Things You'll Need
- Venison and potato dog food or rabbit and rice dog food
Instructions
Eliminate all foods and treats from your dog's diet that are not what your vet recommends. Two types of elimination diets used are venison and potato and rabbit and rice. Both come in wet and dry form with no additives or fillers so your dog will only be fed the correct protein and starch. Treats are available in both venison and rabbit so that you can give those to your dogs. Don't give them any other treats.
Watch for the symptoms to subside and keep your pet away from garbage and foods not on his diet. During the 12-week diet period, most dogs will improve, but any slip in diet can set you back to square one. If your dog gets a piece of beef watch him for increased itching and check his ears for inflammation. If this happens, begin the 12-week countdown again to get the allergens out of his system. Some dogs will be symptom-free in eight weeks and other may take 10 to 12 weeks.
Add a new protein from your dog's previous menu after the 12-week period. For instance, add a little chicken to the venison and potato. If after two weeks the dog begins to itch, then chicken is an offending protein and you can eliminate it from her diet. Continue to add foods to the diet in this manner, one at a time, or stick with the elimination diet, depending on your veterinarian's recommendation.