It has been almost a year since we won Apollo’s battle of the creepy cruddy ears.  After a long and tenuous battle against a chronic ear infection that turned into a very serious gram negative antibiotic resistant pseudomonas infection.  After countless consults, cultures and trials and error it was determined that this exaggerated problem had a simple, yet insideous root cause… Food Allergies!  How could this be?  He was 4 1/2 when the problem started. How could something like this develop in the middle of his life?

These are all too familiar questions many dog owners ask after chronic ear infections, intolerable itching, red sores, horrendous gas/diarrhea and/or patchy baldness crop up out of no where in otherwise healthy adult dog.  So the symptoms have cropped up, now what?  Dr. Susan Wright, DVM, resident veterinarian for Dog Fence DIY offers her advise and shed some light on food allergies.

Food Allergies

by guest author Dr. Susan Wright, DVM

Food allergy is a very common cause of skin inflammation in dogs. It can cause itching and reddening all over the body. Because these changes are happening on the skin, it allows the harmless bacteria that normally live there to multiply, causing infection. This makes the problem worse.

Here are the facts about food allergies in dogs.

1. It’s common, and it often occurs in conjunction with other allergies, such as flea allergy, or an allergy to plant pollens in the air. This means that if you manage the symptoms of one allergy, you often reduce the severity of the other.

2. Food allergy in dogs can be managed without drugs, providing you put the effort into finding out what he’s allergic to, and keeping it out of his dinner bowl. This sounds like hard work, and it is.

3. Dogs aren’t allergic to something new you’ve just added to his diet. The problem is something he’s been eating for several years. Wheat, beef, lamb or dairy products are often problem foods for dogs.

4. The only way to tell if your dog does in fact have food allergy is to perform a food trial. This means you need to figure out a source of protein and also a carbohydrate source he’s never eaten before. If he’s never eaten it before, he’s not going to be allergic to it.

5. Feed him this for 6-8 weeks. Nothing else. No treats, no kibble, no toast crusts. It’s hard, and he will look at you with his soulful eyes, asking for a treat from your plate. Don’t give in. Keep in mind that you’re doing him a favor. If his skin improves, you know his diet is playing a role in his itchy skin.

6. At this point, you start adding the components of his regular diet to his meal. However, you only do it one at a time. So, for two weeks, feed him beef. If he is fine, then you can keep feeding him beef. If he starts scratching again, then you know he can’t have beef any more. Do this with several foods, and make a note of the results. You’ll end up with a list of foodstuffs that don’t make your dog itch, and another list of foods that your dog just can’t eat any more.

7. Throughout this process, work closely with your vet, because there may be times that his skin develops an infection from the bacteria that normally reside on his skin. He may need antibiotics or medicated shampoos to clear this up.

For the rest of your dog’s life, only feed him foods that are on your safe list. That way, he’s less likely to have that constant itching and scratching that comes with food allergies. There’s no guarantee he won’t become allergic to one of his safe foods in the future, but you know what you have to do.

Managing our dog’s food allergy in this way is labor intensive and time consuming. However, it’s much safer than treating him with medication that can have side effects, and may not completely solve the problem. Your dog is worth the effort.

This guest post is brought especially to you by Dog Fence DIY’s staff veterinarian Dr. Susan Wright, DVM. Dog Fence DIY will help you choose the right underground fence system that you are looking for. They are wonderful with all the steps involved in the purchase, installation, and training of your new pet containment system. Be sure to visit Dog Fence DIY for all your pet containment needs and questions.