How can I treat my dog’s food allergy?

Now you’ve got proof it’s a food problem, how do you treat your dog’s tummy or skin troubles to get them back to peak condition? (And happiness, it’s miserable having an upset stomach or an itch that can’t be scratched).

The good news is, once you know what’s causing your dog’s reaction, you can remove that food from their diet. 

The bad news? It won’t happen overnight. Taking that food out should dramatically improve their health, but it can take two to three months for a reaction to subside. 

• Be patient
• Be thorough
• Don’t chop and change.

It’s important to let any changes to your dog’s diet take hold – chopping and changing too often will only add confusion – to you and your dog!

Become a dog food super sleuth

To avoid a specific ingredient, you’ll need to know what’s in everything your dog eats. This is time-consuming but worth the effort, as even the tiniest amount can trigger a reaction and leave you having to start the three-month process again.

Read the labels

Tails.com customers avoid all that label reading, because we do this for you. First we’ll tailor your dog’s unique kibble recipe around an allergy or intolerance, and if you include wet food and treats, we’ll make sure they’re suitable too. After all, what’s a dog’s life without treats?

Everything in balance

If you tell us your dog has skin issues or digestive symptoms, we can include supportive ingredients in their blend – prebiotics to support healthy gut flora, or omega fatty acids to help soothe itchy skin.

Most food allergies are related to animal proteins, not wheat or grains. But if you know your dog’s problem is grain-related, ask for your dog’s recipe to be made without wheat: the most common plant-based allergen. 

If that doesn’t improve your dog’s symptoms, make the switch to exclude all grains: rice, oats, barley and maize (though these ingredients are less commonly associated with allergies in dogs).

You’re not alone

Getting your dog back to full health after their allergy symptoms develop can take a bit of trial and error, but you don’t have to do this alone. Your vet can help you navigate the options, and our vet and nutritionist team are experts in all things allergy-related – if you’d like some tailored advice get in touch hello@tails.com.