Allergy-Friendly Dog Food: What to Feed Your Pooch

Can your dog have a grass allergy or an insect bite that makes him scratch and itch? Or could he just be sensitive to certain types of foods? If you’re reading this, you probably already know the answer to that question. You’ve seen more than enough articles about the topic by now, and it’s time to do something about it. Your dog can be sensitive to many different foods, but not all of them are harmful to his digestion. This article will explain what an allergy is in dogs and the most common allergy-friendly dog food.

What Is an Allergy in Dogs?

Dogs are omnivores, just like humans. They can eat a wide variety of foods, making them very adaptable to a large variety of environments, climates, and hunting opportunities. This is one of the reasons why dogs are such great pets, to begin with. Your canine companion can eat almost anything you give him, as long as it’s healthy for him. While it’s true that all dogs can have allergies, not all allergies are the same.

For example, if your dog is allergic to peanuts, that doesn’t mean he is also allergic to carrots, bananas, or beef jerky. That said, many foods can cause allergies in dogs, and allergens are usually proteins found in food.

Main Protein Sources for Allergies in Dogs

It’s important to understand that allergies in dogs don’t come from a specific brand of dog food. They are not caused by a certain ingredient that’s in the food. Instead, they are caused by proteins found naturally in many foods, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and even plants.

Your dog’s allergies can be triggered by any of these ingredients. For example, a dog allergic to chicken could also be allergic to soy proteins. The same goes for beef, pork, corn, wheat, peanuts, and other common allergens.

One important thing to remember is that not all ingredients in dog food are allergens. Some ingredients are proteins your dog doesn’t even need to digest to survive!

Your Dog’s Top Food Allergens

Salmon and Tuna

Both are among the highest fish protein foods you can give your dog. Salmon is a fatty fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a good source of protein and healthy fats. Unfortunately, salmon can cause allergies in dogs, which is why it’s not a recommended food for most breeds.

Tuna is also a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but it’s a less rich source of vitamins and minerals than salmon. Still, tuna is healthy and can be a good alternative to salmon if your dog has a food allergy to salmon.

Chicken and Turkey

Both are among the most commonly allergenic foods for dogs. Chicken is a rich source of protein, but it’s also high in omega-6 fatty acids, making it an allergenic food for some dogs. Turkey is also rich in omega-6 fatty acids, but it’s a good source of vitamins and minerals, like protein. Like salmon, turkey can cause allergies in dogs, especially if your dog has a soy protein allergy.

Eggs and Cheese

Eggs and cheese are among the most common in dog treats and food. One thing to remember is that it’s not just the egg that can cause allergies. The yolk is also loaded with a protein called ovalbumin (as explained below), a common cause of allergies in dogs.

Cheese is rich in protein and vitamins and is often used as a flavoring in dog food. Unfortunately, some cheese products, such as processed cheese, are high in protein and are allergenic to some dogs.

Peanut Butter and Other Tree Nut Foods

Peanut butter is one of the most common allergens for dogs. It’s loaded with protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. It’s also a common cause of food allergies in dogs. Many peanut butter brands are allergenic for some dogs, so check the ingredients carefully before buying a jar for your pup.

Other tree nut products such as walnut, almond, and macadamia also contain protein that can cause allergies in some dogs. Make sure to read the ingredients carefully before feeding them to your dog.

Beef and Pork

Both are rich in protein and high in fats and sodium. Beef is an allergenic food for many dogs since it’s high in beef protein. These types of beef are not recommended for dogs suffering from pancreatic diseases.
Pork contains a protein found in pork but is also high in sodium and inappropriate for dogs suffering from hyper- or hypothyroidism.

Differences Between Vegetable and Animal Proteins

It’s important to understand that not all proteins harm your dog’s health. In fact, many plants that dogs eat daily can actually be beneficial for them. For example, soy is a healthy protein that can help prevent many diseases in your dog. It’s also a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Canine Food Allergens

The good news is that dogs’ most common foods that cause allergies are also healthy and nutritious. The only issue is that your dog may be allergic to one of the proteins in these foods.
If your dog is allergic to chicken, he may also be allergic to corn. Similarly, if your dog is allergic to pork, he may also be allergic to wheat. It’s important to identify the allergenic food your dog has a food allergy to so that you can replace it with healthier food.

Tips for Feeding a Hypoallergenic Dog

The best way to find out if your dog has a food allergy is to feed him a variety of food types and monitor his stool. You may notice that one food causes a change in your dog’s stool pattern while another doesn’t. This signifies that your dog may be allergic to a certain food.
It’s also important to remember that not all dog food allergies are caused by food. Environmental allergies, for example, can cause itching, scaling, redness, and inflammation. It’s best to rule these out before switching to a hypoallergenic diet for your dog.

Conclusion

Allergies are common in dogs, but not all allergies are caused by food. Some allergies are caused by environmental factors, so it’s important to also rule out these. It’s also important to remember that not every food that causes allergies in dogs is unhealthy or unbalanced. It’s just one of the many types of food that your dog can eat.

In this article, we’ve given you a basic overview of what an allergy is and the most common foods that cause allergies in dogs. We hope this article has shed some light on the topic and given you the tools you need to feed a healthy dog.