Posts Tagged ‘Ear Infections’
Food allergies are not exclusive to humans, but they can be difficult to diagnose in pets, especially when dog food allergies appear to manifest quickly. The biggest problem of course, is the pet’s inability to communicate the symptoms effectively, and they are many times confused with other ailments.
Symptoms of dog food allergies may include excessive scratching, hair loss, skin infections as well as ear infections. Most times antibiotics used for skin infections will clear them up briefly, but they will reoccur when the antibiotics are stopped. An animal with itchy skin that does not seem to improve with the use of antihistamines or steroids, may be suffering from food allergies.
There is also a difference between food allergies and food intolerance. An intolerance to certain foods may cause symptoms such as diarrhea or frequent bowel movements and vomiting. Fortunately, whether the animal is suffering from food Allergy or food intolerance, once the proper diagnosis has been made, they can both be treated.
Since most dog food is made from beef, chicken, wheat, eggs, soy and dairy products, it should be no surprise that most food allergies are caused by one of these ingredients. When pet food companies began producing lamb and rice formulations, many dog allergies seemed to disappear. Most veterinarians agree that it is not because of something special in the lamb and rice formula that reduced the incidences of food allergies in dog , rather it is the fact that the dog’s diet was changed and the animal has not developed an intolerance for the new food.
Dietary Change To Test For Food Allergies
Once other causes have been ruled out, such as flea bite allergies, intestinal parasites, yeast or bacterial infections a dietary change may be needed to reduce the symptoms of dog food allergies. A new food source containing protein and carbohydrate should be the only diet of the pet for at least 12 weeks to determine which of the ingredients in their old pet food was causing the allergic reaction.
The food source must be completely different from what the animal was used to and cannot be supplemented with treats or other types of food if the test is to be effective. Once it has been determined the pet is not having an adverse reaction to the new diet, different foods can be added to help develop a more diverse diet. However, any addition must go through the same test procedures and if any reaction is noted, the new addition will need to be eliminated.
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One method of determining whether the food you feed your shih tzu is affecting its health or producing problem symptoms is to keep a health journal.
It is time consuming, but will be invaluable for determining whether there is a link between his diet and his condition. You can diagnose or better yet help your vet diagnose your shih tzu’s itchy skin, whereas otherwise, it might be impossible and cost you a lot more money in vet bills after your vet has to run test after test based upon the only symptom you report being “itchy skin.” You may even still end up with a shih tzu with itchy skin. You can do a little homework on your own and put your money into your own investigations. Then take the entire journal to your vet and show him what you have done so far to determine what is causing your shih tzu’s problems, or better yet, solve it yourself and never visit the vet.
In your journal, list the foods you give your shih tzu and their major ingredients, note outbreaks of increased or renewed itching, ear infections or paw-licking, whatever problem you think his diet might be causing. Change the food. Note symptoms. After about six months into your project, go back over your notes to see if symptoms increase when certain ingredients are fed, or do symptoms decrease.
Keep the date, your shih tzu’s health problems and assets, results of veterinary exams or tests, the type of food or foods you feed him and the food’s major ingredients (this would be the percentage of protein and fat). The major ingredients in any dog food are always listed first.
Periodically look through the data for trends such as: Did your shih tzu’s itchy skin or coat problems go down or up when you switched to that “food.” Did some foods trigger diarrhea and only go away when you switched to another food?
My tests were simple. I merely changed all my dogs to HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance Dog Food and Treats. The diarrhea problems and loose stool problems disappeared. The dogs I had that were itching because of their diet, stopped itching. I had a few that did have other skin problems (minor) in which I sought the help of a vet for resolution. Other than that, my shih tzu are thriving better than ever before since we switched to HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance Dog Food.
Your tests may not reveal the same. Not every shih tzu is alike. I do have several different bloodlines, however, and the food has agreed with them all, which is kind of unusual. Which food to feed my shih tzu has always been a huge problem for me at Stain Glass Shih Tzu. Based upon my experiences and observations with the shih tzu I presently own, HealthyPetNet Life’s Abundance has proved to be the best of all. It could be your tests prove differently. Just keep your journal. Read the dog food labels. Know that the main ingredients are listed first. Then make your decision of whether or not it is the diet of your shih tzu causing the problems you seek to solve.
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