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Allergies and food intolerances are not uncommon
Does your dog scratch it frequently? Does he have skin problems? Or is something wrong with its digestion? f other causes such as parasites or bacterial infections have already been ruled out, these can be symptoms of a food allergy or an intolerance, Here's what you can do if your dog has a food intolerance or food allergy.
What is the difference between an allergy and an intolerance? In short, your dog's immune system is involved in an allergy, while in the event of an intolerance, the body cannot process certain substances from the feed during digestion. However, the symptoms in a dog with a food allergy or intolerance can be very similar, making it diffcult to distinguish between them. However, the treatment in both cases is mainly to avoid the food component to which your dog responds.
The owners usually notice digestive and skin problems with their dog, but recurrent ear or conjunctivitis can also be an indication of a food allergy or food intolerance. Since your dog may also be allergic to other substances outside of the feed, it should also be considered whether it really reacts to the feed. Typical allergy triggers include shampoo, medication, flavorings in food or treats, and fertilizers or sprays that your dog may be exposed to on the walk, In the case of seasonal complaints, in addition to a pollen allergy, road salt that your dog licks from its paws or fruit that has been found and eaten on the meadow can also play a role.
An intolerance or a food allergy can not always be proven with a single test, so if there is suspicion there is a possibility to fnd out what your dog is reacting to using an elimination or exclusion diet. This reduces as many components in the diet as possible and temporarily only feeds one source of protein and one source of carbohydrates, which ideally the dog has never had before. It is important to carry out such an exclusion diet in dogs only under veterinary instructions, It is usually observed for six to eight weeks whether your dog's symptoms change. If the symptoms have decreased, you can then gradually add individual feed components that were previously part of the ration to the feed to test, what ingredients your dog reacts to. This is the so-called "provocation diet". However, such a diet may only be carried out if your dog's allergy symptoms are not life-threatening and should only be carried out after consulting your veterinarian. As soon as your dog shows symptoms again, you know that you should avoid this food ingredient. With an elimination diet that is based on the minimum of food and a self- made elimination diet, it is ad visable to supplement suitable vitamin or mineral preparations after eight weeks at the latest in order to prevent symptoms of deficiency -this applies to young dogs from two weeks, since otherwise they can develop skeletal problems, if your dog's allergy symptoms are not life - threatening and should only be done after consulting your vet, As soon as your dog shows symptoms again, you know that you should avoid this food ingredient. With an elimination diet that is based on the minimum of food and a self-made elimination diet, it is advisable to supplement suitable vitamin or mineral preparations after eight weeks at the latest in order to prevent symptoms of deficiency - this applies to young dogs from two weeks, since otherwise they can develop skeletal problems, if your dog's allergy symptoms are not life-threatening and should only be done after consulting your vet, As soon as your dog shows symptoms again, you know that you should avoid this food ingredient. With an elimination diet that is based on the minimum of food and a self-made elimination diet, it is advisable to supplement suitable vitamin or mineral preparations after eight weeks at the latest in order to prevent symptoms of defciency - this applies to young dogs from two weeks, since otherwise they can develop skeletal problems.