Milly Gaines
Dogs can suffer from a variety of allergies, and food is often the culprit. Food allergies occur when a dog's immune system mistakes something in its diet, usually a protein, for a harmful substance. This can cause a range of symptoms, including itchy skin, digestive issues, and even behavioural changes. To alleviate these symptoms, veterinarians often recommend a novel protein diet, which uses unique protein sources to reduce the likelihood of an allergic reaction. This typically involves feeding a dog a restricted diet where proteins have been broken down to avoid an allergic reaction. The transition to a new diet should be gradual, taking place over a few days to a week, to prevent further stomach upset.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to identify allergies | Persistent itching, licking, biting, scratching, and rubbing of the skin, paws, or ears, chronic ear infections, hair loss, gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and changes in appetite, hyperactivity, weight loss, lack of energy, and aggression. |
| How to change a dog's diet | Introduce novel proteins to the dog's diet, such as kangaroo, rabbit, crocodilia, black soldier fly larvae, or hydrolyzed proteins. |
| How to transition to a new diet | Transition to the new diet gradually over 5-7 days. On Day 1, introduce 25% of the new diet and 75% of the old diet. On Day 3, make it 50-50. On Day 5, introduce 75% of the new diet and 25% of the old diet. On Day 7, switch completely to the new diet. |
| How to identify the allergen | Elimination diet trials, allergy testing, or food trials. |
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What You'll Learn
Gradual transition over 5-7 days
When changing a dog's diet due to allergies, it's important to make a gradual transition over 5-7 days to avoid upsetting their stomach. Start by mixing a small portion of the new food with their current food, and gradually increase the proportion of the new food over this period. For example, on day 1, you could start with a ratio of 25% new food and 75% old food, moving to 50% of each on day 3, 75% new food on day 5, and finally 100% new food on day 7.
This gradual approach helps to prevent digestive issues and allows your dog to adjust to the new flavour and texture. It's important to monitor your dog closely during this transition period, keeping an eye out for any changes in behaviour, stool quality, or allergy symptoms. Positive changes might include reduced itching, fewer gastrointestinal issues, and improved energy levels.
If at any point your dog displays concerning signs such as a change in appetite, vomiting, or diarrhoea, slow down the transition process. If your dog continues to experience stomach upset despite a gradual transition, consult your veterinarian. They may recommend a different diet or suggest allergy testing to pinpoint specific allergens.
Once your dog is fully transitioned to the new diet, it's important to monitor them closely for any signs of improvement. If their allergy symptoms resolve, the next step is to perform a food challenge by reintroducing their old food to confirm the diagnosis. If their symptoms return within a week of this food challenge, your dog has been definitively diagnosed with a food allergy. At this point, you can work with your veterinarian to choose a diet that does not contain the offending substance.
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Monitor for symptoms
Monitoring your dog's symptoms is a crucial step in managing their allergies. Allergies in dogs can manifest in various ways, and symptoms can overlap with other conditions, so it's important to be vigilant and consult your veterinarian if you notice any changes in your dog's behaviour.
Skin allergies, also known as allergic dermatitis, are the most common type of allergic reaction in dogs. Food allergies can cause itchy skin, and the most commonly affected areas are the paws, ears, wrists, ankles, muzzle, underarms, groin, around the eyes, and between the toes. In addition to itchiness, symptoms of food allergies can include hives, facial swelling, and gastrointestinal issues like vomiting and diarrhoea. In rare cases, a severe food allergy reaction can result in anaphylaxis, similar to severe peanut allergies in humans.
When transitioning your dog to a new diet, it's important to monitor their response carefully. Gradually introduce new food while decreasing the old, aiming for a 50/50 mix of old and new food after about a week. Observe your dog's behaviour and physical symptoms during this transition period. If there are no adverse effects, continue increasing the proportion of new food while reducing the old until you have completely transitioned to the new diet over 1-2 weeks.
Regular veterinary check-ups are essential for monitoring your dog's overall health and detecting potential allergies early on. Your veterinarian can guide you in choosing a suitable diet and identifying potential allergens to avoid. They may recommend an elimination diet trial, which involves feeding your dog a hypoallergenic diet for 8 to 12 weeks to determine if their symptoms resolve. If your dog's symptoms improve during the trial and return within a week of reintroducing their old food, a food allergy is likely.
It's important to note that the onset of food allergies in dogs can be gradual or sudden, and symptoms may continue to progress as long as the offending allergen is consumed. It can take several weeks to months for clinical signs to resolve once the allergen is removed from the diet. Therefore, monitoring your dog's symptoms over time is crucial to managing their allergies effectively.
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Identify allergens
If you suspect your dog has an allergy, it is important to identify the allergen so that you can effectively manage it. Allergies are a misguided reaction to foreign substances by the body's immune system. The most common allergies in dogs are seasonal and food allergies, which cause skin problems, itching, and infections.
Food allergies in dogs are typically managed rather than cured, so it is important to identify the allergen to rule it out of your dog's diet. Food allergies can manifest through gastrointestinal issues or skin problems. Common food allergens for dogs include proteins such as beef, chicken, dairy, eggs, and grains like wheat and soy. Dogs with food allergies usually have itchy ears or paws, sometimes along with gastrointestinal symptoms. Food allergies are not as common as you might think, and true food allergies result in an immune response, which can range in symptoms from hives, facial swelling, and itchiness to gastrointestinal signs like vomiting and diarrhea.
If you suspect your dog has a food allergy, the first thing to do is talk to your vet about how to pinpoint the allergen. They may suggest specific tests to identify the allergen, such as skin and blood allergy tests or an elimination diet. This process involves eliminating potential trigger ingredients, like beef, from your dog’s diet for six to eight weeks by switching to a food without that ingredient. If your dog doesn’t show any signs of allergies on the new food, you’ve figured out the allergy. If not, you’ll repeat the process until you find the trigger. It is important to note that determining the exact cause of an allergy through testing may not always be feasible, and managing an allergy involves avoiding the trigger and allergen.
Environmental allergens for dogs include pollen, moulds, grass, trees, and dust mites. Another common allergen is flea saliva, which causes a disease called flea allergy dermatitis. If you notice that your dog suffers from itching and scratching during a particular time of year, or in response to being in a specific place, keep notes. Diagnosing allergies tends to involve a lot of trial and error, so having as much information as possible will be helpful for your veterinarian. To help manage your dog’s environmental allergies, you can also try giving them regular baths to help wash away external allergens from the skin and coat.
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Reintroduce ingredients
Reintroducing ingredients is an important step in determining the exact ingredients that are causing your dog's allergies. This process is also known as a food challenge or a challenge trial. It involves gradually reintroducing ingredients to your dog's diet after their symptoms have improved on a hypoallergenic or elimination diet.
To perform a food challenge, you will need to keep your dog on a hypoallergenic diet for 8 to 12 weeks. This diet should not contain any ingredients that your dog has eaten in the past. Once your dog's allergy symptoms resolve, you can start the food challenge by reintroducing your dog's old food or individual ingredients one at a time.
During the food challenge, it is important to monitor your dog closely for any recurrence of allergy symptoms. If your dog's symptoms return within one week of reintroducing a particular ingredient, it indicates a definitive diagnosis of a food allergy to that ingredient.
The process of reintroducing ingredients should be done gradually and systematically. Start with ingredients that your dog is unlikely to be allergic to, such as animal proteins other than beef, chicken, or lamb, which are the most common allergens. Add one new ingredient at a time, and wait for at least 30 days before introducing another ingredient. If your dog does not develop any allergy-like symptoms, you can consider that ingredient safe and add it to your "safe foods" list.
Continue this process until you have reintroduced a wide variety of ingredients and developed a complete and balanced diet for your dog. It is important to consult with your veterinarian throughout this process to ensure the safety and well-being of your dog.
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Novel protein diets
One of the most effective treatments for dogs with allergies is a novel protein diet. This type of diet uses unique protein sources that are not commonly found in standard dog food, such as kangaroo, rabbit, crocodilia, and black soldier fly larvae. These novel proteins can improve your dog's digestive health and reduce itching and inflammation, resulting in healthier skin and a shinier coat.
The primary benefit of a novel protein diet is the reduced risk of allergic reactions. Since these proteins are not typically part of a dog's diet, their immune system is less likely to recognize and react negatively to them. This is because a dog's immune system is less likely to identify these tiny proteins as a threat, so the chance of an allergic reaction is reduced.
When choosing a novel protein diet for your dog, it is important to select a high-quality, hypoallergenic option. Look for a diet that is specifically formulated for dogs with allergies and that uses unique protein sources. It is also important to work with your veterinarian to ensure that the diet is appropriate for your dog's individual needs and to monitor your dog's progress while on the new diet.
To transition to a novel protein diet, you should gradually introduce the new food to your dog over the course of a few days. Start by substituting a small amount of the new food for an equal amount of the old food, and slowly increase the proportion of new food over several days until your dog is eating only the new diet. This gradual transition will help to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal upset and give your dog time to adjust to the new diet.
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Frequently asked questions
The most common signs of a food allergy in dogs are itchy skin, paws, or ears, and digestive issues such as vomiting or diarrhea. Other symptoms include hyperactivity, weight loss, lack of energy, and even aggression. If you suspect your dog has a food allergy, it is important to consult a veterinarian for a proper diagnosis.
Consult your veterinarian. They may recommend an elimination diet trial, which involves feeding your dog a restricted diet of novel proteins that have been broken down to prevent an allergic reaction. This process can take 8-12 weeks, and if your dog's symptoms improve, a food challenge should be performed by reintroducing their old food to confirm the allergy.
The transition to a new diet should be gradual, taking place over 5-7 days. Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% old food on the first day, and slowly increase the proportion of new food over several days. Monitor your dog's response, and if they show signs of gastric distress, slow down the transition.
