It is part of the American dream to have a cute little dog be a member of your family. Unfortunately these dogs, like every other member of your family, can have various different health problems. One of the most common health problems a dog might have is a food allergy. These can behave a few different symptoms and luckily can be easy to cure dog food allergies.
Some dogs seem to have a genetic predisposition to getting allergies easier than others. It is usually the food that we feed them for their entire lives that give them the allergies. This is usually dry dog food rather than the table scraps we are accustomed to give our pets as well.
Skin irritation is the main symptom of dog food allergy. This will lead to the dog scratching and biting at areas on their body like the upper leg, stomach, base of the tail, and around the ears. You should also remember that these dog food allergies symptoms can also be caused by a seasonal allergy, but will often not be as bad. Other common symptoms are ear infections, hair loss, and hot spots. Ear infections will be easy to spot. Their ears will be filthy all of the time and a smell like vinegar will always emanate out of them.
Your vet can perform expensive tests to figure out exactly what your dog is allergy to or he may suggest that you try some things on your own. One of the most common methods, if seasonal allergies are already ruled out, to figure out exactly what the dog is allergic to is to put them on an elimination diet. This would be giving them foods they have never tried before till the symptoms subside and then adding back in other foods until the symptoms come back. At which point you will know what caused the dog food allergies.
