Does Your English Bulldog Have A Food Allergy?

It can be very difficult to determine whether your pet has a food allergy or is allergic to something else. In fact, although it's easy to think that the itchy skin and sore feet are caused by what the dog has eaten it's actually much more likely that they're reacting to a flea bite or they have the dog equivalent of hay fever and are reacting to something they breathed in.

If you've ruled out those two two main causes of allergic reaction, then the next option is the food. Start by reading the ingredients on the food packet. The most common allergy causing elements are beef dairy chicken corn wheat and soy ingredients

It's perfectly possible that your pet has been eating these foods for a long time, so the only way to find out if they have become sensitive to an ingredient is to cut it out completely.

This is called an elimination diet. You'll need to feed one protein and one carbohydrate that they've never eaten before, so again, you'll need to read the ingredients. The dog in the video below is suffering from an allergic reaction to food.

This isn't a quick fix. You'll need to feed the 'new' diet for a minimum of 3 months. This will allow the dog to recover from the symptoms of the allergy and you can be sure that their body has healed.

At the end of the 3 month period, add in other elements one at a time with a gap of about a week in between the new elements. If you find the dog is okay with a new ingredient then add in another. By leaving at least a week between adding new ingredients you can be sure about whether they are affecting your pet or not.

If this solves the problem but you still suspect food allergy then you'll need to start again with a second elimination diet with a different protein and carbohydrate. This will need to be something that your dog has never eaten before. Please see the food page for more information on availablity of these so called novel proteins.

What To Do

If you suspect that your bulldog may be suffering from a food allergy, keep a food diary for a few days. Write down everything that your pet eats, including any treats and snacks. Make a note of the times that they ate and whether the symptoms worsened after eating.

If the dog has diarrhea after eating then you should avoid feeding foods containing gluten. These include wheat barley and rye.

Generally food allergies can't be cured, so whatever you find that doesn't suit the dog should be avoided for life.

Symptoms

There are a few indicators:

• Itchy face, feet, ears, legs and armpits
• Persistent recurring ear infections
• Hair loss
• Skin infections
• Yeast infections
• Other skin problems

Remember, a food allergy is much less common than reactions to flea bites. Always make sure that your pet's flea treatment is up to date.

Treatment

You should feed the elimination diet for 3 months. Be absolutely sure that don't give any other food, including treats or anything with flavor in it.

In addition, if you have more than one dog, either feed them both the same diet or separate them. It's really important to make sure that the pet with the food allergy doesn't come into contact with anything that they are reacting to.

If you're feeding them different foods you should also wash your hands between handling the different types to avoid cross-contamination.

The treatment is always elimination of the food. The vet may prescribe antihistamines to soothe the itchiness but these may not help all dogs.

As always, the best advice is to talk to your vet. He or she will be able to advise you about food changes and the various brands of food that are available.

For more information on food allergy treatment visit Veterinary Partner (opens in a new window)