I recently read an article about the rising cases of dog allergies. It was linked to a forum where the trending topic was can dogs eat bananas without risking allergic reactions. The article detailed how common ingredients in dog food can trigger an allergic reaction. It also recommended hypoallergenic pet food as an alternative. Surfing the net, I came across countless businesses selling this type of dog food. Not sure about what this type of pet food is or does, I decided to do some research on the topic. Today I’ll discuss what I found.
What are pet allergies?
Like humans, pets such as dogs can develop an allergy. Allergies occur when the pet’s body identifies a normally harmless substance as an invader and attacks it. The substance can be an ingredient in its food. Some of the symptoms associated with dog allergies include vomiting, scratching and itching, dull coat and skin and, lethargy.
It’s worth noting that an allergy is usually specific to the individual pet. Therefore, an ingredient in food that causes an allergic reaction in on pet won’t necessarily cause the same reaction in another. In addition, pets can suddenly become allergic to foods they eat daily. These are products such as chicken, corn, wheat and dairy which are normally included in dog food.
How do you know what’s causing allergic reactions in your dog?
If your pet shows symptoms of allergic reaction to specific dog food, it’s possible that one or more ingredients in the food is the trigger. The best approach to take is withdraw the dog food and start feeding your canine one ingredient at a time. This way, you can be able to identify the specific ingredients that are causing the allergic reaction and eliminate them from the dog’s diet. You can also change your pets diet altogether. However, the new diet should provide the nutrients your dog needs to remain healthy.
How about hypoallergenic dog food?
Changing to a hypoallergenic diet immediately you identify allergic reactions in your canine isn’t advisable. There are a couple of reasons for this.
First, your dog is unique and whatever triggers an allergic reaction in your pet might be completely safe for another. Hypoallergenic pet food might not include ingredients commonly known to cause allergies in dogs. This however doesn’t mean that the ingredients included won’t trigger an allergic reaction in your pet.
Second, if you haven’t identified the ingredient that causes the allergic reaction in your dog, you won’t know which brand of hypoallergenic pet food is best. You might simply end up buying pet food that contains an ingredient that will cause allergies.
Third, you can save money if you first establish which ingredient in your dog food triggers a reaction, and eliminate it from your dog’s diet. Remember, most of the hypoallergenic pet food brands are priced more than regular dog food.
Hypoallergenic pet food might seem the best option for your dog if he develops allergies to certain foods. However, it’s always advisable to know which foods are causing the allergy in the first place. This way, you will be able to identify which brands will be best for your canine.