Hypoallergenic dog food is less likely to cause allergic responses and caries a reduced risk of a food allergy or intolerance.
Common symptoms of food allergies include:
- Itchy and dry skin
- Hot spots
- Skin infections
- A poor coat
- Bald patches
- Ear infections
- Vomiting and diarrhoea
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Excessive scratching and licking
Some breeds are more susceptible than others to food allergies and intolerances.
Hypoallergenic foods contain fewer ingredients, meaning that it is easier to pin down and narrow down allergies. They tend to avoid ingredients that are most likely and renowned for causing food intolerances. These may include:
- Beef
- Pork
- Chicken
- Lamb
- Wheat
- Corn
- Eggs
- Soya
The idea of most hypoallergenic foods is that by introducing novel ingredients to a dog, they are less likely to be intolerant to components that they have not previously been exposed to. Following this principle, hypoallergenic dog food may contain a range of more usual ingredients, such as duck and venison.
Emulsifiers, preservatives, flavour enhancers, dyes and other components of dog food can also trigger food intolerances. Primarily though, because dogs tend to eat just one food all the time, they can build up a resistance to certain proteins and their gut may become inflamed by just one particular ingredient. This is why hypoallergenic foods, with their novel ingredients, can help – especially if the dog has become allergic to a common ingredient such as chicken! The fact that the dog is unlikely to have previously eaten less common dog food ingredients, means that they are less likely to be sensitive to it! It is worth being aware that a dog that has developed an intolerance or allergy to chicken may need to steer away from turkey, duck, ostrich and the entire fowl family.
Of course, the symptoms attributed to food intolerance can also be linked to other health conditions. If you’re concerned about your dog’s health, it’s always best to speak to your vet.