How to treat food allergies for dogs?
Dogs, like humans, can experience allergic reactions to certain foods and therefore, those allergens that are found in the food will be eliminated from the diet.
Such abnormal reactions may also imply certain drugs, insect bites, plants, chemicals, etc.. According to statistics, 10% of dogs suffer from allergic reactions to certain foods and therefore in general a relatively small number of dogs are likely to suffer from such a disease.
One of these products is milk, there are dogs that may have intolerance to milk, certain cereals and dairy products. Also after the excessive fermentation of food in the large intestine, dogs can suffer allergic reactions due to the release of toxic substances, after ingestion of inappropriate products made of meat.
The main allergens for dogs are beef, chicken, soy, grains, milk and fish.
Symptoms that clearly show that the animal has suffered from food allergy to a product are:
• The dog has red spots on the skin.
• Hair falls out and in time the fur becomes rare.
• Has severe itching and by scratching with the claws on his paws, thus causes itself scratches and lesions on the surface of the skin.
• Rash and redness on the skin appears.
• The sick animal urinates frequently and has seat more often.
• Eyes and nose are watery and gums have a cyanotic coloring.
• Certain parts of the body and especially the mucous membranes are swollen.
• In time they develop certain digestive disorders.
• In severe cases it may suffer from respiratory problems, asthma attacks and present swellings in the body.
• Eventually the animal may suffer a respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest and dies.
When such symptoms show up, the animal must be rushed to the doctor for a diagnosis and treatment for the purpose of healing. Your doctor will determine the type of allergen after some analysis, although this is not exactly easy.
Methods of Treatment:
• Treatment depends on the type of allergen and the severity of the disease.
• Hydrocortisone helps in cases of severe itching. Veterinary pharmacies have drugs in capsule form that is given to the dog and eliminates itchiness that is very hard to bear.
• Food should be strict, made of rice and lamb. Some animals have a form of the disease which does not allow them to eat meat at all, and therefore will eat food,without lamb, just vegetables and rice.
• To restore hair and body health linseed oil should be administrated. It is rich in omega fatty acids and helps improve health,skin and hair. One tablespoon of linseed oil should be given once a day , or you can mix it with the food ( boiled rice ) to be easily ingested by the animal .
• Those who have such a dog,can prepare food at home : rice cooked with carrots and one tablespoon of flaxseed oil. This diet will greatly help the animal to recover. For a varied diet you can also buy dry food in the form of grains, especially for dogs with such health problems that is based on lamb and rice, or other variants that contain vegetables. Thus in the portion of rice ( cooked as mentioned above) add a handful of dog treats for this quadruped’s regime.
• Medication is determined by the doctor depending on what other health problems the animal has. Also all the doctor will recommend certain vitamins to strengthen the immune system of the dog.
• The animal must have drinking water at discretion , but it has to be distilled or boiled first, then cooled , and administered at room temperature.
• For the fur there are special shampoos recommended for the sensitive skin of your dog . You can buy from pet pharmacies .
• Remember that a sick animal must consume only special hypoallergenic food, and as I mentioned above it must consist of rice and lamb.
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