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What is the best dog food for allergies and how to treat your dogs?
With the rise in numbers of dogs suffering from allergies and kibble being the main type of dog food consumed by our pets, we can conclude that the processed dog food that 95% of dogs consume may be the underlining issue.
Many pet parents think their dog's allergies are environmental or seasonal, but diet is the real issue.
Allergies are a result of a weak immune system that develops after repeatedly being exposed to potential allergens. They are plaguing the modern dog due to poor nutrition, inferior meat quality & cheap fillers used in kibble. With up to 40% of dogs suffering from allergies, and after countless medications and remedies, we have a solution for your dog that will benefit in more ways than one: a natural raw food diet.
Also Read: Does My Dog Have Food Allergies?
Before looking at how a raw diet for dogs can help, let's first take a look at some of the common symptoms of dog food allergies:
Check Our Other Common Conditions: Natural Remedies for Dog Conditions
All of the symptoms listed above point to an allergy issue. You've ruled out environmental and seasonal factors and know it's food-related. But with a long list of scary ingredients found in kibble, how can you possibly rule out exactly what is causing the allergy? Don't give up; it might be more simple than you think!
To know how to treat your dog allergies, you must determine what is causing the allergic reactions. If your dog only itches in the hot summer months or has dry skin in the cold winter months, one might assume their dog have seasonal allergies. What many pet owners fail to consider is that there is a balance. Your dog may be allergic to the ingredients in processed food that they consume regularly, but it won't be enough to cause a noticeable reaction.
When your dog has a subtle dog food allergy, then is faced with environmental irritants, it may be enough to push your dog out of balance and reveal these allergies.
The symptoms will exhibit allergies, but due to the misconception, many pet owners will ignore the underlying food allergy and only try to treat the environmental factors!
We have to remember that nutrition is the source of most of our dog's health concerns. It was just these environmental and seasonal occurrences that brought the allergy to your attention.
What ingredients in dog food are causing allergies, you may wonder?
It may be a specific ingredient, an additive, a protein, or preservatives.
Many pet owners are under the impression their dog is allergic to a specific protein, but most often, these "allergies" are not genuinely protein-related.
Instead, they are associated with something else in the food. Many pet owners are happy when they switch their dog to a raw diet; they find that their dog is allergic to artificial "chicken" or "turkey" but not the actual protein itself.
Here are some of the components in processed dog food that may be contributing to allergies:
Some reports say as many as 25% of dogs experience food allergies caused by processed foods.
A natural raw diet can reduce or eliminate allergies, making it the best diet for allergy-prone dogs.
When your dog is on a processed diet, they consume low-grade meat, animal by-product, starches, preservatives, grains, sugar, yeast, and artificial components. All of these ingredients put your dog at risk of allergies.
In addition to these ingredients not being species-appropriate and contributing to other health issues for dogs, they put significant pressure on the immune system. Once the immune system weakens, allergies can develop and leave your dog in misery. Processed diets are also extremely high in carbohydrates which break down into sugars, which cause yeast to overgrow. Carbohydrates affect the pH in the gut and the skin, making a better home for harmful bacteria than good bacteria. A high protein diet creates a more acidic environment making it hard for harmful bacteria to survive.
Remember, a natural raw diet consisting of quality meat and fresh ingredients is what your dog was biologically designed to eat. It is a species-appropriate diet that mimics how dogs would eat in the wild. Dogs are not meant to eat and digest processed foods.
An all-natural raw diet will give them optimal health, including subsided allergies and intolerances.
Switching to a raw diet will not only keep your dog free from the harmful side effects of kibble, but you will know precisely what it is you are putting in your dog's bowl. There is no guessing or trying to pronounce long, scary, unfamiliar ingredients.
As discussed above, occasionally, other factors such as environmental and seasonal may cause allergies in dogs. Still, overall, the allergies that result in eye, ear, and skin irritations are nutrition-related. Remember, overall health starts with the food we consume, and this is true for dogs too!
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Feeding your dog a natural fresh raw diet will not only subside allergies but also support a strong immune system, gut, and overall health. You will know precisely what your dog is consuming without any guesswork. Many pet owners have been misinformed about the source of allergies and intolerances, but with the help of this guide, we hope to empower all dog owners that a healthy dog starts with an informed dog owner! Remember, nutrition is key & fresh is best!