How to Figure Out What Your Dog is Allergic to?
When talking about allergies, it is interesting to know that they are, in fact, quite similar in humans and in dogs! Your canine friend can get allergic to any substance or allergens found in the environment that may be completely harmless to other dogs.
Similar is the case with the humans as well. Now when your dog will be allergic to anything he will show you some symptoms from which you can guess he is suffering from an allergy. The symptoms that your dog will start showing you if he is carrying an allergy are given as under.
- Itchy or moist skin
- Itchy eyes
- Increased scratching
- Ear Infections and itchy ears
- Vomiting
- Sneezing
- Diarrhea
- Itchy back or sometimes an itchy tail as well.
- Licking continuously
If your dog displays any of the above-stated symptoms, you should be able to conclude that your dog is carrying some sort of allergy.
The best way to figure out what is causing that allergy, is to consult a professional vet. They will probably tell you what your dog is allergic to. There are some common allergens that most dogs are allergic to and these are given as under.
Weed pollens, trees, and grass- Feather
- Dander
- Cigarette Smoke
- Dust
- Fleas and flea control products such as flea control shampoo or flea collars with chemical ingredients.
- Cleaning products
- Perfumes
- Fabrics
- Plastic or Rubber Materials.
- Intake of certain food items.
- Prescription drugs
- Insecticidal Pup Shampoo
Commonly a dog is allergic to the allergens stated above, and it is in the best interest of your four-legged friend that you eliminate the allergy-causing substance from the environment.
If your dog is suffering from a food allergy, find out the food items that are the reason for allergy and eliminate them from your dog’s diet. You can try hypoallergenic dog food to see if this improves things.
What Are Some Dog Allergic To Chicken Symptoms?
Food allergies are very common in dogs. They can be suddenly allergic to a particular food substance that they have been consuming for years! The cause of this is still unknown. Now here a question arises; what is the reason for any food allergy? Well, when the immune system of your canine friend becomes weak it starts to react strangely against normal substances and makes it harmful for your dog.
A most common item found in dog food or a standard dog diet, is chicken. Unfortunately, it is one of the most common food items that cause allergy in dogs. Whether you take the example of kibbles, wet food or even treats – most contain chicken as an ingredient.
Now the question is; how to tell that your canine friend is allergic to chicken? There is no rocket science involved in knowing that your dog is carrying an allergy caused by chicken, your canine friend will display some symptoms through which you can tell that he may be suffering from a chicken allergy, or he is flat-out allergic to chicken. Some of these symptoms are stated below:
- Intense itching and even scratching and especially at the face, ears, and feet. (combat with an anti-itch shampoo)
- Your canine friend will display gastrointestinal problems like diarrhea or vomiting.
- Injury to skins, hair loss and skin infections from unusual scratching.
If you find your dog showing you any or all of these symptoms, you should head to the vet promptly to get their expert advice on the matter.
What Is The Dog Elimination Diet?
An elimination diet is a diet given to dogs to examine if he is carrying a food allergy. As we all know now that a dog will most likely show symptoms (like itching scratching etc) if he is carrying a food allergy.
But, this does not mean that you can be 100% sure that your dog is infected with a food allergy – every time he displays these symptoms. You must make sure that whatever you or your vet have guessed is correct. Your vet will advise an elimination diet to your pet in order to check if he is carrying a food allergy.
An elimination diet is a diet or a food that contains a source of protein that your canine friend has never consumed before, or such a diet in which the protein is broken into such tiny fragments that there is no risk of allergy whatsoever.
Elimination diets usually contain non-allergenic substances like rice or carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes. The vets can tell you what are the ingredients of the elimination diet so that you can make it at home as well, but this option it not so advisable, just let the job be done by the professional.
This diet has to be given to your canine friend for around eight to twelve weeks and during this time your dog will eat nothing else just this diet and water. So you can be sure that your four-legged friend is really carrying a food allergy and can start the treatment for it.
Is There A Dog Food Allergy Test?
An elimination diet is the only food allergy test that can tell you precisely if your dog is carrying a food allergy or not. Although there is a test known as NutriScan which helps in determining the food sensitivities and intolerance in dogs.
Research has told us that the symptoms and effects of food sensitivities and intolerances are much more intense as compared to the food allergies. Therefore, to find out what food items you canine friend may have an intolerance to, NutriScan is considered to be a beneficial test.
