When there is an allergy occurrence, the common symptoms that a dog exhibits could include itchy skin, ear infections, and non-stop scratching in the face and ears. It is essential to know what kind of allergies your pet has, especially with food, because you want to make sure that you feed them right.
The common symptoms of food allergy in dogs are mentioned below:
1. Chronic ear infections
If your dog requires more than two to three treatments for ear infections in a year, it is probably due to a food allergy. Other reasons for ear infection could be as a result of ear mites or a yeast infection. It can also be due to water if your pet is prone to swimming. If your dog has an ear infection, you will notice a kind of stink near the ears along with a black or brown type of buildup. You will also see that your fur baby tends to scratch at the ear and persistently shake the head. Despite cleaning the ear of the dog, it may exhibit buildup.
2. Discoloration in the nails:
In dogs with naturally white nails, this is quite a common phenomenon to observe. You may notice that the tip of your pet’s nails may have a kind of red, bronze, or brown coloration and sometimes even look like blood. This is a symptom that your dog is responding to inflammation. The nails should most commonly be white or light pink; any other coloration shows as a symptom of food allergy.
3. Bronzing in the lips:
You might suddenly notice that the lips of your dog have a form of bronze coloration, which is a result of yeast colonization occurring due to a food allergy. This could be accompanied by itching. Another reason why this symptom could happen is a louse infection or as the result of being overexposed to the sun.
4. Itchy skin
Sometimes, your dog may be exhibiting a form of itchiness on the skin, along with the coat going dull and the underbelly being red. Despite giving your pet baths and using allergy medication, they may still have this problem. This could be as a result of excessive scratching, which is possibly triggered due to food allergies. However, it is also essential to rule out that these symptoms are not a result of the shampoo residue on your dog’s skin or fleas and pollen allergies.
5. Watery eyes
Just like humans, dogs too can exhibit watery eyes along with stuffy noses. You may notice a kind of a discharge from the eyes or the tear duct being clogged due to the overproduction of tears. They will leave a stain on the skin and may also be irritating as a result of a food allergy.
The best way to tackle food allergies with a dog is to understand what foods are causing the issue. This will help you to come up with an ideal diet solution that consciously avoids any form of allergens.
