The first thing that you need to do if you think that your pet is suffering from dog food allergies is to make sure that they actually are and that their health issues are not a symptom of another problem. In order to be able to better know exactly what is wrong with your dog you should know some of the more common signs that your dog could be having an allergic reaction to what it is that they are eating. The most common signs that your dog has dog food allergies is abnormally itchy skin. You may notice that your dog is overly scratching themselves, they may be chewing on their limbs to the point that the hair is being gnawed off. A clear sign of an allergic reaction is patches of missing hair and or irritations and soars. This is definitely a sign of an allergic reaction of some kind. This type of symptom will usually be thought of as an other health problem, such as fleas. There is another problem with diagnosing dog food allergies and that is that the most common symptom is the same symptom that would manifest itself with any type of allergic reaction in your dog. For your information there are quite a few articles on this site that discuss different types of dog allergies. So how can you tell exactly what type of allergy your dog is being tormented by? How do you know if your pet has a dog food allergy or is having an allergic reaction to something else? This can prove to be very difficult when the reaction to food is itchiness. Some other, more sever signs of dog food allergies can be vomiting, diarrhea, behavioral changes, dizziness, sneezing and trouble breathing. Those symptoms can also be confused with a cold or other illness. What makes dog food allergies so hard to detect is that they can manifest themselves for no apparent reason. This means that your pet can be eating the same food that they have been for years and suddenly develop an allergic reaction to it, much like humans can.One of the best ways that you can test and see if your dog has dog food allergies is by using the process of elimination. You first want to make sure that your dog is only eating the proper food. This means no human food or snacks of any kind. Your pet should only be eating their dog food. If you are sure that your dog is only eating what they should be you can now try to test the dog food allergies by trying out a new brand of dog food. It may take some time for the dog food allergies to fade if they are indeed dog food allergies. You can try another name brand dog food to check for any changes. If after a few days your dog is still displaying signs of an allergic reaction, you may want to try yet another brand of dog food. There are specialty dog foods that are specifically made for dogs that have dog food allergies, I will go over a few examples of this type of pet food later on in this post.
After testing to see if your pet has dog food allergies, you will be able to be one step closer to determining what exactly is wrong with them. If after testing different foods your pet is still suffering form their allergic reaction, you can check dog food allergies of the list and you will know that they health problem stems from somewhere else. If after testing different foods your pet seems to be doing better and no longer having the allergic reaction, it is safe to say that you have successfully figured out what was ailing your pet. You will now know that your pet indeed has a high sensitivity to certain dog foods and was indeed suffering from dog food allergies. You now will have to make a choice, will you continue feeding your pet the dog food that he or she seems to be able to eat without suffering from dog allergies or will you try out an all natural, allergen free dog food. The choice is up to you. It is obvious that your pet is able to properly digest the food that you are currently feeding them, although, the same problem may occur later on, as it did with the original brand of pet food. You can also choose to feed your pet an all natural dog food that is made for pets that, like your dog, suffer from dog food allergies. That choice is ultimately up to the pet owner.If you have decided to feed your pet an all natural, organic type of dog food but are unsure what brands are out there I will list a few popular dog foods that should help your pet steer clear of dog food allergies. Before I give you that allergy free dog food list, I would like to talk about the best thing that you can feed your pet that is very likely to help them avoid any kind of allergic reaction. Many people have decided that they want to begin making their own homemade dog food. This may sound like a lot of work but if you look into it, it really is quite simple. The reason why so many people are choosing to make their own dog food is because it is much healthier for your dog. Dog food can be over processed and often is made of lesser quality ingredients which is the reason why so many pets are being diagnosed with dog food allergies. When you make your own dog food, you will be sure that you have only used good healthy ingredients and therefore know that your dog is getting all the nutrition that they need. If you are interested in some more information on making your own dog food, you can take a look at a site that is devoted to it, a site called Homemade Dog Treats. If making your own pet food just isn't for you but you still want to ensure that your dog doesn't have to live with dog food allergies, you can try and use some higher end pet food that is made to help your pet avoid such allergic reactions. Below is a small list of pet foods that claim to do just that.
- Pinnacle Holistic dog food
- Flint River Ranch dog food
- Natural Balance dog food
- Science Diet dog food
- Hill's Prescription dog food
- Nature's Recipe dog food
- Nature's Logic dog food
These are all excellent, all natural, allergen free dog foods that can help your dog live a healthier allergy free life.
Although you may think that you can diagnose your pets problems on your own, it is highly recommended that you take your pet to a health care professional at the first sign of any form of health issues. If your dog is displaying signs of dog food allergies it may actually be a symptom of something that is much more serious and you should take them to a veterinarian immediately. This is especially true if you have tried different pet foods and your dog is still displaying signs of dog food allergies. You vet will be able to more accurately diagnose exactly what is wrong with your dog.
In short dog food allergies are more of a terrible inconvenience than an serious health issue and can usually be taken care of by a quick change in diet. Once you have determined what is causing your pet to have this allergic reaction it should disappear, leaving your dog good as new.
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