| Stop Scratching!! | | | | If any of these are starting to sound familiar, it's time |
| Imagine the scene - you're curled up on the couch, | | | | to seriously consider checking your dog for food |
| watching your favorite television show, and your dog | | | | allergy. |
| climbs up on your lap for a cuddle. Mmm, nice - until | | | | Getting To The Bottom Of The Problem |
| he starts biting at his back and scratching at his ears. | | | | Let's start by saying that diagnosing a food allergy in |
| The fidgeting is so annoying, and the chewing so | | | | a dog takes a huge amount of commitment from his |
| noisy that you may as well give up on seeing your | | | | owner. We've already mentioned that a dog |
| show. | | | | becomes allergic to a food he's been eating for |
| When your dog is itchy, the constant scratching and | | | | years. So, the only accurate way of diagnosing food |
| biting at his skin is distressing for both of you. It's not | | | | allergy is to feed him something he's never had |
| fun to see your best friend so uncomfortable. | | | | before. |
| Your dog may have an allergy. In people, allergies | | | | Your first job is to rule out any other causes of itchy |
| usually cause sneezes and runny eyes. This can also | | | | skin . Make sure your flea control is good: Flea the |
| be the case in dogs, but it's much more common | | | | Scene is a safe and gentle flea control that won't |
| that his allergy causes red and itchy skin. | | | | cause irritation to traumatized skin. Often skin that is |
| No doubt you've heard of flea allergy - it's by far the | | | | red and itchy can develop a secondary bacterial |
| most common allergy in dogs. Why then does your | | | | infection, which is also very itchy. Your vet may |
| dog still scratch and itch, when you're using a gentle | | | | suggest a course of antibiotics to help with this. |
| and effective flea control product, such as Flea the | | | | Next, choose one protein source, and one |
| Scene ? | | | | carbohydrate source that your dog has never eaten |
| The culprit may be what's in his dinner bowl. Recent | | | | before. It's easiest to use a commercially available |
| studies have shown that up to 20% of itchy dogs | | | | diet like those from the Honest Kitchen which contain |
| have a food allergy. Another 20% on top of that | | | | low allergy foods such as potato, venison or salmon. |
| have a food allergy combined with another allergy, | | | | If you make it as convenient as possible, you're |
| such as flea allergy. | | | | more likely to stick to the program. |
| He Eats Only The Best! | | | | Here's the hard part - your dog must eat this food, |
| Dogs can react to any protein or any carbohydrate in | | | | and only this food, for at least 10 weeks. No other |
| their food, but they are most commonly allergic to | | | | food, no treats, no table scraps. If you feed a |
| beef, dairy or wheat. Whether he's eating a gourmet | | | | monthly beefy chew for heartworm prevention, you'll |
| diet or a bargain basement dog food, if it contains an | | | | have to find an alternative. If your dog wanders to |
| ingredient that he's allergic to, he'll scratch. | | | | the neighbor's place for snacks, you'll have to put a |
| The other important thing to keep in mind is that | | | | stop to that too. You need to control everything |
| allergies don't occur when you change your dog's diet. | | | | that goes into your dog's mouth. Vets have |
| Food allergies don't develop suddenly. He will have | | | | suggested that less than 20% of dog owners folllow |
| been eating the same food for a long time with no | | | | through on a food trail.You can see where the |
| problems, then bang! The itching starts. | | | | commitment is needed! |
| Most dog foods contain similar combinations of meat | | | | While you're going through this lengthy process, you |
| protein and carbohydrates, so changing brands of | | | | can help to control the irritation by being careful |
| food isn't likely to help. He will still be eating the same | | | | about what you use for bathing him. Comfy Dog |
| proteins and the same carbohydrates, so he'll still be | | | | shampoo contains oatmeal and herbs to gently |
| itchy. | | | | soothe his skin and stop the itch. If there are one or |
| How do you know if your dog has a food allergy? | | | | two areas on his body that are specifically irritated, |
| There's no blood test to tell if it's his diet that's | | | | try some Itchin' For Relief . It has a nozzle that |
| causing the problem, but there are some features of | | | | allows you to apply the soothing formula directly to a |
| food allergies that can give you a hint. | | | | hot spot, and its all natural ingredients will stop |
| Most food allergies start to rear their ugly heads | | | | inflammation fast. |
| when your dog is a young adult. It's not worse at | | | | When The Scratching Stops |
| certain times of the year, as you'd expect from a | | | | If your dog stops itching and scratching while he's on |
| flea allergy, or an allergy to dusts and pollens. | | | | the low allergy diet, that's fantastic. However, there's |
| Your vet may have prescribed some corticosteroids | | | | one more step to take, to be sure it's the diet that's |
| to relieve your dog's itch. In a lot of cases, food | | | | the problem. You need to feed your dog his old diet, |
| allergies don't respond very well to this treatment, | | | | to see if he starts scratching again. |
| and your dog may still chew, scratch and rub. | | | | |