Can Food Allergies Cause Diarrhea In Dogs

Common Causes Of Dog Food Allergies

A recent study revealed that animal-based ingredients were responsible for over 3 times the amount of food allergy cases in dogs than plant-based ingredients.

Our healthy protein food is recommended for dogs with reactions to the most common allergens: beef, turkey, dairy, lamb, egg, chicken, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish.

We have a number of examples of dogs who no longer suffer from chronic itching, licking, inflammation, and more after switching to Wild Earth.

The Most Common Causes Of Diarrhea In Dogs

Whether its whining to go out in the middle of the night or waking up to a soiled rug, diarrhea isnt a fun experience for you or your dog. If youre hoping to reduce the frequency of your dogs stomach troubles or just wanting to avoid them altogether, identifying the cause of your dogs upset stomach is the first step you need to take.

Diarrhea occurs when food material moves too fast through the digestive tract resulting in reduced water absorption. This can be the result of anything from toxins in the system to emotional upset.

To find out whats causing your dogs gut to work too fast for its own good, lets look at the most common reasons diarrhea occurs in dogs.

How To Spot A Food Allergy

Reactions to a food allergen typically occur immediately or shortly after the ingredient/food is eaten, and the symptoms are often severe.

The primary dog food allergy symptom is itchy skin. In fact, food-related skin irritation is the cause of about 20% of the itching and scratching in dogs. Their scratching and chewing may be limited to a single hot-spot or a full body irritation.

You may notice your pup chewing or scratching excessively, rubbing their face with their paws or against furniture, or excessive licking and chewing their paws till theyre swollen.

However, there are a few additional signs that could point to dog food allergies.

One is that your dog has recurrent ear problems, particularly yeast infections. Another tip-off is if their itchy skin doesnt respond to steroid treatment, or they have skin infections that respond to antibiotics but reoccur after antibiotics are discontinued.

Other dog food allergy symptoms include:

Red, itchy, inflamed ears, frequent head shaking Hair loss Hives, skin rash, or inflamed skin Open sores or hot spots Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath Runny, red, or itchy eyes Runny or stuffy nose, sneezing Odor from feet or ears Stomach upset, gas, vomiting, diarrhea

Some pups may have an increase in bowel movementsup to 3 or more times per day, though this is a less common symptom.

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When The System Fails

Malnutrition can affect enterocyte structure and function. A poorly functioning or damaged enterocyte can let whole proteins into the body. Once a whole protein has managed to breach all of the guts defenses, gut-associated lymphoid tissue takes over. GALT can prevent the bodys natural immune response to a foreign protein. Most of the time this is what happens, but in the case of food allergies, GALT does not prevent the immune response and an allergic response is formed.

Unfortunately, every time the food is eaten, this over-response of the immune response becomes greater. So continuing to consume the diet that caused the allergic response results in a greater and greater response every time. After this hypersensitivity is formed, each time the dog eats the food, mast cells in the bodys immune system release hertamine. If this hertamine release is large enough, it may manifest as diarrhea, itchy skin, chronic skin infections etc.

Treatment For Seasonal/environmental Allergies

If allergy testing has not been performed, then the treatment is symptomatic, meaning that it aims to reduce or eliminate your dogs symptoms. Treatments can include:

• Oral medications, such as Apoquel, Atopica, or antihistamines

• Injectable medications, such as Cytopoint

• Fatty acids

• Steroids

• Frequent bathing

Steroids should not be used long-term in the management of allergies due to the risk of significant side effects.

If an allergy test has been performed, then the ideal allergy treatment for dogs is avoidance of the allergen. This is possible in a few, select circumstances, but most dogs are allergic to a variety of substances that can be difficult to avoid completely.

Other treatment can include an allergy vaccine, also known as immunotherapy, which is given either by injection under the skin or by mouth. The goal of immunotherapy is to make the immune system less reactive to the allergy-causing substances.

The success rate of immunotherapy is 60-70%. This is the best long-term approach to allergy control, especially in younger pets that experience symptoms most of the year. Symptomatic treatment can and should be given while starting immunotherapy. It may be many months before any improvement in symptoms is seen from immunotherapy alone.

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Tips For Making Your Own Dog Food At Home

PETA

Making your own food from scratch is hands-down the most reliable way to ensure your dogs diet has not come into contact with anything theyre allergic to. Weve got some healthy dog food recipes to share with you and some great dog food recipe hacks to make cooking for your dog less of a chore.

We hope this guide to dog food allergies helps you find a solution to your dogs symptoms. As a reminder, please always talk to your vet before introducing your dog to a new food.

Choosing The Right Food For Your Dog

The nutritional requirements for a puppy are often not the same as an adult dog, so its important to purchase a dog food which is labeled for the correct life stage of your dog. If your dog has a chronic condition, certain ingredients may be recommended or should be avoided. Your veterinarian is the best person to help you choose the right food for your pet.

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Most Common Food Allergies In Dogs

While it has become common to watch out for the signs of life-threatening food allergies in young children, it still comes as a surprise to some dog parents that their four-legged companions can also suffer from food allergies.

Just like in humans, a food allergy occurs when a dogs immune system mistakenly believes a specific food is harmful. The dogs immune system responds with antibodies, which triggers a series of dangerous symptoms.

Many seemingly random symptoms can be signs of a food allergy in a dog. These include:

• Chronic ear inflammation

Other symptoms more closely mimic symptoms seen in humans with food allergies, such as:

• Skin rash

• Chronic gas
• Vomiting

If you notice any of these symptoms in your dog, it is extremely important to have them checked out by a vet to determine if the symptoms are indeed signs of a food allergy.

The more the dog is exposed to the allergen, the more severe the reaction will become. Even if your dog is only irritated by the symptoms initially, they could be life-threatening the next time they eat the problem food.

Kinds of foods to watch out for

Dogs can be allergic to nearly any specific food ingredient. However, there are certain meats and grains that are more likely to cause an allergic reaction in your dog. These include:

• Pork

• Wheat
• Dairy

If your dog is allergic to one ingredient, shes likely allergic to other ingredients as well.

What Is Food Allergy

Most people know someone who is allergic to certain foods, such as strawberries or nuts.

“Food allergy is one of the five most common allergies or hypersensitivities known to affect dogs.”

Food allergy is one of the most common allergies or hypersensitivities known to affect dogs. In a pet with an allergy, the immune system overreacts and produces antibodies to substances that it would normally tolerate. In an allergic reaction to a food, antibodies are produced against some part of the food, usually a protein or complex carbohydrate. Since antibody production is required for an allergy to develop, food allergies usually manifest after prolonged exposure to one brand, type, or form of food.

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Dog Food Allergies Causes And Cures

Dog food is one culprit behind allergic reactions in dogs that owners often overlook because it’s easy to attribute the itching or licky to an environmental factor that causes skin allergies. In fact, about a quarter to a third of dogs with a food allergy also has an environmental allergy, which has similar and at times indistinguishable symptoms. Just like us, canines can suffer from either or dog food allergies and dog food intolerances. Food allergies in dogs can be very serious and cause not only digestive problems like vomiting and diarrhea, but also skin issues, and even behavioral problems.

We talked to Dr. Justin Shmalberg, a DVM and one of Nom Nom‘s own veterinary nutritionists, to create this comprehensive guide that covers the following:

• Best Dog Food for Allergies

What Is Leaky Gut

Low stomach acid, an imbalance in gut bacteria, or both are in many cases thought to give rise to leaky gut. Leaky gut affects the structure of the cells within the gut meaning they no longer stand tightly together.

As a result, larger food particles can pass through the gut wall and are then able to travel through our system only partially digested. This leads to problematic symptoms such as bloating, pain and discomfort. As well as this though, pathogens can also slip through the expanded gut wall thus contributing to inflammation.

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Causes Of Lamb Allergies In Dogs

• Allergies can occur with a protein that was tolerated well in the past
• Food allergies are not seen in dogs as much as airborne allergies are
• Diseases that are concurrent to an allergy are common
• The age of the dog should be considered when checking for allergies
• Reactions to foods can be called a food allergy or a food intolerance symptoms, causes, and treatment may differ
• It is thought that dogs who have lamb allergy involvement have IgE antibodies agains bovine IgG

Food Allergy Questions To Ask Your Veterinarian:

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How Do Dog Food Allergies Work

If your dog has an intolerance for a certain food, eating that food might lead to an upset stomach or it could cause vomiting and diarrhea. This is the same way that a human might react to a food intolerance. Take lactose intolerance, for example someone with lactose intolerance who eats dairy would likely experience gas, boating, and diarrhea. A food allergy, on the other hand, results from the over-response of the dogs immune system. The immune system identifies the allergen as a foreign invader and produces an immune response to get rid of it. In attacking the foreign invader, the immune cells may end up damaging healthy cells and tissue as well.

Food allergies in dogs have the potential to become very serious. In addition to causing extreme itching and other skin-related problems, allergies can also result in malnutrition. When the immune system starts attacking the cells in your dogs digestive tract it impairs the ability of your dogs body to digest and absorb nutrients. Food allergies tend to worsen with time, causing your dog to become hypersensitive to the ingredient causing the problem. Unfortunately, it is often the case as well that a dog with one food allergy is allergic to other ingredients as well. If you suspect a food allergy for your dog, you should not just brush it off take the problem seriously and go through the proper steps to identify the allergen and to remove it from your dogs diet.

So Whats Causing The Allergic Reaction

Just like humans, a large number of substances can be allergens, and each dog is allergic to different things, according to Carvalho.

Some common environmental allergens are:

• Pollen
• Fungi
• Flea saliva

Also, just like humans, dogs can have food allergies too. In this article were focusing on seasonal allergies. However, if you notice any of the below symptoms, we always recommend seeing your vet for a proper diagnosis as both food and environmental allergens can cause similar reactions.

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Treatment For Food Allergies

The treatment for food allergies in dogs is to feed a hypoallergenic diet for 8-12 weeks. This is the only way to determine if your dog has a food allergy.

Hypoallergenic diets either have limited ingredients with an uncommon protein source or are processed in a special way to be less likely to cause allergic reactions. The concept is that a dog cannot be allergic to a food that it has not been exposed to before.

Consult your veterinarian to choose the proper diet. Over-the-counter foods are not recommended for a proper food trial. Treats, flavored medications, and human foods may also have to be eliminated during this trial period.

Other allergy treatment for dogs are aimed at reducing the symptoms while waiting to see if the diet change is helpful. Cytopoint, Apoquel, or steroids may be used to help control itching while waiting to see if a hypoallergenic food trial results in improvement of your dogs allergy symptoms.

Wild Earth Dog Supplements

Why do dogs need supplements? Age, environment, pollutants, and the stressors of daily life can all lead to less than optimal health for your dog. Weve created a family of supplements to provide support in the areas your dog needs it most. All without the use of animal ingredients. Learn about Wild Earths dog supplements.

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How Are Dog Food Allergies Diagnosed

Diagnosing food allergies in dogs isnt always a straightforward process. Its not like theres a simple test that can instantly tell what your dog is allergic to or, if indeed, he has food allergies at all.

You have to start at the beginning, with the help of your veterinarian, to know for sure whether your dogs skin or ear issues are caused by food allergies.

The Complete Dog Diarrhea Guide: Causes And Treatment Methods

Diarrhea: We’re all familiar with it, and it’s not fun to talk about. But it happens. And it’s a relatively common ailment for our canine friends to experience, too. It’s a safe bet that at one point or another, your dog will have a bout of diarrhea.

As we’ll learn, there are all sorts of potential causes of dog diarrhea. Some cases are quite serious, and some can be cleared up at home without much trouble. That’s why it’s important to be familiar with the common causes of diarrhea in dogs and when it’s a problem. That way, you can let your vet know.

Let’s examine some of the possible causes of diarrhea in dogs, what your dog’s loose stools can tell you, and how to go about treating the problem.

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Treatment Of Lamb Allergies In Dogs

The veterinary team will give you detailed instructions on how to successfully do an elimination trial. An elimination trial will mean removing the suspected allergen or allergens from the diet for as long as three months. Many dog food producers offer several food options that can be recommended by your veterinarian. She may have hypoallergenic products in her clinic that you can try. Some veterinarians may suggest a very basic home cooked diet that can be easily prepared in batches.

In addition to removing the lamb, conditions like skin irritation or gastrointestinal inflammation will be addressed through the administration of medications either during the trial or after it is finished, based on what your veterinarian feels is best.

Dog Food Allergies Vs Intolerances

First of all, not every food or ingredient that causes symptoms in your dog counts as an allergy. Many times, an adverse reaction can be caused by a dog food intolerance.

Whats the difference? It has to do with whether or not theres an immune response to the food.

A dog food intolerance is when a certain food isnt processed or digested correctly or just doesnt agree with your dogs digestive system. This is what is often happening when a dog experiences lactose intolerance.

But with true food allergies, your dogs immune system is actually attacking one or more specific ingredients in the food. This response triggers the release of chemicals such as histamines within your dogs body, resulting in allergic symptoms, including itching.

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Abrupt Changes In Diet

No matter how quality the food your feeding your dog is, changing it up suddenly can cause serious gastric distress for your pooch.

Abruptly changing from one type or brand of food to another is likely to cause some stomach problems with most dogs and serious diarrhea in those that are more sensitive. If you need to switch your dogs food, you need to do so slowly.

Even the most enthusiastic eaters can get an upset stomach if their diet is changed up too abruptly. Always change your dogs food gradually to give their stomach time to adjust.

The recommended process for gradually switching your dog to a new diet is to slowly increase the ratio of new to old food over the course of about four days.

Day 1: 25% new food mixed with 75% original food

Day 2: 50% new food mixed with 50% original food

Day 3: 74% new food mixed with 25% original food

Day 4: 100% new food

If your dog is especially sensitive, even this schedule may be too abrupt. If thats the case, start with about 10% new food and raise the ratio more gradually over the course of a couple of weeks.

Many dog owners mistakenly blame loose stool on the new food itself, rather than the change in diet. This leads many pet parents to throw out a higher-quality food and return to the original, lower-quality food. The truth is, switching abruptly to any food will cause issues, but switching from one very low in protein to one very high in protein will cause even more issues.