5 Common Food Allergens That Affect Dogs
Just like human beings, your dogs can also be allergic to certain types of foods. The effects of such allergies can range from slight skin issues to difficulty in breathing and even toxicity. Knowing these most common food allergens in dogs will help you stay aware of the kinds of foods you offer to your pets.
Wheat
Among the different grains that you offer to your pets, wheat is one of the most common food allergens in dogs that you should look out for. Wheat is glutinous in nature and dogs that cannot digest gluten show symptoms similar to human beings including an upset stomach, gastrointestinal pain, and irregularities in bowel movement. They also get itchy skin and ears.
Dairy
A lot of dogs are allergic to all kinds of dairy products including milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, and cream. There are two reasons dairy could be problematic: some dogs might be lactose intolerant and hence exhibit gastrointestinal issues. Other dogs may not be able to tolerate the kind of proteins in dairy. Either way, you will have to completely stop dairy if your dogs experience signs of constipation/diarrhea, bloating, abdominal discomfort, or skin infections after consuming dairy.
Eggs
You might be surprised but one of the most common food allergens in dogs is eggs. The culprit here, again, is proteins. Some dogs react very poorly to the high levels of proteins in eggs. The yolk is a common allergic trigger. If your dog shows signs of being allergic to eggs, then you have to start reading the ingredients on packaged dog food items very carefully before buying them.
Beef
Among the different kinds of meat served to dogs, the most common food allergens in dogs is beef. Vets say that beef is a common kind of meat used in many dog foods. Dogs, when they are exposed to the same kind of meat for years together, develop a kind of intolerance towards that food. Hence, beef has been included to this category.
Soy
Soy is a common allergic trigger even for human beings. Dogs are no different. Exposure to soy can cause a variety of skin infections and abdominal problems in dogs. In fact, health issues can be as severe so as to cause liver diseases. While not many dog food brands include soy in their foods, you have to be careful if you are offering human snacks and food to dogs.
All these most common food allergens in dogs are specific to the type of breed you own and the kinds of foods the dog has been exposed to in the past. The best way to identify a food trigger is to follow the elimination diet. Try removing all usual food menus and introduce them one by one to understand what caused the trigger.