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Dogs can have similar problems as humans have, with allergies to some types of food. It’s possible that it could be an intolerance to specific ingredients such as wheat or corn, or a general complaint which is provoked my many types of food, such as colitis.

An animal with dog food allergies may experience any of the following symptoms: Vomiting bile or blood, poor appetite, diarrhea and blood in the stools, itching, dry coat and skin, chronic or recurrent ear infections, hair loss, excessive scratching, hot spots and skin infections, increased bowel movements and other unpleasant conditions.

Should you suspect that your dog is allergic to a certain food, you need to do some testing to make sure that it is indeed food which is causing the problem, as other medical complaints can also cause similar symptoms, like parasites, skin infections or any other.

It might be necessary to use a home made dog food, so you can control the ingredients, and the balance of proteins and carbohydrates.

Making the issue more complex, there are many additives in dog food, and it may be one of these additives which is causing the allergy, rather than a certain kind of meat or grain.

Dairy products, wheat, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, corn, and beef are the common culprits found in a dog’s diet that cause allergies. “But aren’t these the most common ingredients in dog food?”, you might ask.

Correct, and there is a correlation here. Just as many humans are lactose intolerant, over-exposure to these foodstuffs may be what has caused the problem.

Rice and lamb are common among many of the new recipes which have been formulated to be non-traditional dog feeds; hence dogs do not build up intolerance during this period.

These might not treat the intolerance though, as many of these brands contain soy, egg etc., so check the ingredients.

There are many hypoallergenic dog foods on the market to address the increasing numbers of dogs with allergies. As with any comparison, dog food recipes may or may not be suitable or palatable for your individual pet, so these are just general guidelines.

Be prepared to compare dog food brands extensively, since one thing to consider is that many “healthy” dog foods may still cause allergies in your dog if they contain that trigger ingredient. Even human grade dog food might still be causing your dog stomach problems.

Like with people, an intolerance to wheat or dairy contained in dog food, regardless of quality, can cause the end result. Another signal that your dog may have an allergy is bad reaction on the skin.

Tags: Dogs

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