A dog food allergy occurs when a dog has an adverse reaction to a particular food. According to a veterinarian study, 66% of dog food allergies are caused by dairy, beef and wheat.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx The report states that another 22% of food allergies are caused by soy, preservatives, pork, chicken, eggs and lamb.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx

Generally, food allergies occur when an animal is exposed to the same food too often.http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-often-should-i-change-foods.html For this reason, some nutritionists state that dogs need a variety of food combinations in their diets.http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/how-often-should-i-change-foods.html A diet could consist of a beef mix one day and a lamb mix on a different day to lessen the exposure to a single food type.

When a dog becomes allergic to food that it has eaten many times before, it is called food intolerance.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx If the dog becomes instantly ill from consuming a certain food, it is called a true allergy.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx True allergies are rare.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx

There are several symptoms that can signal the presence of a food allergy. A dog can have inflammation of the ear, paws and digits.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx Also, it can develop itchiness and lesions, as well as yeast and skin infections.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx An uncommon symptom that can occur is diarrhea.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page3.aspx

Veterinary technician Kim Horne, of the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center, states that a food elimination diet trial is used to diagnose a dog food allergy.http://www.purina.com/dog/allergies-and-obesity/diagnosingfoodallergies.aspx For a period of eight to ten weeks, the animal is placed on a hypoallergenic diet, which is a meal plan that contains foods that the dog has never eaten before.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html This procedure allows the veterinarian to determine if the animal truly has a food or an environmental allergy.http://www.purina.com/dog/allergies-and-obesity/diagnosingfoodallergies.aspx

There are two kinds of hypoallergenic diets used during a food elimination period. The standard type involves using "novel" carbohydrates and proteins.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html Instead of feeding the dog the usual beef, it is given an unusual meat product like kangaroo. Another method is the use of hydrolyzed proteins, which are proteins that have been split into smaller molecules and are less harsh on the immune system.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html Today, there are numerous foods on the market that were designed for food trials. Some hypoallergenic diets are the following: Z/D, Ultra Z/D, Purina HA, CNM HA, Exclude DVM, Eukanuba Lamb and Barley, Eukanuba Kangaroo and Oat and Hill's D/d. http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page4.aspx A person can also cook homemade hypoallergenic diets.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html

After the trial period, the dog is returned to its old diet.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html If symptoms recur, it usually happens within 14 days.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html At that time, the veterinarian gives the food allergy diagnosis.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html However, if no symptoms appear after returning to the regular diet, the owner may need to test his pet for environmental allergies.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html

The most common treatment for food allergies is to remove the food causing the allergy.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page2.aspx To pinpoint the exact food causing the allergy, the veterinarian needs to reintroduce single food items back into the dogs diet.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html An alternative route is to keep the animal on a rotating hypoallergenic diet.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_food_allergies.html Medicines are also administered to deal with the itching and infections.http://www.petplace.com/dogs/food-allergy-in-dogs/page2.aspx

The content on this page is not a substitute for a professional veterinarian's advice. Please contact a veterinarian before using the information presented here.