggs, corn and soy; just as in their human counter parts. In dogs they are most often caused by corn, wheat or soy. There are excellent resources to assist you in identifying food allergies in dogs. One hugely helpful web site is www.loveyourpetlonger.com which lists pet foods and their potentially harmful ingredients as well as offers a Healthy Pet Hotline for advice on holistic pet food.

Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

It is important to refer to qualified veterinarians for the proper identification of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of food allergies in dogs. Whereas hypothyroidism is fairly easy to identify, the diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis includes the presence of thyroid antibodies in the blood and requires clinical testing. Some allergies can even cause severe illness in humans.

Generally, the symptoms of food allergies in dogs can appear within a brief span of time that your dog ate a particular food, or can take weeks, months or even years to show up. A common misperception of food allergies in dogs is that they happen in exotic or unfamiliar foods. The reality is that most of the allergies occur as a reaction to a food that your dog has been munching away on in satisfied content for many years, not to a new and exotic food that has just been introduced to his diet.

Food allergies in dogs also result from starches that have been added or, less common, to one of the other additives found in dog food. To test the allergic symptoms of dogs, it is of primary importance to avoid the use of corticosteroids or antihistamine for thirty days prior because allergies are related to the location of the mast cells in the animal's body. In dogs, there are many more mast cells in the skin than anywhere else. The drawback of this type of test is its high number of false positives.

As a result of the high incidence of food allergies in dogs, natural dog foods have become more common in the market place. Natural and organic dog foods and foods specifically designed for dogs with sensitivities to counter the common food allergies in dogs are the best solution for the improvement and maintenance of the health of your pet. It is critical to note that it is necessary to wait at least a month, if not longer, before you can accurately determine whether or not the product generates food allergies in dogs.