Food allergies are among the most common allergies in dogs. Most dog food allergies can be effectively managed with the correct nutrition, but it can be challenging to figure out what your dog is allergic to and what you should feed them to help. This in-depth guide explains everything you need to know about managing your allergic dog’s diet and choosing the best dog food for allergies.

Understanding Dog Allergies

When your dog’s immune system encounters something foreign and potentially harmful (think bacteria or viruses) it creates antibodies to attack and kill the invader. An allergy is when the immune system does this in response to things that aren’t usually harmful e.g. dust or pollen. Every time the dog encounters the allergen, those antibodies spring into action and trigger an allergic response.

In the case of dog food allergies, your dog is allergic to an ingredient in their food. The most common offenders are proteins such as dairy, beef, egg or soy, complex carbohydrates such as grains, and wheat gluten. However, your dog can develop an allergy to any ingredient or additive, and could be allergic to several.

Dog food allergies can manifest in symptoms like:

• Vomiting and/or diarrhoea
• Bloating and excess gas
• Weight loss
• Fatigue
• Itching and scratching
• Red, raw or inflamed skin
• Excessive grooming or licking the skin
• Patches of bald or thinning fur
• Frequent skin or ear infections

Non-food allergies include things like dust, mites, pollen, trees, grass and flea bites. It’s also common for dogs to have both food allergies and non-food allergies. The symptoms can be very similar, and may also be improved with a clinical hypoallergydog food diet. However, before you make any changes, it’s important to consult with your vet.

Diagnosing Dog Food Allergies: Elimination Trial and Challenge Test

The most conclusive way to diagnose a dog food allergy is an elimination diet and challenge test. This is done in partnership with your vet, who will advise you how to change your dog’s diet and manage their symptoms safely.

First, your vet might recommend a hypoallergenic dog food to feed for around 8-12 weeks. Throughout this period your dog should be fed exclusively this diet with absolutely no treats, supplements, scraps, or even dental chews. No other liquids should be given apart from water.

If your dog’s symptoms resolve during this time, the culprit is likely to be an ingredient in their previous diet. To confirm this, your vet may then ask you to do a challenge test. This involves reintroducing your dog’s old food to see if their allergy symptoms return. If they do, then an allergy to that food is confirmed. If symptoms do not return, your vet may then recommend reintroducing something else, like treats or supplements.

During the challenge test, it’s important to only reintroduce one item at a time. If you reintroduce everything at once, it can be hard for your vet to determine exactly what is causing the problem.

In some cases, your vet may also recommend blood tests to diagnose any dog food allergies or other allergies. There is some debate as to how effective these blood tests are in diagnosing allergies and vets generally find elimination trials to be the more effective option. If you have any questions about which is best for your dog, be sure to discuss them with your vet.

Best Dog Food for Allergies: Hypoallergenic Dog Food

While you can’t cure your dog’s allergies, you can feed them a clinically formulated dog food for allergies to help manage their symptoms and avoid flare-ups. Depending on whether your dog has a food allergy or non-food allergy, your vet may recommend one of two types of clinical hypoallergy diet: hydrolysed protein dog food and novel protein dog food.

Hydrolysed Protein Dog Food

Hydrolysed dog food contains proteins that are broken down into molecules so small that they aren’t recognised as that protein by the dog’s immune system.

VETERINARY HPM® Hypoallergy Dog Food A2 is our hypoallergenic dog food specifically formulated to manage food allergies in dogs. The proteins included in this diet are hydrolysed, and potato starch is used as the exclusive source of carbohydrate with no protein molecule from this included, helping avoid allergic responses. This diet can be fed long-term due to the recommended levels of nutrients being adhered to. The diet supports both gastro-intestinal disorders and skin and coat disorders associated with food allergy thanks to its high digestibility, high digestive tolerance, balanced amino acids and essential fatty acid profile.

Novel Protein Dog Food

A novel protein dog food is a food containing types of proteins that were not present in your dog’s previous food, such as beef or soy. Because your dog won’t have been exposed to these proteins before, their immune system will not have developed antibodies to them.

Novel protein dog foods can reduce the risk of them developing allergies. However, it's important to check the label carefully to make sure the additional ingredients, e.g. corn, weren’t present in your dog’s previous food. It can be hard to tell which specific elements of that food your dog was allergic to, so you don’t want to risk feeding them allergens in their new food, too. Intolerance to this diet can manifest over time, so you might need to move your dog onto a new diet with a further novel protein source.

Dog Allergy Diet for Non-Food Allergies

For dogs with non-food allergies, like atopic dermatitis, treatment will mainly focus on managing symptoms and removing the allergen from the dog’s environment (e.g. treating fleas, avoiding grass). However, your vet may recommend complementing this treatment with a clinical diet specifically formulated to support their skin and coat health, like VETERINARY HPM® Dermatology Support Dog Food D1. Rich in Omega 6 & 3 (essential fatty acids) and vitamins that support skin health, the diet is designed to:

✔ Repair and restore damaged skin

✔ Support and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier

✔ Improve coat condition

✔ Aid in the control of redness and itching

Complete and Balanced Nutrition for Dogs With Allergies

Dog food allergies can’t be cured, but with quick diagnosis and the correct hypoallergy diet your canine companion can live a happy life. It is important to choose a complete and balanced diet and we recommend you work with your vet to figure out the best plan of action for your dog.