Dog allergies are more and more frequent these days, with all the pollution and the pesticides we are exposed to. Our dogs are exposed to the same factors, so they can also develop allergic reactions, just like humans. I don’t know if those allergies in dogs are mediated by histamine receptors, like in humans, but they surely do give similar symptoms, making our beloved friends feel like scratching their skin off.
If you don’t know how to deal with dog food allergies, this is an idea of a possible procedure to keep your dog in good health and away from the nasty allergic reactions to food:
- First of all, at the appearance of allergy symptoms (your dog scratches himself almost permanently, the fur is falling down in big chunks, or you notice teary eyes, running nose, or any skin rash), check to see if your dog has any fleas. It is known that flea allergy can cause sucvh symptoms. Fleas can be spotted easier on dogs with light colored fur, because fleas leave small dirt traces between the furs.
- If your dog is flea-free, take it to a vet. Tell him that you suspect an allergy, and he’ll have your dog tested.
- If you cannot take the dog to a vet, but you still want to do something, try to eliminate one food at a time from its diet, and observe the reactions during a couple of weeks. If during one of these elimination periods your dog gets well and the allergy symptoms disappear, then the solution is simple: never give that food again to your dog, and you’ll have an allergy-free pet.
It is very important to keep in mind that repeated exposure to the food that gives your dog the allergy would worsen the symptoms in time, and your dog might eventually die because a strong allergic reaction. This is a very serious health issue and it should be treated as such.
