new optionWoof, woof. Indy back to bark about allergies. So, in my last blog, we discussed allergies due to pollen and mold. In this blog, we need to discuss allergies due to food. Yep, I said it… food! Food is my favorite topic. Bacon, hamburger, hotdogs ….sorry I digress.   But did you know that certain foods can bring on allergies that affect the skin?

Suppose your scratching, biting, paw chewing and constant licking persists beyond allergy season and you have tried everything with no relief. Your owner may need to talk to your veterinarian about your diet. Some food such as beef, pork, chicken, milk, whey, eggs, fish, corn, soy, wheat or preservatives could be upsetting your digestive track. It’s a bummer because those are some good foods. That list contains some of my personal favorites. My owner has always told the kids I can’t eat table scraps. As much as I hate to admit it, most “people foods” are bad for us dogs. Are you kidding?! I can’t eat hotdogs or bacon? Turns out a lot of people foods can cause pancreatitis in dogs. That is a topic for another blog though. Unfortunately, dogs are allergic to some of the foods listed above. How do you know? The veterinarian will probably have you start a food trial. At Liberty Vet, the shelves are full of Royal Canin food products. You and your vet just need to find the right food for your tummy.

I’ll be honest… I’m a glutton. Once, I chewed open a new bag of food and ate ¾ of it in one sitting. I did not feel very good the next day. My owner was angry AND worried. Turns out my eyes are not bigger than my stomach. So, believe me, I know a lot of us dogs LOVE, LOVE, LOVE food. You need to decide which is the worse of two evils: giving up treats and table scraps, or painful hot spots from licking and scratching. I am going with the new diet because I’m always looking to be comfortable, healthy and impress my lady friend, Betty (she’s one sexy boxer).

I need to run, I see the bunnies again. Next blog, we will discuss one more cause of allergies: the dreaded flea bite.