Can a dog suddenly become allergic to his food

6 Signs Your Dog is Allergic to Food: Vet-Approved Guide

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

Learn more

Food allergies in dogs can be a serious problem Often, dogs are allergic to specific proteins found in their foodusually meat proteins like chicken or beef. Luckily, counteracting these symptoms isnt difficult. All you need to do is switch your dogs food to something that does not contain their allergen.

However, before you can go about treating your canine, you need to determine if they are really experiencing food allergies. Surprisingly, the symptoms arent what most people expect.

Take a look at the list of symptoms below.

The 6 Signs Your Dog is Allergic to Its Food

1. Itchiness

Surprisingly, the most common sign of food allergies in dogs is excessive itching. This itching is usually located on the dogs extremities, such as their paws and tail. However, it can occur anywhere. Usually, the easier a dog can reach the itchy spot, the more damage they can do through their itching.

For this reason, youre most likely to notice the itching if its on their paws, tail, or stomach.

While itching may not seem like a serious symptom, it absolutely can be. Many dogs with food allergies itch excessively. Eventually, they will bite and scratch the fur off of their itchy spots. Sores and redness are also common.

Because the dog will continue to itch until their food is changed, these sores will not heal. Instead, they will continue to get worse, which will eventually lead to infections. While dogs usually dont die from food allergies, these infections can become extremely serious.

2. Digestive Problems

Some dogs also experience digestive problems when eating an allergen. However, this is less common. Dogs dont have to experience digestive problems to get a food allergy diagnosis.

Most commonly dogs will experience diarrhea. However, more rarely, dogs have been known to throw up or act generally ill when eating their allergens. As youd guess, these symptoms usually arent serious. Still, in some cases, dogs may have severe reactions to their allergens, causing hydration loss.

In extremely severe cases, dogs may be unable to keep anything down and will perish without veterinary care. Usually, food allergies get worse over time if exposure is repeated. Therefore, its vital to identify the cause of your dogs food allergies before their symptoms worsen.

3. Hyperactivity

Some dogs become hyper when consuming their allergens. This symptom is less commonwhether thats because it really is less common or because it just goes unnoticed. Either way, some pet parents do report that their dogs become substantially more hyper when they eat their allergens. If you notice this trait in your canine, be sure to mention it to your vet.

Luckily, this symptom is troublesomebut not serious. Therefore, it typically isnt noticed by pet parents and usually doesnt require treatment.

4. Aggression

Many dogs experience mood changes when consuming the foods they are allergic to. Plus, these foods likely cause digestive pain, though our dogs cant tell us that they dont feel good. All of these things can lead to serious aggression problems.

If your dog suddenly becomes aggressive, food allergies may be to blame. This behavioral problem can range from minor to serious. However, if you do notice changes, be sure to report them to your vet. They may need this information to diagnose your dog.

5. Weight Loss

Because their food makes them feel unwell, many dogs may stop eating as much as they once did. Their digestive system may be unable to absorb and use the proteins in their food due to the allergy and inflammation. Therefore, these factors can lead to weight loss.

Often, this weight loss isnt serious. Youll notice a pound or two difference in most dogs. However, the problems can be extremely serious for some dogs, especially if there are other factors affecting their weight loss, as well.

Weight loss is practically always a sign of an underlying problem and we recommend speaking to your vet if your canine begins losing weight.

6. Lack of Energy

Dogs with food allergies may lack energy for all sorts of reasons. They may be eating less since their food causes stomach upset. At the same time, these dogs may also not absorb everything they need from their food, which can cause lethargy. Some dogs may feel sick from eating their food and wont want to move quite as much for this reason.

If your dog begins to act lethargic, its typically because there is an underlying reason. Therefore, whether its food allergies or not, youll need to speak to your vet about the possible underlying causes.

How Long Does It Take to Notice if a Dog is Allergic to Food?

Dogs develop allergies a bit differently from humans. Dogs arent typically born with allergies. Instead, they develop them after continued exposureyour dog likely wont be allergic to a new protein they consume. Instead, theyll suddenly become allergic to the same protein theyve been consuming for years.

Often, there isnt much you can do about this development. Some breeds are more prone to developing allergies and will need to switch protein sources every few years as new allergies develop. Medications can help, but they do not prevent allergies from occurring.

Some vets recommend switching foods regularly to prevent allergies from surfacing. This makes sense, as more exposure typically increases the chance of allergies developing. However, if an allergy does develop, it can be difficult to find a new protein if your dog is switching to a new food constantly. Plus, it also makes figuring out what your dog is allergic to all the more difficult.

If youre particularly concerned about your dog developing allergies, speak to your vet. They can determine if your canine is at risk and what steps you should take.

What is the Most Common Food Allergy in Dogs?

Dogs become allergic to the foods they are often exposed to. Therefore, their most common allergies are those that are often found in dog food, including chicken and beef. In fact, chicken is the most common allergen, followed by beef.

Even foods that arent advertised as containing chicken often do, as this protein is extremely cheap. For this reason, its vital to check the ingredient list if your dog has a chicken allergy. It is very difficult to find a chicken-free food, though there are quite a few options out there.

Despite misconceptions, gluten is not a very common allergen. While dogs can be allergic to gluten, this isnt as common as chicken or beef allergies. If your dog develops allergies, we recommend looking towards the meat protein most abundant in their food, first.

Conclusion

The most common food allergy symptoms in dogs are itchiness and all the symptoms that come with it. Youll likely see your dog scratching, even if you try to punish your dog for the scratching. However, youll also notice redness, swelling, scratches, sores, and hair loss. Sometimes, secondary infections can occur, though these usually occur after the other symptoms are noticed.

If you suspect that your dog has allergies, we recommend speaking with your vet. Youll likely need to switch their food to something with a protein they are not allergic to. However, their secondary symptoms may also need treatment.

See Also:

Featured Image Credit: Kobkik, Shutterstock

Chicken allergy in dogs: Vet reveals everything you need to know

While still fairly uncommon, a chicken allergy in dogs can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including skin rashes and stomach upsets. If your pup is unlucky enough to be among the small percentage of pups with a digestive system that can't tolerate poultry, you're likely wondering what can be done about it.

However, before you go swapping your canine companion over to the best dog food for allergies, it's important to get a proper diagnosis from a vet.

That's because changing dog food needs to be done slowly and carefully to avoid upsetting the balance of bacteria in your dog's intestines. Once you know for sure that a chicken allergy is causing your pup's health complaints you can work with your vet to formulate a plan.

Below, Dr. Catherine Barnette explains the main symptoms of a chicken allergy and shares her favorite prescription foods for dogs who can't eat chicken. Plus, Dr. Hannah Godfrey outlines exactly how your vet will go about testing your fur friend for a chicken allergy so you know what to expect.

Dr. Catherine Barnette

Dr. Barnette graduated from the University of Florida in 2006 where she received both her B.S. in Zoology and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). She has 15 years of clinical experience as a small animal veterinarian, treating dogs, cats, and occasional exotic patients. When shes not writing content as a freelance veterinary writer, Dr. Barnette lives in southwest Florida with her husband and daughter (plus two cats, a dog, and a rescued dove!) and enjoys kayaking, biking, and hiking.

Dr Hannah Godfrey studied Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College London. After graduating in 2011, Dr Godfrey went on to become a veterinary surgeon, conducting surgery consultations on a range of animals at a small independent practice in Cardiff, South Wales, UK. Dr Godfrey has a strong interest in soft tissue surgery. When shes not helping animals back on their feet, Dr Godfrey writes a number of veterinary and animal-focussed articles.

What causes allergies in dogs?

"Allergies in dogs occur when their immune system overreacts to a substance, recognizing it as a threat when it is actually harmless," explains Godfrey. "The cells within the immune system will remember this substance and will continue to react if exposed to it in the future. Dogs can be allergic to almost any substance, but pollen, food allergies, and parasites are reasonably common."

Can dogs be allergic to chicken?

"Dogs can be allergic to chicken," Godfrey says. "Chicken is one of the most common food allergies in dogs, alongside beef and dairy products. However, to be allergic to chicken, their immune system must be familiar with the protein, so a dog must have eaten it at least once before."

Symptoms of chicken allergy in dogs

If you've been asking the question 'why is my dog itching, scratching, and biting himself constantly?', a food allergy may well be to blame.

Food allergies are often clinically indistinguishable from other types of canine allergies. There are four common allergies in dogs: dust mite allergy, environmental allergies (tree, weed, and grass pollen), flea allergy, and food allergy.

While there may be slight differences in the signs between these different types of allergies (for example, you may see visible fleas in a dog with flea allergies or you may notice seasonal signs in a dog with pollen allergies), it is nearly impossible to distinguish the cause of your dogs allergies based on appearance alone.

In dogs, nearly all allergies manifest as irritation of the skin and ears (check out our guide to skin allergies in dogs for more on how a food allergy can affect the skin and coat). Common signs of dog allergies include:

• Generalized redness of the skin
• Itching
• Chewing at the paws
• Hair loss (generalized or patchy)
• Frequent hot spots or skin infections
• Scratching at the ears
• Recurrent ear infections
• Less commonly, food allergies may trigger gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting and diarrhea.

If your vet suspects your dog has allergies, they will recommend an appropriate diagnostic workup to determine the cause of your pets allergies. This workup may include the consistent use of the best flea treatment for dogs (to rule out flea allergies), intradermal or blood allergy testing (to rule out environmental allergies), and a food trial (to look for evidence of food allergies).

In a food trial, you will be asked to feed your dog a hypoallergenic prescription diet for a period of 2-3 months. During that time, you will need to avoid all treats and table food, to ensure that your dog is not being exposed to any potential food allergens. If your dogs signs resolve during the food trial, you and your veterinarian can safely assume that your dogs allergies are caused by something in your dogs diet.

Next, you will begin gradually reintroducing different food items, in an effort to determine which ingredients trigger an allergic response in your dog. If you feed chicken, for example, and your dog begins itching within 24 hours, you can safely assume that your dog is allergic to chicken.

Why are so many dogs allergic to chicken?

A chicken allergy is one of the three common food allergies in pets. Beef and dairy are the most common food allergy triggers in dogs, with chicken coming in at number three on that list.

Dogs can develop an allergy to any protein that they have eaten. Historically, most dog foods were made with beef as the primary protein source. Therefore, most canine food allergies were associated with beef, because thats the protein that the immune system had seen the most often.

In recent years, however, an increasing number of chicken-based diets have been created, often marketed as sensitive skin or sensitive stomach foods. Therefore, veterinarians are seeing an increase in the number of dogs with chicken allergies. If kangaroo meat were to suddenly become a common ingredient in dog food, we would likely see an increasing number of dogs with kangaroo allergies. Dogs can develop a food allergy to any protein they have been fed.

If a dog is allergic to chicken, are they allergic to turkey?

Chicken and turkey are both poultry. There are enough similarities between these birds that some dogs with chicken allergies will also react to turkey. In fact, some dogs with chicken allergies will even react to duck.

However, this isnt always the case. Some chicken-allergic dogs can eat turkey or duck with no problems. Therefore, you may need to experiment with a bit of trial-and-error in order to determine whether your dog can tolerate a turkey-based diet.

If you want to be on the safe side and minimize the risk of an allergic reaction, it is probably best to avoid feeding turkey to a dog that is allergic to chicken.

Diagnosing a chicken allergy

"Blood and skin prick tests can help diagnose a chicken allergy in your dog, but these tests can be costly and take some time," Godfrey explains. "They may also show inconclusive results, which can be frustrating. Eliminating chicken from your dog's diet completely for eight weeks (known as an elimination diet) can allow you to see whether your dog's symptoms improve, but this will only work if you check the ingredients on all of their food and treats."

Best food for dogs with chicken allergies

If your dog has chicken allergies, you will need to find a nutritious, balanced dog food that does not include chicken meat, chicken meal, or chicken by-products. You may opt to feed a prescription diet (under the guidance of your veterinarian) or search for an over-the-counter diet.

The most highly-restricted diets will be prescription diets as opposed to the best dry dog food and the best wet dog food that you can buy off the shelf. These include products like Hill's Prescription Diet d/d Skin/Food Sensitivities Potato & Venison Formula Dry Dog Food or Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein HP Dry Dog Food. Prescription allergy diets are manufactured on dedicated manufacturing lines, reducing the risk of cross-contamination, and careful attention to ingredients. Your veterinarian can help you select the most appropriate prescription diet for your pet.

You can also attempt to use an over-the-counter diet that does not contain any chicken, such as Purina Pro Plan Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food. Over-the-counter diets are often less expensive than prescription diets, which may make this an appealing option for some dog owners. Be aware, however, that these diets may be made on the same manufacturing lines that are used to create chicken-based diets. (This is why they are often less expensive.) Depending on the severity of your dogs chicken allergies, even a small amount of cross-contamination may be enough to trigger an allergic reaction.

How common are food allergies in dogs?

"Its much more common for dogs to experience allergy symptoms due to environmental allergens like pollen from trees and plants, or parasites like fleas and mites than food allergens," Godfrey says. "While its not easy to control the symptoms caused by any allergy, it's easier to keep your dog away from food allergens than pollen and other environmental allergens."

A chicken allergy in dogs can be a frustrating condition, but there are ways to manage it successfully. Work with your veterinarian to accurately diagnose the underlying cause of your dogs skin issues, then come up with an appropriate plan to minimize your dogs exposure to foods that trigger an allergic response. With long-term efforts and maintenance, you can minimize the frequency of flare-ups and successfully reduce your dogs signs of allergic dermatitis.

For more on what foods are safe for your canine companion to consume, check out our guide to what human food can dogs eat where a vet explains which foods you can share with your pooch.