Understanding Your Dogs Allergies to Foods
Can Your Dog Be Allergic To Their Dog Food?
Yes, of course, your dog can have allergies to dog food. Dog Food allergies are a very common cause of digestive issues, itching, scratching, and hot spots or ear infections. Dog Food Allergies can contribute to more serious health concerns and diseases since your dog’s body is fighting off inflammationn and has difficulty stimulating and utilizing the nutrients from foods they cannot digest properly.
It doesn’t have to be difficult and overwhelming to figure out what to feed your dog — an inquiry call with me can help!
Happy Dog Without Dog Food Allergies
Intolerance Vs Allergies
An allergy triggers a histamine response as as result of being exposed to a substance the immune system sees as a foreign invader. It can be can vaccine, an insect sting, shampoo, a fragrance, dander, pollen, mold, medications or foods. These responses are usually immediate and acute or sudden onset.
Your dog can be allergic or intolerant to specific ingredients in their dog food. It may be the protein source, the grains, or even the fruit and vegetable choices in the recipe.
Intolerances can be created over time. Some foods don’t trigger an immediate response, but rather the body manages the inflammation caused by such foods until it no longer can. Example: your dog may be able to eat wheat in a recipe and show no immediate symptoms of digestive issues or skin irritations. Your dog may be able to eat chicken today with no ill-effects, but fed daily it may be a problem. But if fed this food daily, the inflammatory response will compound over time and the immune system will fail to be able to fend off the inflammation.
This compounding effect can be further complicated by other factors that affect the immune system and the digestive system’s ability to manage the inflammatory response. This can be vaccines, household products, flea and tick products, yard chemicals, etc. These things must be processed by the liver. In time, the liver may become sluggish or damaged and unable to do its job well. When the liver struggles, the pancreas and kidneys will start to struggle as well. Further compounding the problems until the digestive system is unable to function optimally.
As the liver tries to process waste, it often turns to the skin ~ the largest organ in the body ~ to help detox the dog’s body. This is when we begin to see the skin inflamed and itchy in what looks like a skin allergy — but is really a digestive issue and food intolerance response.
Inflammation & The Immune System
Inflammation is a response by the body to protect itself from infection or injury. The inflammatory response is a key part of the body's immune system, but when it's constantly activated, it can lead to health problems. In our example of being fed an inflammatory food like wheat or chicken on an occasional basis with no issues, but seeing long-term use create major complications we move into the category of Chronic Inflammatory conditions.
Chronic inflammation has been linked to a number of different health conditions, including allergies, arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer. Inflammation can also contribute to weight gain, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.
There are a number of different things that can trigger inflammation, including dog food allergies, reactions to certain medications, and stress. Inflammation can also be caused by a build-up of toxins in the body. And as discussed above the liver does it best to manage these conditions — until it cannot.
Eliminate Dog Food Allergies
There are a number of different ways to reduce inflammation, including diet, exercise, and supplements. Antioxidants are especially important for reducing inflammation, as they help to neutralize the free radicals that can damage cells.
Need An Intolerance Test to figure out what foods your dog may be struggling with? Order and send me the results to review with you.
We generally begin with an elimination diet of the triggers identified in the intolerance test. For many, we can look at the current food and product exposure and give you an immediate place to start, even while we wait for test results. Following 5 Element theory for the reduction of heat & inflammation in the body, a reduction of chemical load, detox work, and protocols that help the body detox and recover. It takes time to heal. But it’s possible.
See Treating Dog Allergies and Allergy Relief Protocol for more info.