Food Allergies
Food Allergies or is it Sensitivities?
Or Sensitivities
There is a difference between food allergies and food sensitivities, although their symptoms; bloating, gas, diarrhea, and other unpleasant reactions, can appear to be the similar, allergy reaction can be life threatening.
Sensitivities are when your dog is unable to digest and process foods correctly, usually due to a lack of enzymes, causing food to enter the bloodstream and develop a reaction known as leaky gut.
A food allergy occurs when your dog’s immune system generates an antibody response after it has been ingested.
In the majority of cases, dogs actually have a sensitivities as opposed to a allergy, however a sensitivities can lead in to an allergy and can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint which is which.
When it comes to allergies many people may not suspect the dogs meal as the cause of their dog’s itching because they have been feeding the same food all its life. The truth is our dogs can develop allergies or intolerance’s to a substance over time.
Another common misconception is that dogs are only sensitive to poor quality food. If the dog is allergic to an ingredient, it doesn’t matter whether it is a premium or the most inexpensive brand. One advantage to premium foods is that some avoid common fillers that are implicated in allergic reactions. To make it more confusing, a dog with food sensitives may not have a reaction every time they eat it, making it difficult to pin-point.
Seventy percent of skin conditions are due to environmental elements such as fleas, pollen, mold, or dust mites. If your dog symptoms are seasonal, then it’s most likely that environmental. It is estimated that 9 million dogs suffer from their food sensitivities in the United States, or an ingredient within.
Finding solutions for dog symptoms can be frustration.
Most people begin by purchasing a product that they think will resolve their dogs food allergy symptoms, and if that doesn’t work, then they try another, and if that doesn’t work, then another, only to find that you have a cabinet filled with products that don’t work.
In some cases these products may offer temporary relief but the frustration happens when the symptoms return over and over again.
Sound Familiar?
At this point, the next step is visiting our veterinarian who might prescribe steroids or other harmful mediation that require blood test ever few months. In other cases a veterinarian might recommend a costly yet low quality prescription diet or allergy testing that most can’t afford.
In the end, once once you return to their regular food and the prescription has run out, you find that your dog is no better off than when it you started.
Simple Affordable Solution
Whole Pet Wellness Panel food sensitivity test is a non-evasive test that you can do in your home. Simply send a hair sample into our lab and in about 14 days you will receive an email with your pet’s test results. The test includes over 350 food and environment elements that include proteins, dairy, vegetables, and common preservatives found in commercial dog food. This test gives you a comprehensive overview on how your dog relates to their food and environment.
