Food allergies are difficult to identify unless one is well aware of the baseline information regarding the type of allergy. The usual symptoms of food allergies in dogs include facial and belly scratching, limb chewing, and recurrent ear or skin infections.
Since dogs consume a lot of prepared food, including various kinds of proteins, fillers, coloring agents and more as present in commercial feeds, the incidence of food allergies are much higher than imagined. Allergic reactions mostly involve the skin or the gastro-intestinal tract.
If your dog is itching after provision of a specific feed, suspect a food allergy. However, conditions like fungal infections need to be ruled out before one can conclude that the itching is a sign of food allergy.
While there are many recorded cases of allergies to corn or wheat products in dogs, the allergies vary from dog to dog. Read labels clearly before feeding your dog, especially with such a condition. Too much artificial coloring in feeds may need to be avoided since that may be the cause of your dog's allergy.
Food allergies are often linked to the hyper active behavior in dogs. Added colors, preservatives, and a high fat diet may cause such behavior in your dog, hence one should be careful when providing a new diet. The dog should be closely monitored for any signs of allergy.
Food allergies may be diagnosed in a dog, but there may be other problems such as pancreatitis. To rule out food allergy, observe your dog whenever you feed him. Look out for links when there are signs of allergy in your dog - the food given, specific symptoms, and a differential diagnosis are to be emphasized.
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