Home-Made Dog Food for Dogs with Allergies

About ten percent of the allergies seen in dogs are caused by allergic reactions to food. They are also a major cause of itching and scratching. The way a pet becomes sensitized to a particular food agent, which in turn creates a complicated antibody response in the dog's intestinal tract, is not very well known. Despite our lack of understanding of how food allergies affect our dogs, there are many things we are certain of - the symptoms, and how to diagnose and treat food allergies.

Food allergies do not respect gender as they affect males and females equally. The first signs of allergies can be detected as early as five months and as late as 12 years of age within the dog's life span. But most cases become visible when the dog is between two and six years old.

Dog food allergy symptoms are similar to most other kinds of allergies seen in dogs with which the primary symptoms are itchy skin that mostly affects the face, feet, ears, forelegs, armpits, and the area around the anus. Other symptoms can include but are not limited to increased incidence of bowel movements during the day, chronic ear infections, hair loss, hot spots and skin infections that respond to treatment but reappear once antibiotics have been discontinued.

Food allergies can be diagnosed properly when the dog participates in a food trial. A food trial lasts for at least 12 weeks, during which time the dog is fed a food source containing protein and carbohydrates that it has never eaten before. Rabbit or venison are hardly ever used in commercial dog food and are good choices of proteins. Potatoes can also be used as the main carbohydrate source.

For the full 12 week period the new food source must be the only thing that the dog consumes, plus water of course; meaning no treats or pig's ears. In addition, the dog should not be allowed to roam because it could munch on external sources of food or garbage.

During the 12 week trial; if the dog shows signs of marked reduction or elimination of the symptoms then the dog is placed back on its original diet. If symptoms of allergy returns after the original diet has been replaced then the allergy diagnosis is confirmed.

A great way of avoiding allergic reactions in dogs is by feeding them a home-made meal. You can occasionally feed your dog a new ingredient to find out the main source of the allergic reaction.

During this special diet and change of ingredients if allergic symptoms should subside, then meat that has been given to the dog in the past can be added - some great ideas might be beef or chicken -- for two weeks. If there are no symptoms during this time, you can add a different ingredient. But, if the dog begins to show symptoms again, you can assume that the addition of the latest ingredient brought on the allergic reaction.

Home-made diets are a way of ensuring that proper ingredients like vitamins and mineral are used in the correct amounts.

Rod Angus runs the very popular website Dog Food Recipe Answers. Want to learn more about dog nutrition? Discover more with a *free mini-course* at http://www.dogfoodrecipeanswers.com/dog-food-allergies

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