Understanding Dog Food Allergies

It’s easy to come to the conclusion that your dog may have a food allergy. Yes, dogs can definitely be allergic to certain food, but dog food allergies are actually not as common as most pet parents think. 

In fact, according to Dr. Tory Waxman, co-founder and chief veterinary officer at Sundays, food allergies are most common in puppies and dogs over 7 years of age. Food allergies are rarer in adult dogs but still occur.

So how do you know if your dog really does have a food allergy? Let’s talk about what to look for, which dogs might be more at risk, and how you can tell a true food allergy from other allergies or health issues.

How common are food allergies in dogs?

You may think that food is the culprit of your dog’s symptoms, but the truth is that dog food allergies are not so prevalent. Only one of every 10 pets diagnosed with allergies has a food allergy. The other nine will have an environmental, contact, or flea allergy. And only 0.2% of dogs overall have food allergies, according to Banfield Pet Hospital’s State of Pet Health Report.

While Dr. Waxman points out that food allergies are not very common in adult dogs aged 2-7, some breeds are more at risk. These include West Highland White Terriers, Cocker Spaniels, and Labrador Retrievers. 

Does my dog have a food allergy? What are the symptoms?

Have you already diagnosed your pup with a food allergy? Before you take it as absolute truth, let’s take a look at some of the common symptoms. If your dog has a food allergy, you may see:

• Hives, inflammation or swelling 
• Excessive scratching, gnawing, licking, or chewing
• Frequent skin or ear infections
• Dry skin
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

Dog food allergies vs. seasonal allergies

If you’ve seen some of the potential signs of a food allergy, keep in mind that these symptoms are very common for several different conditions as well as seasonal or environmental allergies. 

The most common types are allergies to fleas and pollen, and these can cause itching, redness, hives, hot spots, gnawing at paws, hair loss, ear infections, eye discharge, excessive licking, and face rubbing. 

One difference with environmental allergies is that you won’t see the gastrointestinal signs, like vomiting and diarrhea. Another clue that it may be seasonal is that these signs happen only at certain times, usually during spring and summer.

Is it dog food allergies or a food sensitivity?

It may also be the case that your dog has a food sensitivity as opposed to an allergy. The main difference between an allergy and a sensitivity is the body’s response. 

Your dog will have a more prominent immune response to any food allergies, whereas food sensitivities may only cause digestive discomfort or very, very mild immune symptoms like itchy skin. 

While it can be comforting to know that your dog only has a sensitivity to a certain ingredient instead of an allergy, you’ll still want to avoid feeding it to them. 

Can you test for food allergies in dogs?

If only it were that easy to find out if your dog has a food allergy. Blood tests can be unreliable and give false positives. Saliva and skin tests for dog food allergies have also been known to be ineffective. 

The best thing to do is to first explain the symptoms you’ve seen to your veterinarian. Depending on whether they are skin-related or digestive symptoms, your vet can rule out some of the more common causes first, like skin infections or parasites.

If they’ve ruled out other causes, and they suspect a food allergy or sensitivity, that’s when you’ll need to start narrowing down which ingredients may be causing the reaction.

What food is my dog allergic to?

Most food allergies in dogs can be traced back to the main proteins that are used in many dog food formulas: chicken and beef. But dairy, soy, corn, and wheat may also cause food allergies in dogs. 

One thing you don’t really need to worry about is your pup having a gluten allergy. According to Dr. Waxman, that is very rare to see in dogs, except in Irish Setters and a few other breeds where a genetic celiac-like disease can be found.

The gold standard for figuring out which ingredient your dog is allergic to is by doing an elimination diet. Your vet can guide you through the exact steps, but the idea is to first remove all possible allergens from your dog’s diet, then reintroduce proteins and other common allergens one at a time to watch for a reaction.

Many times, this diet will be a prescription diet with hydrolyzed protein. This means that the protein is broken down into pieces that are so tiny that a dog’s immune system can’t recognize them or react to them.

What’s the best diet for dogs with food allergies?

Keep in mind that often, the exact cause of an allergy is not determined, and a limited-ingredient diet is recommended to rule out a food allergy. 

Sundays is extremely limited in ingredients compared to many other dog foods on the market. Because of this, even dogs with an unknown allergy do very well on our food, simply because there are fewer ingredients to have a reaction to. 

In addition, our diets have only a single protein source. The Chicken recipe only has chicken meat (including a variety of rich organ meats), and it’s the same for our Beef and Turkey recipes.

If your dog does have an allergy or sensitivity to a certain ingredient, Sundays may be an excellent choice.