A pet food allergy is one of the most common forms of allergies for you dog or cat. In the case of dogs, these allergies are oftentimes due to certain ingredients in food. By properly identifying the issue as an allergy to a particular element of the food, you can eliminate that offending allergen from your dog's diet. By doing so, you'll effectively reduce or eliminate his allergic reaction. However, in order to manage to do that, you'll first have to recognize the symptoms of pet food allergies.
Coughing, Sneezing and Other Respiratory Problems
Dogs with allergies to their food may develop immediate respiratory problems after eating. These problems can take on a variety of forms, though they're typically related to coughing and sneezing. You may notice that it seems that your pet is having a hard time eating and swallowing his food, or that he seems to cough it up shortly after ingesting it. In more serious cases, your dog may even display some signs of choking or may be unable to breathe as a result of an allergic reaction. if this is the case, you'll need to take him in to a veterinary clinic for immediate analysis and treatment in order to ensure that he can continue to breathe properly.
Itchiness
Itchy skin is another very common food allergy in dogs. This may affect every part of the body, but it's most common in the areas where the offending ingredient makes direct contact with your pet's skin. This includes his face, nose, eyes and mouth, as well as his rectal area. Watch out for generally sensitive and red patches of skin. Your pet may scratch at them incessantly, which can cause them to become inflamed and sore to a further degree. In more extreme cases, your pet may even bring about open sores and lesions on his face and other parts of his body too.
Infections
Food allergies in dogs can also lead to certain types of infections as well, as your pet's body is otherwise indisposed and not properly able to combat bacteria that cause these infections. The most common of these are ear infections, although a variety of different types of surface level skin infections may occur as well.
If you detect any of these various symptoms of pet food allergies in your dog, the best treatment is to consult with yoru vet. Together, you can formulate different elimination diets which can help to determine exactly which of the ingredients in your dog's food is causing his reaction. After determining the offending ingredient, buy or make a specialized diet for your dog that provides him with a full mix of nutrients without including the ingredient that will cause his reaction.