There is an ever raging debate of what dogs should and
shouldn't eat. Dogs are scavengers by nature and most dogs will munch down on
almost anything, but that doesn't mean everything that gets in their way is
good for them. Food allergies are fairly common amongst dogs, and a pet can
develop an allergy at any age.
The most common allergy in dogs is flea bites. The second
most common is created by inhaling allergens, such as molds and pollen. Food
allergies come in on third place.
Allergies happen when the immune system overreacts to
something that's not really a threat; the immune system believes something is
foreign and should be eradicated. This is normally an important defense
mechanism that protects the body, but when it comes to an allergy the immune
system reacts to something that wouldn't otherwise be a problem.
Dogs are most often allergic to beef, dairy products,
chicken, eggs, corn, soy, and wheat. To develop a food allergy, a dog must be
exposed to the same ingredient for at least a couple of years.
Symptoms include excessive scratching, paw licking, paw
chewing, repeated ear infections, rashes, and stomach problems. Some dogs with
food allergies scratch until they lose all hair in an area.
If your dog develops a food allergy, he or she needs to stay
away from that specific ingredient. In order to find out what causes the
problem, you will need to feed the dog something completely different from what
they've eaten in the past.
The dog should eat the new food for two to three months.
During this time there can be no treats or tastes of human food. Once the dog
is free of symptoms, add back one ingredient at a time to see if and when the
immune system reacts.
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