Elimination Diet for Dog Food Allergies

Your dog’s existence can be significantly impacted by food allergies, and identifying the precise cause often presents a substantial challenge. Various elements can play a role in the development of food allergies. While these allergies can be hereditary, they are usually triggered by external influences like the dog’s dietary regime.

Related read: Canine Nutrition: How to Deal With a Fussy Dog

Ten percent of all known allergies in dogs are caused by food allergies and the frustrating thing is that a dog can become allergic to most ingredients given enough exposure. Food allergies are the third most common type and cause of allergies in dogs after flea bites and atopic allergies.

Any dog or puppy, male and female, neutered or not, can experience food allergies. There is no direct scientific correlation between certain breeds and the number of food allergy sufferers as it’s largely dependent on the individual dog and its lineage.

Little is known for sure about food allergies in our pets scientifically speaking but several ingredients have been identified as common causes. These are:

  • Beef
  • Dairy
  • Wheat
  • Chicken eggs
  • Chicken
  • Lamb
  • Soy
  • Pork
  • Rabbit
  • Fish
  • and Corn

It is no coincidence that some of those common causes listed above are ingredients found in leading commercial dog foods. Food allergies are usually triggered by repeated exposure however the symptoms are nearly indiscernible from many other canine conditions and problems.

Related read: Understanding Pet Food Labels

The symptoms of a food allergy in dogs are similar to other allergic responses: itchy skin particularly affecting the ears, face, paws, armpits, forelegs, and the area surrounding the anus, inflammation of the ears, and gastrointestinal problems. It is important to recognise the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance

Avoid inflammation: Golden Milk For Dogs- An Anti-inflammatory Powerhouse

Food allergies are legitimate allergies that cause typical symptoms associated with allergies such as itching and skin problems. Food intolerance is simply intolerance to certain types of food and can cause vomiting and diarrhoea from consumption in the same way that spicy foods might cause us, humans, to do the same.

The symptoms of a food allergy can lead to chronic (ie. long-lasting) conditions such as recurring infections, extreme scratching, hair loss, hot spots, etc. Recurring infections that don’t respond to antibiotics or steroids have been shown to be a common sign of a food allergy.

Other tell-tale signs of a food allergy are dogs that suffer from allergies all year round or display symptoms when winter begins or younger dogs that suffer from harsh skin conditions. As previously mentioned the symptoms of food allergies are similar to other problems in dogs so they can be hard to pinpoint.

If you’re unsure visit your vet because it is important to rule out everything else that could be causing allergies before suspecting a food allergy. If all other possibilities have been exhausted then it’s entirely possible that your dog may be a food allergy sufferer. Time for an elimination diet!

Elimination Diets

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an elimination diet (also known as a food trial) is a specified feeding regime that is made up of one source of protein and carbohydrates that your dog hasn’t had before.

They are used to eliminate all allergy triggers by replacing their food with an allergen-free diet. The diet must be fed for a minimum of 12 weeks and must be strictly upheld to be effective.

Learn more about your dog’s diet: An Introduction to a Dog’s Diet

This includes not letting your dog roam around where he could find edible objects, any new foods introduced even accidentally during an elimination diet could render it invalid. This also means the dog can’t be given any foods apart from those on his elimination diet so no treats, no rawhide, and no flavoured medication.

If the symptoms of the dog’s food allergy significantly subside then the dog can be put back onto its normal diet. If the symptoms return after they’re back on their regular diet then they have a food allergy. This is the only definitive way to confirm a food allergy and it’s known as ‘provocative testing’.

In some cases, there can be no change in symptoms but if you still suspect that your dog has a food allergy then you should switch the main ingredient of the elimination diet and try again. If your dog responds well to an elimination diet and allergic symptoms subside then you can gradually introduce ingredients one at a time to find out which your dog is allergic to.

There are commercially available elimination diets to be found but you can always make your own. Bear in mind however that a dog’s diet needs to be properly balanced with the essential amount of ingredients, vitamins, and minerals. Cooking your dog’s food yourself means that you know exactly what’s going into their food but it can be time-consuming. It can be more trouble than it’s worth as it’s easy to get it wrong and accidentally leave out essential nutrients.

Another annoying thing about food allergies is that dogs can become allergic to most ingredients given enough exposure so try rotating their diet every few months so they can become stable on varying diets. Consult with a canine nutritionist if you’re interested in exploring these options.

While it is impossible to outright prevent food allergies in dogs, if they are fed a varied and rotating diet as a puppy then they have the best chance of developing a healthy gut that can handle different foods. If your dog is displaying symptoms of food allergies or intolerance then Lintbells Yumpro BioActiv can provide the relief they’re after. It’s a unique blend of prebiotics and probiotic bacteria designed to support digestive health in your dog’s stomach.

Probiotics top up the naturally occurring beneficial bacteria found in the stomach as opposed to antibiotics which introduce foreign bacteria which the body doesn’t always know how to handle. Yumpro BioActiv relieves the symptoms of food allergies so you can keep your dog happy while you search for a long-term solution.