Allergies and Your Pet
Dog Allergy Symptoms
In today’s world, it seems that dog allergies have taken on a life all their own. As pet parents, we are constantly battling excessive chewing, licking, scratching, recurring ear infections, and hair loss.
Add to these issues digestive upset, body odor, dull and shedding coat, dry and flakey or oily skin, and you have the key markers of a dog having an allergic reaction. Recent studies have also shown that anxiety and respiratory issues can be caused or worsened by dog food allergies.
With this host of symptoms, any owner would feel defeated. So, what can we do to alleviate such agonizing problems?
Know Your Enemy
The first step is knowing your enemy. An ‘allergy’ is an exaggerated response by the immune system to a substance or toxin (often called the ‘allergen’). Allergens can be encountered by contact (touch), ingestion (eating/drinking), or can be air born and enter the eye or by inhalation (breathing in).
Because the immune system takes a hit when food allergies are present, any other types of allergies can intensify any allergic reaction a pet may exhibit. We call this the “Boiling Pot Effect.” For instance, if a dog is fed a food that he is sensitive to or allergic to, his pot (immune system) is always at a boil.
If you add inhaled seasonal allergies – let’s, say pollen – to this pot, it will boil over every time. However, if the dog is fed a food that he is not allergic to his pot is at a simmer; and, when seasonal allergies are added there will be no boil over.
In short, as the body comes into contact with allergens and other toxins, they build up in the body causing the immune system to become unbalanced. The best medicine is to eliminate the allergen or toxin in question.
Eliminating allergens and toxins reduces the symptoms or will eliminate the allergy altogether while allowing the immune system to mend. Unfortunately, we cannot always eliminate inhaled or contact allergens. It is also sometimes difficult to figure out dogs and allergic reactions.
The Immune Systems Job
The immune system is what keeps the body healthy, and the skin is the immune system’s first defense. With that being said, most immune issues manifest as skin allergies in the form of itching, pustules, licking or chewing the feet, etc.
This array of symptoms usually sends the pet owner to the vet for antibiotics and steroid shots. While we agree with veterinary medicine, we don’t agree with the “band-aid” treatment of allergies. Ok, it’s not an actual band-aid, but rather a quick fix of symptoms. This quick fix can only be successful if the pet owner makes changes in their pup’s diet, treats and immune system. You don’t want to continue to feed the allergic symptoms or they will come right back once the medications have done their job, say in 30 days or so.
What’s The Best Dog Food?
There is no best dog food for a dog with food allergies. Every dog, as does every human, as a unique immune system and set of allergens.
We believe that quality pet foods and treats – that use human-grade ingredients – are the key to a balanced immune system. We also believe that the process of elimination of key ingredients can narrow down the allergen more effectively than allergy testing in most cases.
Why are the ingredients and quality of those ingredients so important? Limiting the ingredient panel limits the allergens, thus creating less of a chance for a flare up. Part of the limitation of ingredients should always be no grain, no potato. The quality plays a huge role in digestibility, possible added contaminates and recall of a product due to quality control issues. I like to compare dog food quality to our, people food, quality. Would you want to eat meat that is sourced from an undisclosed country? How about meat from animals that were not fed proper nutrition or handled/stored properly after harvesting? Quality is equally as important in dog food especially for those with allergies. Empty calories are just as important in dog food. We try to avoid empty or harmful calories in our diet for the same reasons of indigestibility or adverse reactions.
We recommend that all supplements – whether for joints, digestion or other issues – should be a proven organic granular supplement to ensure absorption. As backed by holistic veterinarians, we recommend both homeopathic and herbal remedies to improve your pet’s life and longevity.
Why Does This Matter?
Each company we recommend for dog food, treats, or supplements, have veterinarians on their formulation team. Why does this matter? This ensures that all AFFCO rules are followed, as well as a proper balance in nutrition. We support and recommend Acana Dog Food as one that meets all criteria for the allergic dog. We also have a shop on our site that can help you with supplement, shampoo, and treats for all dogs, especially those bothered by allergies.
So, now we have covered the basics of allergies, immune system, why grain free is important, as well as given some suggestions on products we have faith in. You can visit our blog, “Ingredients to Avoid in Your Pet’s Diet”, for more education on harmful ingredients in dog food.
Contact us about a consultation with one of our certified pet nutritionists. We can help narrow down ingredients in your pets’ diet and environment that are causing them issues. We can recommend affordable foods and treats made by reputable companies.
Remember: A balanced immune system equals a healthy, happy pet!
Annette Clark
Certified Pet Nutritionist, Pet Allergy Specialist, Master Groomer
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