Food Allergy in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 6 August 2021
Update Date: 6 November 2024
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Food Allergy in Dogs: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment
Video: Food Allergy in Dogs: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

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Food allergies in dogs, which we must differentiate from food intolerances, are disorders that you may encounter quite frequently. In this PeritoAnimal article, we'll talk about the key points to recognize a dog food allergy. In addition, we will explain which treatment is best suited to resolve them or at least control them.If you suspect your dog has an allergy, you should consult your veterinarian to prevent the condition from getting worse.

Food Allergy in Dogs: Symptoms

While it may at first appear that the symptoms of food allergy in dogs are mainly digestive, the truth is that the most characteristic sign is the itching and therefore scratching to relieve her. Food allergy can happen to dogs of all ages and, without the seasonal pattern that happens in triggered allergies, for example, to pollen.


The foods most related to allergic reactions are meat, milk, eggs, fish, cereals and soy. Allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction before a substance, in this case proteins, which in principle should not be dangerous for the organism. If the immune system considers them to be dangerous, then the allergy occurs. The dog must be exposed to the allergen one or more times for the reaction to be triggered. Therefore, it is more common in puppies that follow the same diet for some time.

How is food allergy manifested in dogs? As we've already said, food allergy dermatitis in dogs will be the main symptom. This disorder causes reddening and intense itching. You may also notice small red and wounds caused by itching. It is very normal for this skin disorder to affect the lower body area and the ears, causing otitis by food allergy in dogs. The legs and back of the feet are usually also affected.


Finally, food allergy diarrhea in dogs is rare. A quick digestive transit can happen, but in the case of intolerancesfood. Therefore, if you suspect that your dog has an allergic disorder, it is important that the veterinarian confirms this diagnosis, since, in addition to allergy being confused with intolerance, dermatological disorders can also be due to other types of allergies. in dogs or diseases.

Food allergy in dogs: symptoms of feed intolerance

As we have just seen, intolerance and allergy in dogs are two completely different conditions and therefore they develop different symptoms as well. Thus, a dog with food intolerance will have diarrhea and/or vomiting, accompanied by abdominal pain. A dog with a food allergy will, on the other hand, show the aforementioned symptoms of dermatitis. It is clear that in both cases the dog will not be allergic or intolerant to all rations, but to one or several of its components.


Allergy in dogs: tests

To confirm a diagnosis of food allergy in dogs, the veterinarian will use a hypoallergenic diet test. It consists of offering the animal what we call elimination diet, that is, with foods he has never eaten before, and the other foods are eliminated. It is possible to find for sale several rations or moist foods made with few ingredients of less common consumption. In its composition, do not contain artificial preservatives or flavorings. There are also products formulated with hydrolyzed proteins. This means that proteins are broken down into smaller fragments, to which the organism has no reaction. In this way, the allergy is not triggered. If the dog's symptoms improve with this change in his diet, the diagnosis of food allergy is confirmed.

Naturally, it is also possible to carry out this elimination diet with natural foods. This way, it is even easier to find the food or foods that are triggering the dog's allergic reaction. Of course, we recommend creating this diet under the guidance of a veterinarian. Lastly, the veterinarian can also request a allergy skin test to the main food allergens.

Food Allergy in Dogs: How to Treat

The first important thing to clarify is that food allergy cannot be cured, but if you prevent the dog from consuming the food he is allergic to, he will lead a normal life. This way, if what you want to know is how to stop allergy in dogs, you already have your answer. Therefore, the treatment is to find out which food the dog has the allergic reaction to. For this, it is essential to draw up a detailed list of all the foods that the dog has consumed throughout its life, since the objective is to provide a completely new menu.

The new selected diet should be offered for approximately 8-10 weeks. If you notice an improvement, and always according to the veterinarian's instructions, you can add foods one by one, in order to find out what triggered the reaction. It is possible to identify it because, when adding the food again, the dog will show symptoms again. If a diet works, it will be continued indefinitely.

So don't expect a dog allergy medicine, since the treatment is based exclusively on feeding interventions. On the other hand, it is possible to prescribe drugs if the itching causes severe skin damage. The goal, in this case, is to control the itching, reduce inflammation or treat lesions, if applicable. In the next section, we'll talk about antihistamines.

Medicine for allergy in dogs: antihistamines

Allergic reactions are produced by a release of histamine, so to treat them, prescribed antihistamine drugs can be used when there is itching or dermatitis, in this case caused by your dog's food allergy.

On the market there are several types of antihistamines for dogs, which can be administered and act in different ways in the body. It is up to the veterinarian to choose the most suitable for the case and determine the dose. Under no circumstances should you medicate your dog with drugs for human use. Antihistamines are only used when there are symptoms. Corticosteroids can also be used, but again, only an expert can recommend use.

Food Allergy in Dogs: Home Remedy

In food allergies it is possible to resort to home remedies, as you can prepare a diet, using fresh food chosen and controlled by yourself and without any additives, it is an excellent option for these animals. Naturally, for the menu to be balanced, it is essential that it be designed with the help of a veterinarian with good knowledge of nutrition, since otherwise we could solve the allergy but cause nutritional deficiencies. As we've said, it should consist of ingredients that the dog has never consumed, or that you've proven not to cause any allergic reaction in him.

To learn how to start a homemade dog diet, don't miss our BARF diet for dogs article. This type of food usually works very well for food allergies in dogs, so it is an excellent home remedy option to treat this type of allergy in dogs.

Food Allergy in Dogs: Recommended Foods

If for any reason the dog does not follow a homemade diet, we have already commented that there is a wide variety of food allergy rations in dogs, as well as other more natural foods, produced to treat this type of problem. In general, these products are made with foods that produce a lower percentage of allergy in dogs, discovered thanks to studies carried out. Also, they generally do not include artificial colors or flavors. For all that, we recommend always looking for rations or foods that are as natural as possible, and that are made with natural ingredients and suitable for human consumption.

This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.