Dogs, Allergies and Dog Food...

Need some advice about choosing a food for your dog with an allergy?

Maybe you're not sure if your dog could be allergic to something?

Look out for hot skin, licking paws, itchy coat, flaking skin, sore ears and paws, recurrent ear infections, loose stools, dihorea, bloody stools, bloating, excessive wind, tortion, etc, etc, as these could all be a sign that your dog is allergic to something in their diet.

A change in diet:

The following ingredients are classed as allergens. This means that they are known to cause allergic reactions in some, but not all dogs.

Wheat, Pork, Beef, Dairy Produce (eggs, milk, etc), Soya (a source of protein which is often used as a cheap filler in dog foods), Artificial Colourants- such as preservatives, flavour enhancers and preservatives (these are E Numbers- which are essentially MAN MADE ingredients.  If your food contains E Numbers then is contains artificial additives)

If you have a dog that seems to be having a reaction, it could be worth trying to find a diet that is free from the above ingredients.

This type of food is known as a HYPOALLERGENIC diet. Be warned, these types of food tend to be more expensive as the ingredients are usually of a higher quality (as the food is free from the cheaper fillers which tend to be used in commercial dog foods).

The Gluten Free Debate:

If you are looking for a Gluten Free Dog food then I think that you will find it very difficult as the term Gluten Free is often misunderstood...

In my experience, 99%  of extruded dry dog foods contain cereals- and all cereals contain gluten. Tinned food is also made in the same way (by the process of extrusion) and is therfore highly likely to contain cereals. So if you are feeing dry or tinned dog food- this will inevitably contain Gluten too.

HOWEVER, The most common type of gluten that people actually wish to avoid is WHEAT GLUTEN as this is known to cause allergic reactions in some dogs.


If you have been advised to try your dog on a Wheat Gluten Free dog food, then there is a wide selection on the market and we have a few products that may be of interset:

The Soya Debate:

Soya is an ingredient which can appear on labels as 'soya',  'hi-pro soya' or the more loose term; 'vegetable protein extract'. It is a protein source that comes from soy beans. Basically, soy beans are crushed to extract oil (which is used for other industries), and what is left (known as the 'bean meat') is a very good source of protein, which is used in the feed industry to inncrease the protein levels in some products. It is added to some makes of dog food as it means the manufacturer can then use less meat.

Whilst most dogs have no problems eating a food that contains Soya, I am aware that generally speaking,  Soya is frowned upon by some consumers who see it as a 'false protein' or 'filler'. I suppose that as a consumer, when you look at a dog food label to check out the protein content- one would usually assume the protein as coming from meat, not a pulse!

So what if a change of diet doesn't help??

See your vet! As I said before, some of the symptoms discussed could be caused by something else,  and one very common problem that is often mis-diagnosed as an allergic reaction is colitis...

This is a digestive disorder, and the symptoms of this condition are similar to what could be considered as an 'allergic reaction'.

You might notice that your dog has a temperature, an upset tummy, or loose or jelly like stools- and this happens because the dog's tummy is getting too acidic which can be due to a number of reasons-

• it is a very common problem in rescue dogs (because of their nervous disposition).

• it is also common in longer haired breeds such as German Shepherds- because they can overheat easily which upsets the ph balance in the tummy.
  

• it is also known to be more common in 'giddier' or excitable dogs, because the Ph balance of the tummy is unsettled in the same way.

If this sounds familiar then there are a few things that you could try:

• Try a very bland diet for two weeks (cooked chicken, tinned fish, boiled pasta & rice), and then gradually you could try to introduce a HIGH QUALITY HYPOALLERGENIC food.
  

• See your vet who may be able to prescribe enzyme powders (these are supposed to help dogs to absorb nutrients better- which they may be unable to do if their food is 'coming straight through').

• Try a pre and pro biotic supplement such as Eurotec's Biotec. This is a much cheaper alternative to an enzyme powder. Just like Yakult works for us, this supplement helps dogs (and other animals too) to establish healthy gut flora which helps to flush out bad bacteria. It also stabilises the stomach acidity and stimulates the immune system to fight infection. This product is available to buy in our eBay store
  Click here to visit our eBay store!

• Try to avoid foods with artificial additives such as colours, flavour enhancers and man-made antioxidants (E NUMBERS). There is evidence to suggest that these can cause hyperactivity- so going for a food without these ingredients might help to calm a 'giddier' dog down.

If you would like any advice about dog food, please contact me by ebay messages and I will do my best to help.

Kindest regards,
Donna

Thank you for reading!