Mary Allen
If your dog regularly feels unwell after eating, it is often a case of food intolerances. Diagnosing them takes time and endurance.
You Must Watch Out for these Symptoms
The classic symptoms of food intolerance in dogs are gastrointestinal disturbances: the dog has persistent vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence, or refuses to eat altogether. Hair loss, lethargy, or symptoms that cause a runny nose and redness of the eyes, such as hay fever, may also be signs. Problem: These symptoms occur with many other diseases as well.
The veterinarian. First, he will carefully examine the dog, take blood and fecal samples, ask about his eating and playing habits and thus rule out other diseases step by step. If the dog fails to make another diagnosis, the dog is usually put on a special diet for six to twelve weeks. If this helps, it is food intolerance.
Some Breeds are More Prone to Allergies
In most cases, dogs cannot tolerate food components containing long protein chains. The body reacts to this with defense systems and fights against protein-containing ingredients. The only therapy that can help in this case is a low-protein diet so that there is no defense reaction in the body. Common food allergens in dogs are primarily beef, dairy products, wheat, and soy. Breeds of West Highland White Terriers, White Boxers, German Shepherds, and Cocker Spaniels are especially prone to intolerance. On the other hand, Irish and English setters often do not eat gluten. Sensitivity included. As a rule, food intolerance usually manifests itself at a young age but persists into old age.
Ready-to-Eat Food or Do You Prefer Homemade Food?
If you would like to change your dog’s diet, you can do so with specially prepared foods. There is a large selection now – veterinarians can advise you accordingly. In this food, the long protein chains are split – the body can no longer recognize and fight them as foreign substances. If you prefer to cook for your dog yourself, you need endurance: to keep out as many allergens as possible, poultry and lean lamb, deer, or rabbit meat is recommended for dogs. Moreover, fish is a good alternative. To meet the carbohydrate demand, dog owners must switch to rice and potatoes – all grains, as well as legumes. Soy and corn are taboo. Cooked carrots are a great addition to your intestinal flora. Flaxseed and safflower oils provide extra energy. A consultation with a veterinarian is required to find the correct recipes.
Persistence is the Most Important Thing
Perseverance on the part of the owner is required for the veterinarian to determine with confidence over a long period of time what the dog is allergic to. Diet treats are strictly prohibited. Because: An allergy test cannot confirm food intolerance. Diagnosis is only made when the dog is feeling better with the diet. If the diet is interrupted by a treat or a piece of cheese, for example, it doesn’t make sense. In this case, the diet is needed to exclude the possibility of another allergy, for example, to house dust or pollen. This will persist along with the symptoms of a strict diet.
Treatment is Relatively Straightforward
Once diagnosed with food intolerances, dogs have a choice: they either just stick to the diet or go to the veterinarian to look for the allergen. This usually happens by adjusting the diet – re-feeding certain allergens and seeing if the dog reacts to them. Future treatments will focus on banning the allergen the dog reacts to from food.