What are cooling foods for dogs with allergies

Cooling Proteins for Dogs with Allergies

Finding cooling proteins for dogs that can help control allergies can be done by using Chinese medicine food energetics. Numerous allergy treatment alternatives make immediate promises of success. However, the adverse reactions may outweigh the allergic condition they are meant to address. Discovering the root of the problem is crucial.

The Cause of Allergies in Dogs

Allergies, like all medical problems, are signs of an underlying disharmony inside the body, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). You must first address the imbalance that is producing the allergy in order to effectively treat the issue.

What is an Allergy?

A hypersensitive response to an allergen constitutes an allergy (from food or an environmental factor). Your dogs body overheats as a result of these allergens overreacting to the bodys defenses.

Skin that is itchy and reddened, panting, and restlessness are a few of the accompanying symptoms. According to TCM, the combination of cool (the body temperature of the dog) and warm (the heat of allergies) frequently results in a condition of wind within the body, which is what frequently results in intensely itchy skin.

How TCM Views an Imbalance

The yin and yang concept, the foundation of all TCM theory, can be used to explain any imbalance within the body. The body always contains both yin and yang.

Phlegm buildup is another way that allergies can have an impact on a dogs body. Heat, phlegm, and wind are all signs of Liver Qi stagnation, which is an imbalance in your dogs liver.

The liver, according to TCM, is the organ in charge of ensuring that Qi, the bodys general life force, flows smoothly. Qi is pronounced chee.

The liver serves as the bodys pump to ensure a constant flow of energy. The bodys essential fluids evaporate when that pump overheats as a result of an allergic reaction, and phlegm begins to build up. The dogs coat develops an unpleasant odor and turns oily or sticky as a result of the buildup of phlegm.

The notion of Yin stands for cooling, fluids, stillness, and passive conduct. The concept of yang stands for things like heat, inflammation, external energy, and aggressive conduct.

The two forces will be perfectly balanced in a healthy dog.

Any imbalance between the two is viewed as an illness in TCM. This means that allergies are frequently viewed as being caused by an excess of yang (heat) in the body.

Imagine an allergic dogs body as a pot of water that is going to boil. You can either lower the heat or add extra water to the saucepan to stop the boiling. TCM employs yin tonifying herbs that enhance the bodys total fluids while cooling herbs that reduce yang (or heat) in the body to restore the dogs body to equilibrium. TCM herbs emphasize a wholistic approach to treating illnesses. In the case of canine allergies, they function to lower body heat, hence lowering skin inflammation and phlegm buildup.

The herbs treat the allergys underlying cause while also easing its symptoms.

Types of Allergies in Dogs

Food and environmental allergens are the two most common types of allergies in dogs.

Although each of these allergy kinds affects a dog in a distinct way, the same theories can be used to control them. You can take a few very easy steps to lessen how strongly your dog will respond.

Food Allergies

Finding the meal or foods that are triggering the reaction is crucial when you suspect your dog has food allergies. Change your dogs diet to something other than kibble,like a raw fed diet, to achieve this. By feeding a raw diet, you know exactly whats going into your dogs bowl and can address the root of the problem along the way.

After a week of eating a particular protein, you can introduce another food if your dog is not experiencing any allergy symptoms, which can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to manifest. If your dog exhibits symptoms of an allergic reaction throughout this process (such as drooling, vomiting, a grumbling stomach, or skin rashes), this identifies the most recently ingested food as the allergen (or one of the allergens). Your dog should stop eating that food altogether.

There are particular blood or saliva tests you can perform to determine your dogs allergies more quickly, like those found at AnimalBiome.

EnvironmentalAllergies

Environmental or inhaled allergens are another type of allergy that is prevalent in dogs. When dogs breathe in allergens including mold, dust mites, dander, and grass and tree pollen, allergies develop. Itchy, unpleasant skin irritations may arise from this. The same pollens could be inhaled by us without creating any reaction, but allergic dogs are more likely to develop hypersensitivity, which results in their entire body swelling up. There is too much heat and inflammation, which is the cause of this discord.

Western medicine only considers outwardly visible allergy symptoms like lesions, itching, and scratching. TCM, however, also takes note of less evident signs like restlessness, irritation, and panting. All of these symptoms point to an allergic reaction, exposing the root cause of Liver Qi stagnation.

Traditional Chinese methods like acupuncture and dietary therapy can be used to treat Liver Qi stagnation in addition to employing medicines.

Food Energetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dog allergy management using food therapy can be quite successful when paired with other methods.

According to Chinese medical thought, food functions similarly to a medication. You might use the proverb you are what you eat in this situation. As a result, you should be aware of warming vs. cooling foods for dogs.

What Are Cooling Proteins?

Foods are categorized according to their ability to do various things, like cool or warm you up. Dogs with allergies should consume cooling proteins such fish, duck, and rabbit. Cooling foods can aid dogs with allergies by reducing body-wide inflammation. Avoid eating foods like venison and lamb, which are among the warmest proteins and would cause an allergic dogs body temperature and allergic reaction to rise sharply.

Cooling foods should be included in an allergic dogs diet to help balance the imbalance that is producing the reaction. So, for dogs, here is a breakdown of hot and cold proteins.

Cooling Foods For Dogs

• Protein: Rabbit, Duck
• Fish: Clam, Cod, Crab, Scallop, Whitefish
• Vegetables: Tomatoes Yellow, Soy Bean, Bamboo, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kelp, Lettuce, Mushroom, Seaweed
• Fruit: Apple, Banana, Cranberry, Kiwi, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Pear, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
• Grains: Barley, Buckwheat, Jobs Tears, Millet, Mung Bean, Wheat, Wild Rice
• Miscellaneous: Eggs (Duck), Flax Seed Oil, Marjoram, Peppermint, Salt, Sesame Oil, Tofu, Yogurt, Chicken Egg Whites

Neutral Food

Neutral foods will often tonify Qi and Blood and balance Yin and Yang. To give diversity and choice, you can feed them with other kinds of foodor to soften the harshness of a diet that is excessively hot or cold.

• Protein: Beef, Beef Liver, Goose, Pork Liver, Pork Kidneys, Pork Feet, Quail, Tripe, Bison
• Fish: Carp, Catfish, Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Sturgeon, Tuna
• Vegetables: Black Soy Beans, Kidney Beans, Beet Root, Broad Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Green beans, Peas, Red Beans, Aduki Beans, String Beans,Pumpkin, Potato, Shitake Mushroom, Yams
• Fruits: Papaya, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry
• Grains: White Rice, Brown Rice, Rye, Lentils, Corn
• Miscellaneous: Chlorella, Spirulina, Tofu, Goats Milk, Yogurt Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Cows Milk, Duck Eggs, Honey

Warming Foods (Avoid For Dogs With Allergies)

• Protein: Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pheasant, Ham
• Fish: Sturgeon, Lobster, Mussel, Shrimp, Prawn, Anchovy
• Vegetables: Black Beans, Squash, Sweet Potato
• Fruit: Cassia Fruit, Cherry, Date, Peach, Longan
• Grains: Oats, Sorghum, Sweet Rice
• Nuts/Seeds: Chestnut, Coconut, Pine Nut, Walnut
• Miscellaneous: Bay Leaves, Brown sugar, Cinnamon, Ginger, Molasses, Goat Milk, Turmeric, Vinegar, Basil, Clove, Dill Seed, Dried Ginger, Fennel Seed, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme

Hot Foods (Also Avoid In Dogs With Allergies)

Protein: Lamb, Mutton, Sheep, Venison, Kidney

Fish: Trout

Miscellaneous: Cayenne

Address the Root of the Problem

The most important thing to remember about Chinese food energetics is that they dont just treat the symptoms of allergies. They address the root imbalance to resolve the underlying disharmony. When you resolve that, the allergy symptoms go away, instead of just placing a temporary band-aid.

Read more:

Cooling Foods for Dogs: A Basic Food Energetics for Dogs Guide

Warming, Cooling, and Neutral Proteins. Which Is Right For Your Dog? Grandma Lucys

Cooling vs warming foods | Volhard Dog Nutrition

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Cooling Foods for Dogs: A Basic Food Energetics for Dogs Guide

Did you know the food you feed to your dogs and cats can help keep them cool, among other things? In this article, we will show you how to use cooling foods for dogs to manage allergies, balance energy, and regulate body temperature, as well as information on cooling or warming your pup when they need it.

When we say that food fuels life, we mean it quite literally. The right dog food gives your pooch the nutrients that his body needs to function and thrive, but your pet's diet might be helpful in more ways than you know.

What is Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine?

The philosophy behind Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCVM) can be complicated, and its a very different idea from the western medicine practices that we are familiar with. We are going to break down how these traditional practices can be used to improve your pets health using their diet.

According to Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, everything has a natural energy, or Qi (pronounced chee). In animals, this energy supports the overall function and health of the body.

We refer to these energies as cold or hot. Think Yin and Yang. Balancing these energies helps to promote better health. This means that if your dog has hot energy, then cooling foods can help balance his natural energy and, in turn, improve his overall health.

A Dog Food Energetics Breakdown

The goal of TCVM is to use their diet to create balanced or neutral energy that better supports their body. Foods have energy too. Foods can be cooling, neutral, warming, or hot. This is called food energetics.

By choosing foods that balance your dogs qi, you can effectively address certain health issues. We want to focus on the benefit of cooling foods for dogs, as dogs with hot energy symptoms are more common than those with cold energy symptoms.

Plus, with soaring summer temperatures upon us, cooling foods can help to make your dog more comfortable and support them in regulating their body temperatures.

All foods fall somewhere on the spectrum of food energetics, but proteins typically have a greater effect. This is why its best to choose a protein first and then look at supporting ingredients like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Let's look at the three main classifications of dog food energetics:

1. Cooling Food for Dogs

Cooling foods can be fed to dogs with hot energy to help balance that energy better.

Here are a few symptoms of dogs that may benefit from cooling foods:

• • Severe allergies
  • Chronic illness
  • Anxiety
  • Restless or hyperactive behaviour
  • Overheating
  • Inflammation

One of the most desirable aspects of cooling foods for dogs is its ability to reduce inflammation, which can contribute to several problems, including allergic reactions, digestive issues, arthritis pain, and overall skin and coat health.

Cooling foods can also have a calming effect on dogs. Dogs with hot energies are often easily excitable, anxious, or even aggressive. This is due to the restless nature of active or hot energy dogs. Feeding cooling foods can help to counteract those behaviours with more passive energy.

They can also come in handy for breeds that can't handle hot weather well. A cooling food can help a dog with typically hot energy feel a little cooler on a hot day. Cooling foods alone isn't enough to protect your dog from overheating. Try a dog cooling vest and limit the time spent outside on especially hot days.

Here are some cooling foods that are commonly found in dog food:

2. Neutral Food for Dogs

Neutral foods have little to no effect on your dogs Qi. These are an excellent way to ensure a decent variety of ingredients and to soften a very hot or cool diet. Neutral foods can be fed regularly and mixed with warming or cooling ingredients to help balance your dog's Qi.

Here are some neutral foods that are commonly found in dog food:

3. Warming Food for Dogs

These foods increase body heat and inflammation and can even contribute to dehydration in a dog with naturally hot energy. Many warming and hot foods are some of the most common ingredients in dog food, so its no wonder so many pets are showing symptoms of hot energy. A hot diet, for example, includes hot foods like lamb, sheep, venison, and trout.

These foods can be helpful for dogs that have cold energies, though. Check out a few things you may notice in dogs that could benefit from warming proteins in their diet:

• • Constantly cold or seeking out heat
  • Low energy or stamina
  • Shivering or shaking
  • Shortness of breath (in more severe cases)

Here are some warming foods that are commonly found in dog food:

Spices can also have a warming effect. Supplements like turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger can contribute to hot energies. If you use these spices for their other health benefits, make sure you are also choosing cooling or neutral foods to feed with them.

Foods considered hot, like lamb venison and spicy foods, will have a more significant effect on your dogs energy balance than warming foods. They can be useful in dogs with cold dog food energy and can be fed during colder months to assist in handling extreme cold temperatures but should be avoided in a cooling diet.

Check out this in-depth food energetics chart for even more examples of cooling, neutral, and warming food.

Finding the Right Balance

Qi is a spectrum. Some dogs may show minor hot energy symptoms, like skin issues or searching for cool surfaces to lay on, while others may have many more symptoms.

Check out this helpful article to learn more about how your dog's diet can affect their behaviour.

Feeding cooling foods for dogs is more of an art than a science, but remember that you are aiming for neutral energy. A dog that is closer to warm than hot will benefit from more cooling foods than warming, but that doesnt mean that you cant occasionally feed foods with warming properties. You want a balance of both to produce neutral energy.

A dog with very hot energy will need a more drastic diet change. Eliminating warming or hot foods and feeding only cooling or neutral foods may be necessary to correct the health issues caused by their hot energy.

Raw Dog Food

The nature of most commercial dog foods, like kibble, is a combination of many different ingredients. This makes it challenging to find good cooling food for your dog. You can choose cooling proteins for dogs, but the food will likely contain a few warming vegetables or grains.

The practice of food energetics works best with a raw diet. This is partially due to the quality of nutrients in raw dog food. Many cooked foods are subjected to high cooking temperatures or multiple processing practices, which can denature or destroy some ingredients and nutrients.

The more important reason raw diets are ideal for using food energetics to support your dogs health is that you can choose a raw diet with way fewer ingredients, and the diets can be customized to suit your dogs needs.

A whole prey raw diet will contain only meat, bone, and organs, with a small amount of produce or none at all. You can choose each ingredient in your dogs diet and add your own ingredients to ensure that they follow your food energetics plan.

Trial and Error

Though Traditional Chinese Veterinary practices are unlike what we are used to in the west, many pet owners, holistic veterinarians, and nutritionists support these practices.

Balancing your dogs energy will not happen overnight, and your feeding plan may require some tweaks and alterations along the way. Dont get discouraged if you dont see immediate results.

If you can use your dogs diet to improve his health and behaviour, theres no harm in trying it. Try one thing at a time and be consistent to see results. Changing too much at once will make it impossible to narrow down the successes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are cooling foods for dogs, and why are they important?

Cooling foods for dogs are items that have cooling properties and help regulate body temperature and reduce inflammation. These foods can be great for dogs that struggle with hot weather but are also useful for helping with allergies, hip and joint issues, and even immune function.

What types of foods are considered cooling for dogs?

Cooling foods for dogs often include water-rich fruits like watermelon and cucumber, as well as leafy greens, yogurt, and lean proteins like rabbit.

Can cooling foods replace proper hydration for dogs?

Cooling foods can contribute to your dog's hydration, but they shouldn't replace access to clean and fresh water.

Are there specific cooling foods that are best for dogs in hot weather?

Watermelon, cucumber, and cranberries are often considered excellent cooling treats for dogs. You can also offer iced treats made from cooling ingredients as a tasty treat to beat the heat.

Can all dogs tolerate cooling foods equally?

While most dogs can enjoy cooling foods, introducing new foods gradually and monitoring your dog for any problems, such as allergic reactions, is important.

Can cooling foods be given to dogs year-round?

Cooling foods are particularly beneficial during hot weather but can also be included in your dog's diet year-round for their nutritional value and to create balance.