Archives for Dog Food Allergy category
Dogs are not machines. Although both machines and living organisms need energy, they get this energy comes from different sources. Unlike machines which get their energy from a variety of sources, including electrical, living things get their energy from food, whose molecules break down to create the needed energy. This is why it’s important to critically consider developing a healthy and holistic food regimen for one’s dog.
Just like a human, your dog needs its necessary vitamins, minerals, protein, carbs, and other nutrition in its diet. However, each dog is different and their diet should reflect that fact. For example, a dog requires a greater degree of protein and calcium then humans. Therefore, what we eat may not always be that good for the nutrition of our dog.
However, good dog food should not be equated with expensive dog food. There are several companies trying to lure pet lovers to shell out a heavy amount on pet food every month. These companies are actually exploiting your love for your pet by fooling you to believe that your dog’s nutritional needs can’t be met by homemade dog food. 
When you provide natural balance dog food, try selecting a diet plan geared to your dog’s breed. In order to obtain this dog information, ask your veterinarian. If you can’t obtain sufficient dog information, try magazines published for canine lovers. If this fails, you can also try searching the many Internet websites solely dedicate to canine care to find dog information.
Always keep in mind that you will have to look at several different sources to the right information on holistic dog food that would be perfect for your dog. You must, of course, meet your dog’s nutritional needs as well as taste requirements. Check out a few different recommended foods until you try lifes abundance dog food. Give a few foods a try, but don’t go crazy or you could cause damage to your pet’s health.
Raw meat is a must in balanced dog diet as it provides the necessary amount of proteins. The bones provide calcium essential for the longevity and strength of dog bones and teeth. Furthermore, eggs provide proteins and some vitamins. Include these three things in your dog’s diet and add some vegetables and a little of whatever else you fancy, to deliver a perfect nutritious diet for your pet.
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Feb 04, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
Is your dog scratching, biting or licking himself all the time? Does he have skin problems or irritation? If so, he may be suffering from dog food allergies. Food allergies in dogs are much more common than most owners realize, and can make your pooch miserable. Get the facts here…
Dog food allergies are more common than most people realize, and true allergies (as opposed to sensitivities/intolerances) generally produce skin irritations and problems rather than digestive upsets. Symptoms of food allergies in dogs can appear within a short time of eating a particular food, or take weeks, months or even years to develop. Contrary to popular belief, most dog food allergies occur as a reaction to a familiar food that your pooch has been eating quite happily for years, rather than to a new food that you’ve just introduced him to. In fact around 70% of dog food allergies are caused by a food that’s been well tolerated for more than two years. An allergic reaction to a food almost never happens on first exposure, but on second or subsequent ones.
Symptoms of dog food allergies
Food allergies in dogs produce a range of symptoms, the majority of the time they involve skin irritations of some kind, including -
- Excessive itching, licking or scratching - particularly at the feet, legs, tummy or tail area
- Hot spots
- Rashes
- Red, scaly patches
- Rubbing or pawing at the face or ears
- Frequent shaking of the head
Canine food allergies can cause other symptoms, unassociated with skin irritation. These may include -
- Stomach or digestive problems
- Breathing difficulties (similar to allergies/asthma in humans)
- Chronic ear infections
- Eye irritation, inflammation or infections
- Behavior problems such as aggression or hyper-activity
Recognizing allergy triggers
It’s not always easy to tell what is causing your dog’s allergy symptoms. It could be fleas, seasonal things such as pollen, weeds, dust etc., or even contact allergies. A few clues that point towards dog food allergies are when the symptoms are present all year round (not just seasonally), antihistamine treatment doesn’t seem to help and if your dog is still young and has recurrent, chronic ear or skin problems.
A dog can react badly to almost any ingredient, but the ones that tend to cause the most food allergies in dogs include -
- Beef
- Dairy Products
- Chicken
- Wheat
- Yeast
- Preservatives and colorings
This is not a comprehensive list though, and foods that tend to cause problems in humans also tend to cause allergy symptoms in dogs. Things such as egg whites, tomatoes, fermented cheese and so on should be avoided! For a definitive diagnosis, take your dog to the veterinarian who can do blood tests and other procedures to identify his individual ‘triggers’. If a dog food allergy is suspected, an elimination diet is recommended. This involves eliminating any food ingredient your dog has eaten, and replacing his food with an entirely new diet. Then reintroducing ingredients one at a time to look for reactions. Natural dog foods and those specifically designed for dogs with sensitivities and allergies are the best bet for dogs with these kinds of problems. It’s important to realize that you need to wait at least a month, probably more, before you can accurately determine whether or not a food is suitable. It takes that long for any remaining allergens from previous foods to leave your dogs system.
Breeds more likely to suffer from allergies
Any dog can suffer from canine allergies, of any type. But some breeds just seem to be genetically pre-disposed to being ‘allergic’, especially to food ingredients. A few of these breeds are
- Terriers
- Bulldogs
- Schnauzers
- Labrador Retrievers
- Golden Retrievers
You can find a lot more information, tips and advice on recognizing and treating food allergies in dogs on the webpage Dog Food Allergies. If your pooch is suffering from itchy, irritated skin this could be just what you need!
By susan koranki
Published: 5/19/2008
Should You Be Worried About Your Pet?
Among the many ingredients found in dog food, your pet can react badly to any of them. Generally speaking milk products and dairy-related stuff will more often than not cause allergy problem among dogs.
More on food allergies and food intolerance in dogs
However, there are a few signs that always make me suspect food allergies. One of these, is a dog with recurrent ear problems, particularly yeast infections. Another, is a very young dog with moderate or severe skin problems.
Dog and Puppy News & Owner Tips
There are various things that can cause a dog to have an allergic reaction. The more common dog allergies include dog food allergies, protein allergies, allergies to pollen, and dog skin allergies.
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Jan 17, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
In the past decade, the number of dog owners who have placed their pets on a strict vegetarian diet has grown substantially. But from the perspective of the dog’s health, is vegetarianism really a good idea?
During the last few decades many Americans have, for perfectly valid reasons, decided to exclude meat and dairy foods from their diets. Whether they 
determine to become a vegan or a vegetarian, the large majority feels their decision has improved their physical and spiritual well-being.
Many of these people also own one or more dogs. As a result of their personal philosophies and their own satisfactory dietary experiences, a substantial number then make the decision to feed their dogs a diet derived exclusively from plant sources.
But is this decision a good one, from their pet’s perspective?
Humans are omnivores. We are provided with saliva that contains various enzymes to predigest the starches in our diet, specific teeth to grind and breakdown the plant fibers we eat and a digestive tract of medium length. In addition, our jaws work in a manner that allows them to move not only in an up and down direction, but also from side to side, so we can easily eat foods derived from both plant and animal origins.
Dogs, on the other hand, are carnivorous. Unlike us, the jaws of dogs can only move up and down. Canine teeth are pointy and sharp, having evolved for tearing animal tissue, as opposed to the grinding of plant matter. Canine’s saliva does not contain enzymes for breaking down grainy foods and they have a digestive tract that is short, for easy digestion of animal proteins and fats.
Besides these basic physiological differences between dogs and humans, there are a number of other concerns the dog owner should be aware of if considering placing their pet on a vegetarian diet. We’ll touch on just a few of them here:
If the owner’s concern is to ensure that their dog will not suffer from high cholesterol or heart disease as do humans whose diets are high in meat intake, they should be aware that dogs do not suffer from coronary disease or cholesterol problems at anywhere near the incidence humans do. So cutting out meat and dairy products from the dog’s diet may not provide any benefit.
Dogs require a high amount of proteins, which are needed to support proper organ growth. Proteins are comprised of different amino acids. The best source of the required proteins is from animal sources. While there do exist some plant sources such as soy that contain high protein levels, the amino acids within soy are not as well-balanced as those derived from animals. Specifically, dogs require taurine and l-carnitine found in meat products. While one can add taurine and l-carnitine to a dog’s diets, this raises another concern. Animal sources hold more protein, gram for gram, than do starches, grains or vegetables. So in order for the dog to get the required amount of taurine and l-carnitine, they will have to ingest a much greater quantity of food daily, which can lead to obesity and other health problems.
Another essential nutrient required by dogs for good health is vitamin B12, which is not found in most plants.
While theoretically a dog owner can supplement his pet’s diet with nutrients to overcome these dietary deficiencies, it can be expensive to do so. In addition, it is very difficult to monitor the amounts and the balance between the nutrients when they are inserted into an animal’s diet not through natural foods, but with supplementation.
The bottom line is that dog owners should think seriously before putting their pets on a diet that excludes all animal sources. Prior to changing their dog’s diet in such a fundamental manner, they should first consult with their veterinarian as well as thoroughly research the issue. Then, if they decide to go ahead, they should strictly monitor the dog’s health on a consistent basis and upon any sign of a problem, seek the advice of their veterinarian.
Michael Rupkalvis oversees the TakeCareofYourPet web site. The web site provides information about a new product called Hope for Pets nutrition,, an all-natural powder that is the very best nutritional supplement on the market to aid in optimizing the health and longevity of our dogs.
A Healthy Dog Diet?
When choosing a healthy dog diet it can frequently be difficult and confusing, that is if you let it be. The packaging and marketing of the products you wish to buy will frequently blur your perception of it.
Changing Your Dogs Diet
Adding energy in a dogs diet is indeed necessary when you notice lethargic behavior in your dog. Some people prefer to feed their dog a homemade food for energy. They also require protein for energy in their diet to build muscle.
Natural Diet for Dogs
If you’re introducing raw meat or changing your dogs diet this should be done slowly. If your dog has been on dog foods the chances are that it has naturally lowered digestive enzyme function.
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Jan 16, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
Find out if the dog food you get at the local supermarket is really the best choice.
If you are purchasing dog food from your local grocery store, you may be in for a big surprise. The one who ultimately pays for this is your canine. You may save some money upfront but the cost might be to your dog’s health. It is important that we are aware what we are feeding our animals. Their wellbeing definitely depends on it.
Popular and well known dog food manufacturers cover up brains, beaks, bowels and eyes with the all too familiar nick name of bi-products. Do you know what your pet is really eating?
Artificial ingredients are also used by well known dog food brands. This may be harmful to their health. Kibble shouldn’t be "colored" with artificial dyes like yellow # or red # or any of the dye "numbers".
Chemical preservatives are often used in popular kibble for dogs. BHT, Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), also known as Butylhydroxytoluene and BHA, Butylated hydroxyanisole and Ethoxoquin are used as a preservative to keep the foods from going rancid. These are chemical compounds that may wreak havoc on your canine’s immune system A natural alternative like tocopherols is what you should be looking for.
Unfortunately wheat and corn are used as cheap fillers in dog food. Some manufactures actually use these as protein sources. They are often very hard for the animal to digest and can cause such allergies leaving your canine suffering with itching their ears, licking paws, hot spots, skin and coat issues and just plain old misery. These ingredients can be found in treats as well.
Large manufactures also make food in such large batched that you may never really know when the food was made or worse how fresh the food is you just purchased.
Like humans dogs are what they eat. Artificial ingredients, poor protein sources, lack of fruits and vegetables all play a part in the immune system of you canine to fight off free radicals. When food is made of poor ingredients a whole list of things can affect your dog from allergies to disease. More details at Life’s Abundance healthy dog food
At first when you feed your dog inferior foods there m
ay or may not be visible reasons to think there are issues. As time goes on scratching may appear or constant ear infections or something of that nature. Luckily you will have the choice to search for a better nutritional food in order to alleviate these issues. If left untreated your pet’s immune system could be compromised and a host of issues like kidney problems, urinary tract issues, and joint issues, lack of energy and behavior changes could start to manifest.
It is wise to start your dog as young as possible with a natural premium food to build a strong immune system and foundation for solid health. If that isn’t the case then it is never too late to get on the right track of great nutrition.
Healthy food along with pure water, plenty of exercise and lots of love all play a vital role in the health and longevity of your dog’s life.
By Aaron Wilmont
Published: 5/5/2008
Healthy Food for Dog
Dog owners are very much depressed to see their dog dying. It is very important to stop giving the poisonous commercial dog food to the dogs.
Raw in 10 Minutes
How would you like to eat all this food completely free of guilt, knowing that you’re supporting your own health with the best healing foods on the planet? And get this — you can prepare these recipes in under ten minutes flat!
Easy Dog Treat Recipes
As with all recipes and information provided on this site, we encourage you to read our site disclaimer . We recommend that you always check with your veterinarian regarding any home made dog food recipes, dog treat recipes.
Healthy Dog Food Recipe
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Jan 16, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
How to Treat certain dog food allergies…
All dog breeds are often affected by allergies, such as dermatitis or other allergic reactions, from parasite bites. Another one that is less frequently met is the dog food allergy, that usually occurs with dogs around two to seven years. This allergy has no preferences regarding the shape, size or breed of your pet. It can occur within any sort of dog breed.
The symptoms are like the ones of any other allergy that the dog might have previously encountered. The allergies are sometimes hard to identify, though as soon as you think there might be a dog food allergy, you should remove the problem and prevent other critical health problems that may occur.
How is the Dog Food Allergy Developed?
Dog food allergies develop slowly and in time your pet may show a negative reaction to certain ingredients. If your pet has never encountered problems with a particular kind of food and unexpectedly develops a reaction, it is most likely due to food allergies. The immune system reacts to an allergen and in time, the more the system is exposed to it, the more powerful the response to it becomes.
If previously, your pet had no reaction to a certain ingredient, things may change. Due to the frequent contact to it, the dog may have an allergic reaction. A clear-cut distinction must be made between dog food allergies and the fact that sometimes, something in the food causes diarrhea or stomach aches.
How can I Diagnose the Dog Food Allergy?
To diagnose dog food allergy is a serious task because it is not a very common allergy and because its effects are similar to other kinds of allergies. Vets usually carry on different tests for skin or blood in order to find the allergy that troubles the dogs. Often, these methods seem to not be very successful and eventually a tests with a controlled food examination is the best solution in diagnosing any dog food allergy.Thus, ordinary dog food is limited to a special diet between eight and twelve weeks which contain high-carbohydrate food, proteins, water and 
nothing else that the dog has consumed before. It is important to make no concession with the new diet, in the sense that it must contain none of the food that your pet used to consume. If in three months time, the dog’s state of health has gotten better, than surely, the former dog food is to be blamed for the allergies. Nevertheless, you could also check this diagnosis by turning back to the old diet in order to conclude your theory. It would be best to continue the new diet if there are any improvements. How can I Treat the Dog Food Allergy?
There is no need for an extra treatment as long as you have already detected the allergy. Still, you should continue the diet that your dog is not allergic to. Your dog may also become allergic to the new food as well. For preventing this occurance , avoid buying food that comprises fillers, which usually allows your dog to show an allergic reaction to it, so take care of the food you make at home, as your dog needs minerals and vitamins for it’s health. Gradually, add new ingredients to the homemade food, but doing so, take care that there is nothing that could develop a new allergy. As soon as you identified and took the necessary steps to defeat the allergy, your pet will become happier and healthier.
Usually, it can be problematic to find and treat a dog food allergy. Having surmounted this problem and acting accordingly, your dog will be happy and most important, healthy!
Receive a wealth of dog food nutritional facts, dog food health tips, and large dog breed profiles at LargeDogBreedz.com
More on food allergies and food intolerance in dogs
However, there are a few signs that always make me suspect food allergies. One of these, is a dog with recurrent ear problems, particularly yeast infections. Another, is a very young dog with moderate or severe skin problems.
How Does Allergies Work For Dogs
These allergies develop due to their dogs consuming the usual diet for a prolonged window of time. Data has proven that dogs who have eaten the same type of food for more than 24 months often are the main causes of these dog allergies.
Dogs Training Made Easy
Many symptoms of food allergies can be confused with other conditions or situations. For instance, if your dog has something stuck between his teeth, he will claw at his face.
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Jan 16, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
It is commonly known that at some point in a dog’s life, it will suffer from an allergic or adverse reaction to a food ingredient. For most of these cases, the condition is mild and short lived, and not a great cause of concern. For some dogs however, a recurrent and ongoing reaction to their diet may require veterinary intervention. It is important to note that there are two major types of food reactions: food intolerance or food allergy.
Food intolerance is caused by either a metabolic disorder, or by toxicity due to a food contaminant. Food intolerances commonly cause diarrhea or vomiting, but do not create a typical allergic response.
Food allergies account for about 10% of all allergies seen in dogs. Food allergies affect both dogs and cats, and unlike atopy, there is no strong link between 
specific breeds and food allergies. Food allergies are non-seasonal, and are the most frequent cause of skin disease in animals under 6 months of age. They can show up as early as five months, or as late as 12 years of age. Most cases occur between 2 and 6 years. Many animals with food allergies also have concurrent inhalant or contact allergies.
The food allergy reaction is mediated through an immune response. Food allergy in dogs is most often manifested through dermatological symptoms, ear inflammation, excessive feet licking, generalized itching, gastritis, and in some cases vomiting and diarrhea. Food allergy cannot be diagnosed or identified by intra-dermal testing. Additionally, food sensitivities cannot be treated by immunotherapy, so avoidance and elimination diets are the only form of treatment for food allergy.
Diagnosing food allergy in dogs can be difficult. A true elimination diet and food trial is a lengthy process. The strict owner compliance required for a successful elimination diet can be an obstacle, especially if the pet does not respond quickly or show improvement. A typical elimination diet takes between 3-10 weeks.
An alternative source for identifying food allergies is through an in vitro (serum) test. In this test, a small amount of serum is drawn from the animal and sent to a lab for testing. The ELISA assay will detect circulating levels of IgE to food allergens in the canine’s serum. This indicates which food ingredients should be avoided. Conversely, a negative food allergy score is an equally valuable piece of information, as these indicate which foods are acceptable to feed.
Pet food manufactures now work closely with some in vitro laboratories to provide detailed ingredient lists of their commercial diets. This is useful in helping pet owners choose acceptable diets and treats for their pets. New diets on the market include specialty ingredients, including spinach, tomato, green bean, green pea, apple, blueberry, and shellfish.
This website offers complete information on pet allergy treatment and pet allergy testing through news , personal views and articles on pet allergies and dog allergies. Our pets are also experiencing an increase in allergy symptoms most of dogs have some sort of allergy. Through this website we help all pets lover to give our pets the quality of life they deserve.
food allergies and food intolerance in dogs
However, there are a few signs that always make me suspect food allergies. One of these, is a dog with recurrent ear problems, particularly yeast infections. Another, is a very young dog with moderate or severe skin problems.
Food Allergies in Dogs
Definitely sounds like a food allergy of some sort. He needs to be seen by his vet who will recommend a hypoallergenic food – I like the Eukanuba products myself. This means a trial of usually three to four weeks on the new food only.
Dog Food Allergies
Dog Food Allergies - - What causes them and what are the symptoms?
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Jan 16, 2009 | | Dog Food Allergy
