Why do dogs have food allergies?
Food allergy occurs when certain components in food enter the body and are considered by the immune system as pathogenic invasion, so the immune system initiates an immune response to defend against it. Allergic reactions caused by food have similar symptoms to environmental allergies (atopic dermatitis) and are often misunderstood or ignored. However, about 20% of dogs with allergies are due to food allergies.
Foods that are likely to cause dog allergies are “more common” than we think. “Doesn’t” mean that these “foods are bad” or “poisonous”. Dogs’ allergies to certain foods are genetically related.
When food is “digested” and decomposed into the body, the dog’s immune system will mistakenly believe that the ingredients in the food are harmful to the dog and attack it, resulting in an “oversensitive reaction”, which is simply called an allergy.
Every dog’s food allergies are different, and because they are genetically engineered, they cannot be cured.
Therefore, “knowing” more about allergenic foods and helping your dog “find out the reasons why it may be allergic” to avoid them is the “main way” to deal with dog food allergies!
Top 10 Allergy Foods for Dogs
Every dog has different potential allergens, with proteins being the most common major allergen. Because of their large molecular structure, proteins are often a thorn in the side of the immune system and are mistaken for invading pathogens. Studies in North America, Europe and Australia have shown that the top food allergens for dogs are beef, dairy, chicken and wheat.
In addition, artificial food additives such as carrageenan and preservatives are often overlooked sources of allergens hidden in food.
The most complete reference materials available at present are statistics from the “American Society for the Protection of Animals” (ASPCA) and “WebMD” (WebMD). The top 10 allergy-prone foods are listed in order:
Beef (34%)
Dairy products (20%)
Wheat (15%)
Chicken (9%)
Eggs (6%)
Mutton (5%)
Soybeans (5%)
Corn (3%)
Pork (3%)
Fish (2%)
The top few foods may seem “high risk”, but in fact the “main causes” of dog allergies are “dust mites”, “fleas” and “season changes”, as well as “pollen”, “mold”, ” Also pay attention to “cleaning products” and “fragrance”.
Only 10-20% of allergies are actually caused by food, so don’t be afraid of not giving it to your dog when you see the food on the list.
As long as we know who may be the “main suspect” when a dog is “suspected of food allergy”, it can help us find the “source of allergy” faster!
Food allergies occur at two different times, one before the age of one and the other during adulthood and old age. Atopic dermatitis occurs between the ages of one and three.
Unlike seasonal allergies, food allergies can occur at any time. Food allergies usually take time to develop, and even foods that have been consumed for many years may suddenly cause an allergic reaction! However, it is also possible to develop an allergy to a food that you have tried for the first time. The timing of the two types of allergy is often more difficult to recognize, and it takes a great deal of time and patience for the owner to determine the cause of the allergy.
Dog food allergy symptoms
Food allergic reactions most commonly occur on the skin, causing skin problems such as itching, rash, oiliness, dandruff, and hair loss.
This is very similar to atopic dermatitis, so even doctors cannot be sure of the cause without food allergy testing and elimination!
About “20%” of dogs with food allergies will also have gastrointestinal problems such as “diarrhea”, “farting” and “increased defecation frequency” (more than three times a day), which can easily be confused with food intolerance.
However, “food intolerance” does not cause itchy skin and can be improved by “gradually increasing the amount of food consumed”, but food allergies cannot.
In addition to itchy skin, there are also gastrointestinal symptoms
Symptoms of food allergy may appear in different organs, depending on the tissue in the dog’s body where the immune response occurs, with reactions most commonly occurring on the skin.
Dogs will constantly scratch and lick their paws to relieve itching. More serious skin problems may include skin inflammation, recurrent ear infections, etc. About 20% of dogs will develop gastrointestinal symptoms. Common gastrointestinal symptoms include soft stools, diarrhea, increased defecation frequency (more than three times a day), and may also include gas, bowel sounds, etc. Some dogs will have red and swollen eye sockets, or their eyes will appear “watery” due to increased tear secretion.
However, the symptoms of food allergy are often similar to the symptoms of other diseases. In the case of skin inflammation, it is often difficult to distinguish the difference from skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis. Ear infections caused by allergies also have similar symptoms to many ear diseases. If your dog has recurring ear infections, it may be an allergic reaction.
Allergies may also be caused by other factors. Environmental allergies in dogs are more common than food allergies, and the symptoms are similar. The former tends to occur during the change of seasons. Therefore, if the above symptoms are not seasonal, it is likely to be food allergies.
Once symptoms of suspected food allergy are discovered, it is still necessary to seek the judgment and assistance of a veterinarian.
How to detect food allergies in dogs
There is currently no absolutely accurate, one-step detection method for dog food allergy. Although some scholars are trying to develop food allergen serum IgE/IgG detection technology, it is not yet mature and may have low accuracy. (False positive results often occur), so this testing method is generally not recommended as the main basis for determining food allergy. Clinical studies have shown that “food IgE testing” for dogs and cats is inaccurate, so this method is not highly recommended.
So how to tell if your dog has a food allergy? Usually veterinarians will ask owners to conduct “food trials” for dogs for more than 8 weeks. Through “food elimination” and “food restimulation” methods, we can find out the food culprits that cause dogs to be allergic!
The key point of food testing is to accurately grasp the dog’s diet and find out the food that causes the dog’s allergies through a period of observation.
Currently, the only accurate method for detecting food allergy is the elimination diet method.
You can first give the dog hypoallergenic food for “more than 1 week”, such as eating “hypoallergenic prescription feed”, “hydrolyzed protein feed”, etc., and “observe and record whether there are symptoms such as skin itching”.
Only after “no symptoms” or previous skin problems have “significantly improved” can you start testing “adding 1 new ingredient” every week to find out the source of food allergens and avoid eating them.
During this period, you must not be soft-hearted and feed other snacks or let the dog eat other foods, otherwise it will be like “wasting all your efforts”!
The first step in food testing: food elimination
At the beginning of the food experiment, a “new” and “hypoallergenic” dietary menu must be created. Choose a new protein that the dog has never tried before, or a hydrolyzed protein that is less likely to cause allergic reactions as the staple food, and avoid other food sources other than the feed and water selected for the trial.
New protein
Try one at a time, and a single type of meat with simple ingredients that your dog has not been exposed to before. In addition to common meat types such as beef and chicken, choose venison, duck, turkey, mutton, ostrich meat, crocodile meat, etc. that you have never tried before as a new source of protein.
Hydrolyzed protein
Cutting the original protein into amino acid forms that are smaller in size and therefore less susceptible to being viewed as enemies by the immune system. It is a hypoallergenic feed and is also a prescription feed often recommended by veterinarians for dogs with allergies.
This new diet must be implemented for 8-12 weeks, and the dog’s dietary content and reactions must be observed and recorded daily. If after this period of time, the allergic symptoms significantly improve and disappear, it can be determined that the allergic symptoms are caused by the ingredients of “past diet”.
Food trial step two: food restimulation
After confirming that the cause of allergy is food through “food elimination”, the next step is “food restimulation” to identify potential allergens.
After your dog has stabilized during the food elimination phase, try your dog’s old diet again. Introduce one ingredient at a time in a gradual manner, and also observe and record the dog’s physiological condition every day. When allergy symptoms reappear, you can identify the food that caused your allergy!
Different from the diagnosis of other diseases, the judgment of food allergy is relatively lengthy and depends on the results of experiments and observations performed by the owner. The owner’s participation and patience can be said to be life-saving medicine for dogs with allergies. Be sure to follow the veterinarian’s instructions and don’t be too soft-hearted to give your dog snacks to avoid failure!
Allergies cannot be cured, so you must eat consciously
When more severe allergy symptoms occur, such as skin inflammation or ear infection, your veterinarian will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs or ear drops to relieve symptoms. However, allergies are actually related to genes and cannot be cured. You can only eat more consciously, avoid allergens, and block the chance of food allergy attacks.
Even if the dog at home has never had a food allergy, it may be that the immune antibodies are still in the production stage and an allergic reaction has not yet occurred. Any dog has the possibility of food allergies, so don’t be careful with your diet. Give priority to feeds with simple ingredients, which can also reduce the difficulty of diagnosis if there are suspected food allergy symptoms in the future.
Owners of dogs with allergies must pay more attention to the ingredients and food safety of dog food in order to be a good gatekeeper and protect their dogs from allergies, so that they can eradicate allergens one step ahead of immune cells! !
Allergenic foods are not the same as harmful foods
“Beef”, “eggs” and “cheese” are all very “nutritious” foods, and they are still recommended for dogs to increase the richness of their diet.
From the above, we know that “food allergies” only account for “15%” of skin allergies. There is no need to panic and avoid these foods.
It is also “not necessary” to specifically choose “grain-free feed or food” for dogs to reduce allergies. The most important thing is to find out the cause of allergies and help dogs eliminate them.
In addition, according to scientific research, you can also eat more natural foods such as “curcumin” and “fish oil” (omega-3) to help dogs relieve itchy skin!