Dog Food Allergy 
© Przemyslaw Iciak / stock.adobe.com
Food allergies can affect any dog and diminish their quality of life with symptoms such as itching and digestive issues.
If your dog isn’t taking well to their grub, they might be suffering from a food allergy. Early signs can be increased itching and digestive issues. Read on to find out what can trigger a food allergy in dogs and how you can spot and treat it.
Table of contents
- Is a Food Allergy in Dogs Dangerous?
- Symptoms: How Does a Food Allergy in Dogs Manifest?
- Diagnosis: How is a Food Allergy in Dogs Diagnosed?
- Therapy: What Can I Feed If My Dog Has a Food Allergy?
- Prognosis: Can a Food Allergy in Dogs Be Cured?
- Causes: What Triggers Food Allergies in Dogs?
- Prevention: Can a Food Allergy in Dogs Be Prevented?
Is a Food Allergy in Dogs Dangerous?
When the immune system reacts with hypersensitivity to dog food, it’s considered a food allergy. For many canines, a food allergy is mild in nature. However, there are cases where your furry friend might seriously react to allergens in the food.
A particularly severe form is anaphylactic shock, which could be life-threatening for your pooch. That’s why it’s critical to visit your vet at the first sign of an allergy.
Food Allergy, Food Intolerance or Food Poisoning?
There are many terms in veterinary language for adverse food reactions, but they shouldn’t be used interchangeably.
Adverse food reactions include the following types:
- Food Allergy: An allergy is immune-mediated and can occur spontaneously but is persistent. Even minute amounts of the allergenic food component can trigger severe reactions.
- Food Intolerance: The body reacts immediately to the natural properties of a food component, without involvement of the immune system.
- Food Poisoning: a substance that is toxic to every individual of a species at any time (e.g., onions)
How Common are Food Allergies in Dogs?
Dog owners often bring their pups to the vet with diarrhoea, automatically assuming a food allergy. However, this immune-mediated illness is less common than many dog owners believe. More often than not, it turns out to be an intolerance rather than an allergy.
Which Dogs are Most Affected?
Technically, any dog can develop an allergy, regardless of age, breed, or sex. But it has been noted that certain breeds are more prone to food allergies, such as the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier.
© Julija / stock.adobe.com
Symptoms: How Does a Food Allergy in Dogs Manifest?
Food allergies in dogs often progress mildly, with most dogs showing changes in the skin. Symptoms like itching (Alopecia) and eczema (inflammatory skin changes) are prevalent.
Digestive Problems are Also Possible
Some canines may experience digestive problems instead of, or in addition to, skin issues. These include:
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating (Flatulence)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
When Should I Visit the Vet?
If you notice health changes in your dog, seek a vet’s advice as soon as possible. They can identify the cause and assist your dog in time to prevent more serious consequences.
Recognising an Emergency – It’s particularly urgent if your dog displays signs of anaphylactic shock – which include persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, and unconsciousness. In this urgent emergency, visit your vet immediately. Further helpful information can be found under: First Aid for Dogs
Diagnosis: How is a Food Allergy in Dogs Diagnosed?
? The first step is sensible to exclude other common conditions or allergies that could show similar symptoms, such as infestation with parasites like fleas, mites, or worms.
After exclusion diagnosis, to then determine a possible food allergy in dogs, a subsequent elimination diet is required.
The Elimination Diet with Provocation
Feed your dog a new hypoallergenic food for several weeks (min. six) discussed with your vet that does not contain the protein and carbohydrate sources present in the previous dog food. If symptoms improve, this is an initial indication that your dog might have a food allergy.
To further clarify, a provocation can follow. Give your dog some of the old food again. If symptoms reappear, this supports the suspected diagnosis.
The Allergy Test
A Serum IgE test can also help identify an allergy in dogs. However, this allergy test is controversial because it may not always be effective. Therefore, it’s best to ask your vet if an allergy test is suitable for your dog.
Therapy: What Can I Feed If My Dog Has a Food Allergy?
To keep your dog free from allergic reactions, it’s wise to make a lifelong switch to food containing proteins and carbohydrates that they can tolerate. Considered particularly safe are:
- exotic meats like kangaroo, ostrich, and horse
- special carbohydrates like squash, parsnip, or sweet potato
Hypoallergenic dog food is also available in the zooplus online shop.
Food with Only One Protein Source
Many pet food manufacturers also offer products containing just one defined protein source. These are called mono-protein or single-protein food.
Consistency is Key
For a smooth transition to the new diet, follow your vet’s instructions in every aspect. This means not just the daily dog food, but also the dog snacks should be tailored to your dog’s allergy from now on.
Prognosis: Can a Food Allergy in Dogs Be Cured?
Once a food allergy manifests in a dog, it remains for life. However, if you permanently switch your dog’s diet to suitable ingredients without compromise, they can typically lead a normal life.
Causes: What Triggers Food Allergies in Dogs?
An allergy can develop after your dog repeatedly contacts an allergen (allergy-triggering protein). This leads to an overreaction by the immune system, producing antibodies against the allergens, which results in clinical symptoms.
What Allergens Do Dogs Commonly React to?
In general, dogs can develop allergies to any substance. However, proteins from beef, chicken (and eggs), and dairy are particularly notorious for inducing allergies in dogs.
Prevention: Can a Food Allergy in Dogs Be Prevented?
Allergies are immune-based and can occur in any stage of life. However, you can reduce the risk of illness by avoiding frequent food changes and consistently feeding your dog a suitable type of food
This article from zooplus Magazine is purely informative. If your pet is experiencing discomfort, contact your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.
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The products featured have been carefully selected by our editorial staff and are available at the zooplus online pet shop. The selection does not constitute advertising for the mentioned brands.
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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