Top Tips for Avoiding Food Allergies in Dogs
Food sensitivities and certain types of food allergies are quite common for dogs to have. You would have to deal with these issues on an on-and-off basis when as a pet parent. While there is no cure to avoid food allergies, there are precautions that you can take to ensure there are no triggers around your dog. It is quite difficult to narrow down that particular food what food is causing the allergy in your dog. However, when you have identified the allergen that is the trigger, it is quite easy to develop a suitable dietary plan that eliminates such ingredients. Here are a few dietary tips for food allergies in dogs:
1. Elimination Diet
Starting with an elimination diet is the best way to figure out which particular ingredient causes problems. To begin with, you will need to wean your dog of all types of food and keep their diet consistent with a particular set of ingredients. Once the allergy has come down you can then proceed to start adding in their regular diet items to see which problem is the cause. When you see a particular food-bearing effect, you will know with certainty that this ingredient is to be kept off your dog’s diet. It is important to note that multiple foods could cause allergies in dogs. And therefore you need to follow this process till you can identify all the trouble causers.
2. Avoid Giving Treats
Make sure that you are not feeding your dog any form of treats during this elimination diet. This is because on average it takes at least a minimum of six weeks for the allergens to be flushed out of the body. You must pay close attention to items that you use on your dog as well as the dog ingests to see if there are any other triggers. There are some cases of dogs where even toothpaste has known to cause reactions because of its contents. Check close to see if there is a particular food that is used as part of the toothpaste ingredient.
3. Choose Safe Foods
Stick the choosing pet foods that are highly recommended by professionals. That way you choose the right food with the right amount of nutrients which aid with the dog’s digestive process.
4. Cook Their Food
If store-bought food is an issue then try to go for cooked meals because they are any day easily digestible. If you decide to cook then you need to make sure that you whip up a balanced diet that contains wholesome grains, novel proteins, and a mix of starchy vegetables. Often, for food-allergy-prone dogs, it is advisable to stick to smaller meals and frequent feeding based on the breed of your dog.
No cheat list can help you understand all the foods that cause trouble to your dog. So, pay close attention to identify these foods so that they do not end up causing other serious health complications.