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How To Help Your Dog With Food Allergies
By gene sower
Because every dog is unique, it's sometimes very difficult to determine what causes food-related allergies and what doesn't. Common pet food culprits include wheat, corn and soy. Various proteins also create their share of problems in certain dogs. I was shocked to learn that some dogs are allergic to chicken, while I know from first-hand experience that my Jack Russell Terrier Lucy used to be allergic to beef. Here's an approach worth trying if your dog is exessively itching and scratching.
If excessive itching and scratching are the problems, that may simply be the lack of Omega 3,6 and 9 fatty acids in your dog's diet that's making their skin and coat dry. Winter indoor heating may also be exacerbating the condition. Adding simple food additives to your dog's food may be the key without switching diets. Supplements like Mrs. Allen's Shed Stop, Flaxseed Oil, Pet Botanics Skin & Coat supplement, Royal Coat from Ark Naturals or Health & Shine from Dr. Harvey's are all viable solutions for supplementing your dog's diet with the needed Omegas that dog's and cats need to lubricate their skin and coats.
Excessive and compulsive foot licking, or chewing and biting other parts of the body, are generally a sign that allergies are to blame.
Assuming it's food allergies and not environmental, many vets and pet nutritionists recommend substituting a protein source that your dog doesn't normally eat. Lamb is often used for this purpose, because it's not as common a dog food ingredient. Lamb, in and of itself, is not "non-allergic", but it's less common than chicken and beef so it enables you to introduce something new into your dog's diet, in effect, starting with a clean slate.
Some vets sell expensive "allergy free formulas" but there are ways to figure this out on your own and a lot less expensively. Increasingly, pet owners who have dogs with food allergies are feeding various pet food mixes like Dr. Harvey's, Solid Gold Holistique Blendz or The Honest Kitchen's FORCE formula, which is grain free, or Sojourner Farms' new grain free Europa formula.
Mixes, while a bit more work, allow you to more closely control what your dog is eating by beginning with a good "base" that contains the proper nutrients and vitamins especially formulated for dogs. Then, you can experiment by
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