Food allergies affect many dogs, and allergies don\'t discriminate according to the breed or age. They can begin at five months and last a lifetime, but most cases occur when the dog is between the ages of two and six. Food allergies can cause your dog to have itchy skin and other skin problems while food intolerances result in diarrhea or vomiting. These two, though both troublesome, are different. There are ways to treat food allergies. First, consider speaking with your vet. They will probably have some useful information or recommendations.
It is now known that some pet food ingredients are more likely to spur a food allergy in your dog. For example, beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, eggs, corn, and soy are all culprits. Unfortunately for you and your dog, these ingredients happen to be the most common in the majority of dog foods. New lamb and rice kibble may seem like a solution. However, because these two ingredients haven\'t been, until recently, on the mass market, many pets may be allergic; they just haven\'t yet developed the allergy.
To spot an allergy in your dog, it\'s important to be on the lookout for several symptoms, the most common of which is itchy skin. Other symptoms include ear infections, hot spots, excessive scratching, increased bowel movements, and hair loss. Also, if a dog responds to an antibiotic but condition returns, a food allergy may be the culprit. The most important thing is to rule out other allergies or causes of symptoms. Does your dog have an intestinal parasite? Does he have a flea allergy? Once you\'ve ousted other allergies, you may begin treatment.
Finding out the exact trigger to the allergy is the troublesome part. This can be done by process of elimination. Stop feeding your dog his usual kibble and introduce something new with new ingredients. For example, if your dog has been eating a chicken and corn based kibble, give him lamb and rice. Not working? Try fish and potatoes. Eventually, and probably sooner than later, you\'ll find a combination that works.
And, once you begin to explore all the different combinations, you\'ll discover a whole world of dog food. For the do-it-yourselfer, you may even consider making the food at home. If you do embark on this road, make sure your dog\'s diet offers him the correct amount of vitamins and minerals. n smoothly with the family.
