Food Allergies in Dogs: How to Know Whether Your Pet is Allergic

In doing research for this website, I found that a lot of people have questions about food allergies in dogs. There’s an increasing rate of food allergies in dogs, but there’s much less information available about this subject compared to human food allergies.

Based on the books I’ve read, I am of the opinion that this phenomenon is very much related to our toxic world, and the very, very poor-quality, chemical-filled commercial pet food we’re feeding our companions – just as human food allergies are related to our eating too much pesticide-laden, preservative-packed, non-nutritive food. But more on that on another page. Let’s look at how to figure out whether your dog has a food allergy (or allergies), and what to do about it.

Barney was a great dog – the dog the Millers had always wanted for their kids. He’d meet family and guests at the door, shoving the storm door open with his nose and proffering a friendly paw. They had brought their sweet Golden Retriever home at the beginning of December, a sort of early Christmas present. Barney’s previous owner was moving to a condo and had to give him up, but she’d sent the Millers off with Barney’s bed, leash, and a big bag of the brand of dog food he’d eaten since he was a young dog.

Barney seemed to adjust well to his new home. In February, though, Barney started itching. He’d scrape his face against the carpet, chew at his paws, and scratch at his belly. He even began to lose hair in those areas. The veterinarian gave the Millers some steroid medicine to treat their dog’s itchy areas, but it helped only a little.

At a later visit, the vet suggested something different: Barney might have a food allergy.

The Millers were surprised! After all, Barney had only been eating his normal food, the same brand he had always eaten. But one of the keys to food allergies in dogs – as well as in people – is that reactions tend to occur with foods that are eaten the most. So, for dogs, we find the most common allergens are beef, dairy, chicken, wheat, chicken eggs, corn, and soy – not surprisingly, the most common ingredients in most commercial dog foods.

The most common symptom of food allergies in dogs is excessive, all-season itching, similar to what Barney experienced. Areas most commonly affected are the face, feet and legs, belly, and ears. An allergic dog’s ears may have recurrent infections, especially yeast infections. As in Barney’s case, the itching and infections will not respond, or respond only partially, to steroids, antihistamines, or antibiotics.

If you notice your dog pooping a lot, this may be a sign of food allergies as well. Some research shows that food allergies in dogs are linked to more frequent bowel movements – averaging three a day, rather than 1.5 for non-allergic animals. Diarrhea and vomiting, though not symptoms of a medical allergy, may show food intolerance. As far as most pet owners are concerned, though, this is just as bad as a “true” allergy, and can be treated in the same way.

To be sure that your dog has a food allergy or intolerance, most vets will recommend an elimination diet. This means feeding your pet only a protein and a carbohydrate he hasn’t had before for anywhere from six to twelve weeks. This means no treats, either, except for fruit, which does not tend to produce food allergies in dogs (how many commercial dog foods have you seen that contain apples, right?). Your dog will most likely feel much better within six weeks on the diet, though certain breeds, such as cocker spaniels and Labrador retrievers, may take 10 weeks.

Then comes the “challenge” or “provocative testing.” In order to determine whether food allergy was the problem for your dog, you’ll follow the elimination diet by giving him his old food again for two weeks. If his symptoms return within that period, you can be reasonably certain he has a food allergy.

What do you feed your dog now? Click here to find out your options! Or click here to go straight to the homemade dog food page!

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