Dog Food Allergies and Blue Buffalo Dog Food
April 9th, 2011, Posted in DogsHave a dog with dog food allergies? I know your pain. I see dogs with this issue on a weekly basis. Some owners have gone to the extreme of taking their dog to a board certified dermatologist for answers. If it’s an extremely severe case that isn’t responding to any of the hypoallergenic diets, that may be your only option. In a case that isn’t so severe, there’s a food I would recommend trying.
If your veterinarian has already ruled out the other possible causes for itchy skin, recurring yeast infections in the ears, and frequent, soft bowel movements, he may diagnose your dog with dog food allergies. At this point, you’ll want to start a food trial to find a food that he won’t have an allergic reaction to. Most of the commercial dog foods you buy will have corn listed as the main ingredient. That means the food is made of mostly corn. A lot of dogs have an allergic response to this ingredient. Wheat and soy are also potential allergens in dog foods.
Blue Buffalo Organic Dog Food is a high quality, all-natural diet. This food doesn’t contain the ingredients that are known allergens. The main ingredient in Blue Buffalo is real meat. They don’t use any artificial ingredients or byproducts in their foods. The varieties of flavors they offer are known to be hypoallergenic, which makes it a great dog food for dog food allergies. Some of the varieties include Fish and Sweet Potato, Lamb and Brown Rice or Chicken and Brown Rice. The food comes in dry as well as canned. They also have a line of treats available, which is very important for a dog that’s on a food trial.
What’s a food trial? When a dog is suspected of having an allergy to dog food, you’ll want to put him on a hypoallergenic diet such as Blue Buffalo. While on the food trial, the dog can’t have anything other than the hypoallergenic diet. This means no table scraps, no other dog foods and no treats (other than those by the same brand). Some owners will purchase the canned foods of their chosen brand and bake small pieces in the oven to use as treats. Luckily, Blue Buffalo has their own line of treats that are safe for your dog to consume during the food trial.
You’ll need to continue the trial for about 8 weeks. You won’t notice any difference right away, but by 8 weeks there should be an improvement in your dogs skin, ears and bowel movements. A dog with dog food allergies will have softer, more frequent bowel movements than a healthy dog. If you don’t notice any improvement by 8 weeks, you’ll want to try another hypoallergenic diet. Be sure to make the switch slowly, as changing a dog’s food too quickly will results in gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting and diarrhea. Make the switch over a 1 week period by adding a small amount of the new food in with the old. Each day, you’ll add slightly more of the new food until your dog is eating only the new diet.
If the food trial is a success, you’ll need to continue feeding that food for life. I wouldn’t recommend switching foods, even to another hypoallergenic diet. The risk of the allergies returning is too great. It’s just not something you want to take a chance with. If you switch foods and the allergies return, you’ll have to go another 8 weeks before they improve again.