One in 10 dogs are affected at some point in life by food allergies. Allergens can affect dogs of any breed and age. While some experience uncomfortable dermatitis and skin lesions, others respond to food intolerances by itching or vomiting. For many dogs, food sensitivities will become apparent before reaching 12 months old. Canine health professionals recommend using an elimination diet for your dog to help identify any food intolerances causing poor health.
-
Function
-
A diary helps track your dog's progress. By eliminating foods from a dog's diet, veterinarians and owners can help identify the foods at the root of a dog's poor health. A well-kept food diary is an invaluable resource when managing an elimination diet for your dog. Started two weeks prior to the diet, it records every food eaten and notes any changes in the animal's health.
Time Frame
-
Pruritus, or itching, is one sign of food allergies. Elimination diets for dogs can last up to 12 weeks. It can take as long as nine weeks for a dog to respond to allergens being withdrawn from his diet. Allowing this length of time means owners and veterinarians have ample chance to observe any improvement in a dog's health.
It also permits the time necessary to reintroduce foods that you have identified as being potential allergens. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 10 days for your dog to respond to these offending foods.
Eliminated Foods
-
Like humans, dogs can be wheat intolerant. During the first few weeks of the elimination diet, your dog's diet will be restricted. By removing the most common culprits for canine food allergies, you should be able to pinpoint the offending foods during reintroduction. This should affect all of your dog's food intake, including snacks, table scraps and meals.
Your veterinarian will recommend the elimination of foods containing corn, soy, beef, poultry, preservatives, eggs, dairy products and cereal grains. These are frequently found to be the cause of canine food hypersensitivities. By restricting your dog's intake of these foods, you can confirm whether there is a food allergy present and, if so, which food is causing it.
Elimination Diet Components
-
Your dog may require vitamin supplements during the elimination diet. The ideal elimination diet for your dog will include one or two proteins coming from animal and vegetable sources. The level of protein in these foods should be no greater than 20 percent. These should be foods that your dog has not eaten previously. Foods chosen should also be easy to digest. If your dog is less than 10 months old, calcium supplements will be necessary. While fatty acids are necessary, avoid any which contain fish oil.
While homemade diets are possible, poor management can lead to your dog becoming malnourished. Your veterinarian can recommend commercial elimination diet products to help avoid this problem.
Provocative Food Challenges
-
Reintroducing old foods confirms whether food allergies are present. If your dog's elimination diet has shown positive results, such as reduced itching or vomiting, you will be asked to reintroduce your dog's old diet in a controlled manner. These so-called "provocative food challenges" aid you and your vet in confirming food intolerances. Dogs may have allergies to as many as five ingredients, so many vets suggest a complete reintroduction of the dog's old diet to confirm allergies are to blame. Others recommend introducing one food item at a time. While this can pinpoint individual foods easily, some food allergies are heightened when combined.
Prognosis
-
Avoiding troublesome foods can enhance your dog's quality of life. Following the diet, your vet may recommend avoiding particular foods and even adopting a long-term commercial elimination diet. This may help to prevent adverse reactions. If the elimination diet has not revealed a food intolerance, further exploration of the animal's environment will be necessary. Steroids or antihistamines also may be used to relieve a dog's symptoms.
-