If your dog keeps having allergic reactions, stomach issues, or they simply will not stop scratching and gnawing at their paws, we recommend you ask your vet for an allergy test.
We will explain later why you SHOULD NOT buy the food your vet recommends you. I also want you to watch a free seminar we have put together for you.
With regards to allergies, there are 3 main ones:
1. Food intolerances.
2. Environmental.
3. Breed Specific.
We would like you to watch this free seminar on Dog Allergies:
Click Here: How To Solve Allergies In Dogs - FREE Seminar
This means that your dog might show a reaction to a specific ingredient, an environmental factor (dust, pollen, grass…), or breed specific (grey Frenchies, certain Bulldogs…).
The point of the allergy test is so that you know what to avoid.
What does it mean?
You will see that when you are given an allergy test from your vet the list of items will be assigned a number in two different columns: IgE and IgG.
This is because vets will usually take a blood sample to carry out an immunoglobulin test which measures the level of different types of antibodies in the blood. The body naturally produces antibodies in order to protect us and our pets from bacteria, viruses and allergens. (This is how “allergies” occur!)
IgE Response:
The IgE response can be described as a hypersensitivity to something. It usually shows as an immediate response that something the body has come into contact with. Symptoms of an IgE response can include swelling and inflammation, hives and rashes and itchy skin.
IgE food allergies don’t go away, but they can improve. If a dog has a generally strong immune system and a healthy good (great diets are essential for this!) the body will respond beter to any accidental exposure.
If you are paying for an allergy test from your vet, it is important to note that the IgE response for a particular potential allergen may come back negatively if they haven’t recently been exposed to that particular allergen.
IgG Response:
IgG is the most common antibody. It is found in blood and other body fluids, and protects against bacterial and viral infections. IgG can take time to form after an infection or immunization.
With regards to a food sensitivity, it can be described as a delayed reaction to food. An IgG response tends to be subtler and can last longer than the traditional IgE allergy. Production of the IgG antibodies can appear up to three days after eating a problem food and some animals can even live most of their lives without the IgG sensitivity becoming apparent,
Some symptoms of an IgG response can include nausea, gas, diarrhea, hyperactivity, acid reflux amongst many other things.
What happens when we leave food sensitivities?
Well, there is the outward immediate discomfort of the dog leading to vet appointments, prescriptions for apoquel or other medications, or even topical treatments and shampoos bought in pet shops or online. All of these only treat the symptoms.
They are not solving the issue for your dog.
Uncontrolled food issues can lead to much more serious issues from ear infections to eczema and skin conditions to colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
The general health and well being of your dog suffers, leading them to struggle more with illnesses.
Allergy threshold
All animals have an allergy threshold. This means that it is often an accumulation of sensitivities that can cause the worst reactions.
For example, a dog may be sensitive to certain grains and an environmental factor such as the pollen count. The dog may be happy with no clinical signs seen.
However, let’s say one day the pollen count is particularly high, or the dog eats a large treat containing grains in addition to the grains in his food and either or both of these factors push the dog over his allergen threshold resulting in an outbreak.
You might think that this is only down to the high pollen count, or that particular treat.
Environmental factors are harder to eliminate, but better food management from both food and treats, might have kept the dog under their allergen threshold, despite the higher pollen count that day.
A word of caution.
If your vet then recommends a ‘’hypoallergenic’’, a ‘’veterinary food’’ from Purina Proplan, Hill’s Science, or Royal Canin, you will be making a big mistake following their advice.
Why? The Ingredients.
If you look closely at the ingredients on the back of the bag of food, you will see things like ‘’animal fat’’, ‘’poultry protein’’, ‘’hydrolised animal protein’’ ‘’poultry meal’’, aside from maize, wheat, corn and other inflammatory ingredients.
Say your dog is allergic to chicken, and the vet recommends a food with ‘’animal fat’’ in it, will you know what animal that fat is coming from? Correct, you won’t.
Big companies will use the cheapest or most available meat sources, and they will vary from batch to batch.
Veterinary diets are simply a way the pet food industry has of selling you subpar ingredients at premium prices.
We have countless reviews and articles on veterinary diets on both our social media and this very blog. Veterinary diets are incredibly damaging to dogs.
Terrible ingredients, vague protein sources and high amounts of carbs.
If you can afford it, an allergy test is a great way to determine whether your dog’s problems can be solved!
If you are looking for a better food, you can safely buy any of our foods. We offer next day working day delivery.
If you are looking at The Elimination Diet, Canagan Chicken & Canagan Lamb are single protein source foods you can try. If the dog is good with fish, Acana Wild coast and Eden Fish can be good alternatives.
If you are cutting out all proteins aside from one, don't feed any treats. Otherwise you won't be able to know what's causing it.
With a good food, your vet visits will be numbered. We solve dog's problems with nutrition.
We would like you to watch this free seminar on Dog Allergies:
Click Here: How To Solve Allergies In Dogs - FREE Seminar
You can shop safely on our website.
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Do not be fooled by the pet food industry, we solve dog's problems with nutrition.