How do I know if my dog is allergic to his food

6 Signs Your Dog is Allergic to Food: Vet-Approved Guide

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more

Food allergies in dogs can be a serious problem Often, dogs are allergic to specific proteins found in their foodusually meat proteins like chicken or beef. Luckily, counteracting these symptoms isnt difficult. All you need to do is switch your dogs food to something that does not contain their allergen.

However, before you can go about treating your canine, you need to determine if they are really experiencing food allergies. Surprisingly, the symptoms arent what most people expect.

Take a look at the list of symptoms below.

The 6 Signs Your Dog is Allergic to Its Food

1. Itchiness

Surprisingly, the most common sign of food allergies in dogs is excessive itching. This itching is usually located on the dogs extremities, such as their paws and tail. However, it can occur anywhere. Usually, the easier a dog can reach the itchy spot, the more damage they can do through their itching.

For this reason, youre most likely to notice the itching if its on their paws, tail, or stomach.

While itching may not seem like a serious symptom, it absolutely can be. Many dogs with food allergies itch excessively. Eventually, they will bite and scratch the fur off of their itchy spots. Sores and redness are also common.

Because the dog will continue to itch until their food is changed, these sores will not heal. Instead, they will continue to get worse, which will eventually lead to infections. While dogs usually dont die from food allergies, these infections can become extremely serious.

2. Digestive Problems

Some dogs also experience digestive problems when eating an allergen. However, this is less common. Dogs dont have to experience digestive problems to get a food allergy diagnosis.

Most commonly dogs will experience diarrhea. However, more rarely, dogs have been known to throw up or act generally ill when eating their allergens. As youd guess, these symptoms usually arent serious. Still, in some cases, dogs may have severe reactions to their allergens, causing hydration loss.

In extremely severe cases, dogs may be unable to keep anything down and will perish without veterinary care. Usually, food allergies get worse over time if exposure is repeated. Therefore, its vital to identify the cause of your dogs food allergies before their symptoms worsen.

3. Hyperactivity

Some dogs become hyper when consuming their allergens. This symptom is less commonwhether thats because it really is less common or because it just goes unnoticed. Either way, some pet parents do report that their dogs become substantially more hyper when they eat their allergens. If you notice this trait in your canine, be sure to mention it to your vet.

Luckily, this symptom is troublesomebut not serious. Therefore, it typically isnt noticed by pet parents and usually doesnt require treatment.

4. Aggression

Many dogs experience mood changes when consuming the foods they are allergic to. Plus, these foods likely cause digestive pain, though our dogs cant tell us that they dont feel good. All of these things can lead to serious aggression problems.

If your dog suddenly becomes aggressive, food allergies may be to blame. This behavioral problem can range from minor to serious. However, if you do notice changes, be sure to report them to your vet. They may need this information to diagnose your dog.

5. Weight Loss

Because their food makes them feel unwell, many dogs may stop eating as much as they once did. Their digestive system may be unable to absorb and use the proteins in their food due to the allergy and inflammation. Therefore, these factors can lead to weight loss.

Often, this weight loss isnt serious. Youll notice a pound or two difference in most dogs. However, the problems can be extremely serious for some dogs, especially if there are other factors affecting their weight loss, as well.

Weight loss is practically always a sign of an underlying problem and we recommend speaking to your vet if your canine begins losing weight.

6. Lack of Energy

Dogs with food allergies may lack energy for all sorts of reasons. They may be eating less since their food causes stomach upset. At the same time, these dogs may also not absorb everything they need from their food, which can cause lethargy. Some dogs may feel sick from eating their food and wont want to move quite as much for this reason.

If your dog begins to act lethargic, its typically because there is an underlying reason. Therefore, whether its food allergies or not, youll need to speak to your vet about the possible underlying causes.

How Long Does It Take to Notice if a Dog is Allergic to Food?

Dogs develop allergies a bit differently from humans. Dogs arent typically born with allergies. Instead, they develop them after continued exposureyour dog likely wont be allergic to a new protein they consume. Instead, theyll suddenly become allergic to the same protein theyve been consuming for years.

Often, there isnt much you can do about this development. Some breeds are more prone to developing allergies and will need to switch protein sources every few years as new allergies develop. Medications can help, but they do not prevent allergies from occurring.

Some vets recommend switching foods regularly to prevent allergies from surfacing. This makes sense, as more exposure typically increases the chance of allergies developing. However, if an allergy does develop, it can be difficult to find a new protein if your dog is switching to a new food constantly. Plus, it also makes figuring out what your dog is allergic to all the more difficult.

If youre particularly concerned about your dog developing allergies, speak to your vet. They can determine if your canine is at risk and what steps you should take.

What is the Most Common Food Allergy in Dogs?

Dogs become allergic to the foods they are often exposed to. Therefore, their most common allergies are those that are often found in dog food, including chicken and beef. In fact, chicken is the most common allergen, followed by beef.

Even foods that arent advertised as containing chicken often do, as this protein is extremely cheap. For this reason, its vital to check the ingredient list if your dog has a chicken allergy. It is very difficult to find a chicken-free food, though there are quite a few options out there.

Despite misconceptions, gluten is not a very common allergen. While dogs can be allergic to gluten, this isnt as common as chicken or beef allergies. If your dog develops allergies, we recommend looking towards the meat protein most abundant in their food, first.

Conclusion

The most common food allergy symptoms in dogs are itchiness and all the symptoms that come with it. Youll likely see your dog scratching, even if you try to punish your dog for the scratching. However, youll also notice redness, swelling, scratches, sores, and hair loss. Sometimes, secondary infections can occur, though these usually occur after the other symptoms are noticed.

If you suspect that your dog has allergies, we recommend speaking with your vet. Youll likely need to switch their food to something with a protein they are not allergic to. However, their secondary symptoms may also need treatment.

See Also:

Featured Image Credit: Kobkik, Shutterstock

Food Allergies in Dogs: What to Know

Your dog is scratching and licking, keeping you awake, ruining their show coat, and giving themself a handy excuse for breaking that stay. Its driving you crazyimagine how they must feel.

While your first instinct may be to assume that your dog is suffering from a food allergy, true food allergies arent as common as you might think. Confusing food allergies with food sensitivities is a common mistake, not only among dog owners but also among veterinarians.

Food Allergies vs. Sensitivities

True food allergies are much less frequent than food sensitivities and reflect a more immediate immunological response. A classic example of a food allergy is anaphylactic shock, which could occur after ingesting peanuts or being stung by bees. As soon as the person or animal comes in contact with the allergen, their airway closes and they cant breathe. This response is rapid, as the antigen triggers an immediate and sometimes life-threatening reaction due to hypotension and shock.

A less severe but still serious form of allergic reaction is accompanied by the development of dermatologic signs, such as hives, facial swelling, or itchiness. These can be accompanied by gastrointestinal signs, such as acute vomiting or diarrhea. These signs occur fairly rapidly but less than in the anaphylactic reaction.

Food sensitivity, on the other hand, is usually a chronic condition and often doesnt involve an immunological response. Its usually a cumulative response to an offending agent. Although theyre generally not life-threatening, food sensitivities can affect many different aspects of the dogs physical wellbeing. Common signs of food sensitivity include diarrhea with or without vomiting, poor skin or itchy coat, and chronic ear or foot infections.

Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

We most often associate allergies with sneezing and respiratory problems in people, but in dogs, allergies are most often associated with the skin and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. About 10% to 15% of dogs with food allergies will have both skin and GI signs, and about 20% to 30% of dogs with food allergies will also have itchy skin from other non-food allergies.

GI signs are most often seen as loose stools, with an average of three a day, or vomiting and belching. A skin sign is usually itchiness, and it appears the same as itchiness due to other allergies.

According to one recent study, nearly 8% of dogs presented to a referral dermatology practice had food allergies. This represented about a third of all the dogs presented there with allergic skin disease.

Some people use the phrase ears and rears to refer to the characteristic location of itchiness. But its typically a bit more widespread than just those regions. In one study, dogs with food allergies suffered from itchy ears in 80% of the cases (and in fact, only the ear was affected in a quarter of all cases); itchy feet in 61%; itchy groin region in 53%; and itchy armpits, anterior foreleg, or eye regions in about 35% of cases.

Secondary ear and skin infections often arise from self-inflicted trauma from scratching and chewing. Along with removing the offending food, you must seek treatment for these infections in your dog.

Does My Dog Have Food Allergies?

Allergies can appear at any age, but most dogs eat an offending food for two years before symptoms appear. Some dogs can develop symptoms as early as two months of eating the offending food. Allergic reactions arent something that normally appear immediately after introducing a new food. But once symptoms appear, their onset is often sudden and serious.

Most dogs react to one or two allergens and about 20% react to more. Theres a greater chance that dogs react to animal products from the same species or from related species (cattle, sheep, and deer, for example).

Some breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherd Dogs, Poodles, and Chinese Shar-Pei, may be at greater risk for food allergies, though they can appear in any breed.

Diet trials are inconvenient and tedious. But compared to your dogs discomfort, theyre a small price to pay to identify the culprit. Unfortunately, there is no cure for food allergiesexcept to avoid the offending foods.

Types of Dog Allergies and How to Treat Them

Have you heard someone tell you that their dog has allergies? Has your veterinarian suggested that allergies could be a problem for your dog? Do you suspect that your dog has allergies? If so, then youve probably realized that allergies in dogs are not quite as simple as we might wish. For starters, there are several different types of allergies that could be causing your dogs symptoms.

Allergies are a misguided reaction to foreign substances by the bodys immune system, which, of course, people and pets can suffer from. There are quite a few different types of allergies in dogs. Skin allergies, food allergies, and environmental allergens all pose challenges for dogs and their owners, and to make things more complicated, the symptoms of all these different types of allergies can overlap.

Symptoms of Allergies in Dogs

The symptoms of allergies in dogs may vary depending on the cause. A dog that goes into anaphylactic shock, for instance, will have a drop in blood pressure followed by shock, which is very different from a skin condition.

In general, however, the following symptoms could be a sign of an allergic reaction.

• Itchiness
• Hives
• Swelling of the face, ears, lips, eyelids, or earflaps
• Red, inflamed skin
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Sneezing
• Itchy ears
• Chronic ear infections
• Itchy, runny eyes
• Constant licking

Some of these symptoms could also be a sign of another condition. Make an appointment with your veterinarian if you notice changes in their behavior to get an accurate diagnosis.

Types of Allergic Reactions in Dogs

Allergic Dermatitis in Dogs

Skin allergies in dogs, known as allergic dermatitis, is the most common type of allergic reaction in dogs. Skin allergies in dogs are mainly caused by one of three things: fleas, food allergies, and atopicor environmentalallergies.Flea allergy dermatitis is an allergic reaction to fleabites, and some dogs are allergic to flea saliva, which can cause their skin to become red, inflamed, or scabbed because their skin will feel extremely itchy. Its the easiest type of allergic dermatitis to treat, since you can apply flea medication for dogs to help heal their skin.

Another cause of skin allergy in dogs is from food allergies and sensitivities. Just like humans can be allergic to certain foods or ingredients, dogs can be allergic, which can cause itchy skin. Dogs with food allergies usually have itchy ears or paws, sometimes along with gastrointestinal symptoms. Dr. Klein, Chief Veterinary Officer for the AKC, says that food allergies are not as common as you might think. True food allergies result in an immune response, which can range in symptoms from hives, facial swelling, and itchiness to gastrointestinal signs like vomiting and diarrhea or a combination of both.

Environmental allergens can also affect the skin and be the cause of allergic dermatitis. Things like dust, pollen, fungus, and mold can cause these reactions, but in most cases, these allergies are seasonal. As with food allergies that affect the skin, the most commonly affected areas are the paws and ears (but also include the wrists, ankles, muzzle, underarms, groin, around the eyes, and in between the toes).

All skin allergies pose the risk of secondary infection. As your dog scratches, bites, and licks at his skin, he risks opening up his skin to yeast and bacterial infections that may require treatment.

Urticaria, or Hives, in Dogs

Also known as urticaria, hives on dogs are very itchy but are not life-threatening. Hives appear as a reaction anywhere from 6 to 24 hours after exposure to allergens. This consists of itchy, swelled skin, that usually looks like a red rash. Its easiest to spot hives on dogs that are hairless or have short coats. Dogs with longer hair can get them too, but its more likely that youd be able to fee the hives rather than see them. Your vet will prescribe an antihistamine in order to treat urticaria in dogs.

Edema of Face or Throat

Swelling of the throat or face looks severe, but its actually almost never fatal. This area of swelling, which can also include swelling of the eyelids or ear flaps, is known as angioneurotic edema. Its actually pretty easily treated, and despite how it looks, its a good sign in terms of allergic reactions.

If your dog has edema of any of these areas, the time for a fatal allergic reaction has most likely passed, and they arent in as much danger. Angioneurotic edema occurs anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours after exposure to an allergen, and can also come with hives.A veterinarian will often give dogs with this reaction an antihistamine injection. Untreated, it may take a day or two for the swelling to subside.

Anaphylactic Shock

Perhaps the most alarming of all the types of allergic reactions in dogs is anaphylactic shock. Like people, dogs can go into anaphylactic shock if they have a severe reaction to an allergen. This happens when antibodies produced by the host react negatively to the allergen, dropping your dogs blood pressure rapidly and sending them into shock. This can be fatal if not treated, but luckily, anaphylactic reactions are rare in dogs.

This can be a response to any allergen, most commonly bee or wasp stings, or vaccine reactions. Because of this, your vet will always recommend keeping a close eye on your dog after theyve been given any new vaccine, drug, or food item, as they might be allergic.

If a dog has had a past incident and survived, the owner may carry an epipen, but sometimes the first occurrence can lead to death. Fortunately these reactions are very rare in dogs.

In some rare cases, a severe food allergy reaction resulting in anaphylaxis can occur, similar to severe peanut allergies in humans. The best way to diagnose and treat a food allergy is to work with your veterinarian to manage your dogs symptoms and discover the ingredient causing the reaction.

Diagnosing Allergies in Dogs

Flea allergy dermatitis is typically the easiest allergy to diagnose. It is usually diagnosed by identifying fleas on your dogs body and applying a product that kills fleas before they can bite to see if that solves the issues.

The first thing your veterinarian will do in allergy testing is rule out any other condition that could be causing your dogs symptoms. If your veterinarian feels that an allergy is a likely cause, they may propose allergy testing to try and determine the cause of the allergen that is causing the reaction. However, keep in mind it may not always be possible to determine the cause of an allergy with testing.

If you have ever undergone allergy testing, then you know that diagnosing allergies is often complicated. Its the same for dogs, but its worth it to understand what to stay away from when it comes to your dog.Food allergies are often diagnosed using an elimination diet. A food trial consists of feeding a dog one source of protein and carbohydrate for 12 weeks.

Treating Allergies in Dogs

The best way to treat an allergy is avoidance of the cause and allergen, which may not always be possible. They type of treatment depends on the type of allergy your dog has. For example, the best way to treat flea allergy dermatitis is to kill the fleas, whereas the best way to treat a food allergy or food intolerance is a change in diet.

Depending on the cause and severity of your dogs allergic reaction, your veterinarian will prescribe different things. For hives, they might suggest antihistamines, cortisones, medicated shampoos, whereas with food allergies they might suggest fish oil or other Omega-3 fatty acid supplements. For skin allergies, they might prescribe dog-safe anti-inflammatory wipes or shampoo on skin to provide irritation relief.

In addition to any lifestyle changes that might be necessary, your veterinarian may also prescribe an allergy relief medication for your dog that will help control the signs associated with the allergic reaction, such as itching and any secondary skin infections that might have developed as a result of the irritant.

If your dog has a severe allergic reaction, your best course of action is to get them to an emergency veterinary hospital as quickly as possible.