If your dog is always scratching, it might be food allergies!
It might come as a bit of a surprise but more and more dogs are developing food allergies. While the exact cause of this is still unknown to us, we do know that there is a very valid connection with the ingredients of the dog foods they have ingested.
Hopefully you’ll never have to deal with dog food allergies. It can be such an ongoing trial.
Just to illustrate, my neighbour’s six month old black Lab puppy Bobby could not stop scratching. He seemed so uncomfortable, and his hair fell out in places. He didn’t seem to feel well.
Bobby’s owners took him to the vet to be evaluated and treated for his itching. They didn’t know anything about food allergies. In fact, they thought that maybe Bobby had a skin disorder that was causing his itching. What they learned was a big surprise.
They found out that Bobby had dog food allergies, even at the young age of six months! They also found out that Labs are among the breeds that are vulnerable to dog food allergies.
It was explained to them by the veterinarian that certain dog breeds are at a higher risk of getting food allergies. The breeds most vulnerable are: * Labrador Retrievers * Collies * Lhasa Apsos * Miniature Schnauzers * German Shepherds * Shar Pei * Springer Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels * Dalmatians * Dachshunds * Soft-Coated Wheaton Terriers * West-Highland White Terriers * Boxers
If you are thinking that this is a terribly long list of dog breeds, you are quite right to think it. But that’s not all the surprise as 30% of allergic dogs are allergic to food. Itching, scratching, licking and biting their skin are signs of dog food allergy.
Any very itchy dog has at least a 5% chance of having a dog food allergy. If your dog is constantly itching, biting and scratching, be aware that he or she may be suffering from dog food allergies. First get your dog evaluated and treated for the other common causes of itching, but if the itching persists, dog food allergy must be considered.
If you want to know how Bobby is doing, I am happy to let you know that he’s doing fairly well and is now on a strict hypoallergenic dog food diet with no people food allowed!
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