Many pet owners have seen the symptoms. The dog may be incessantly scratching or have dry, flaky skin. The kitty may begin to lose hair and continuously lick and chew until the hindquarters or stomach area are hairless and maybe even raw. These are indicators that your pet may suffer from allergies. Other common allergy symptoms include: itchy feet and paws (which usually leads to biting and chewing the paws), skin rashes, hives, recurrent ear infections (in particular, yeast infections), recurrent skin infections and hot spots, chronic vomiting and diarrhea. The only sure way to find out if your pet has allergies is to see your vet for testing.

            As a first step to finding relief for their pets, many pet owners choose to change foods before resorting to allergy testing. If the source of a pet’s allergy or intolerance is one or more of the current food’s ingredients, switching to a new pet food that does not have these same ingredients may alleviate the symptoms. The most common pet food ingredients known to trigger allergy symptoms include beef, chicken, eggs, dairy products, wheat, corn or soy.

            When the issue of food allergies first arose, the answer for many dogs was a lamb and rice diet. At the time, lamb and rice were very uncommon ingredients. Dogs got better and their skin issues disappeared when fed food made from lamb and rice. These lamb and rice formulas were mostly premium foods that were formulated with healthy omega fatty acids and other important nutrients. Because of the great nutrition, there were often coat improvements, too. Word spread. Many pet owners began to feel that the lamb and rice food was actually preventing allergies, which is really not the case. Scientists in the field suggest that for some animals feeding any ingredient over a long period may eventually cause an allergic reaction to it.

            If your pet has been eating a diet composed primarily of chicken and corn or lamb and rice and then suddenly develops allergy symptoms, you may consider changing foods. Look for a different meat ingredient, such as fish meal or duck, and a different grain ingredient like oatmeal or barley.  You may decide to switch to a diet with no grains at all. Many of the new grain-free foods are made with potatoes as the main carbohydrate instead of grain.

            When selecting a new food, be sure to carefully read the ingredient panel and not just the name of the formula. For instance some economy foods that are called lamb and rice formulas also contain corn and/or chicken.

            If you’re changing diets, be sure to change the treats, too. You may not get the results you’re seeking if you continue to feed allergy-causing ingredients via your pet’s daily treats. There are many treats with alternative ingredients that you can offer.

            Some see results sooner, but it is recommended that you feed the new premium food for up to twelve weeks in order to know if it is going to work for your pet. For those whose pets have hot spots, sores or rashes, Feeders Supply recommends the use of Pet Silver colloidal silver wound spray on the inflamed areas. This treatment can help prevent infection, speed healing and soothe the area. It is safe and easy to use on pets. You may also want to use a moisturizing oatmeal shampoo for dogs or cats with excessively dry skin.

            If you have questions about pet food, the trained professionals at your neighborhood Feeders Supply store are there to help. They can help you understand pet food ingredients and help you make an informed premium pet food choice.