Dog skin allergies bring with them itchy, irritated, and sometimes painful skin that can drive our dogs to distraction. Finding the best dog food for skin allergies can be the difference between a pup that’s loving life and one that’s curled up in the corner feeling miserable.
But what causes dog skin allergies? What should pet parents look for? And how exactly can the right dog food help?
What are the symptoms of dog skin allergies?
First things first: what do we mean when we say skin allergies? In this article, we are referring to skin irritations and reactions, which are also called allergic dermatitis. We are also going to cover how to know if your dog has skin allergies or not.
The symptoms of skin allergies often get more severe as time goes on, so the earlier you can spot them, the better.
Here are some of the symptoms to look out for:
- Excessive scratching. Every dog needs to scratch from time to time, but when it becomes excessive, that can be cause for concern.
- Scooting or rubbing. Another way dogs may try to alleviate the itch is by scooting on the floor or rubbing against furniture or other surfaces.
- Chewing or biting their skin. As the irritation persists and the previous methods fail to stop it, your dog may start chewing or biting at their skin. This practice can lead to our next symptom.
- Sores. Not only does all that excessive scratching, chewing, or biting run the risk of causing sores on your dog’s skin, but those sores can also become gateways for bacteria or viruses to enter, leading to infection.
- Chronic foot or ear infections. These symptoms are most commonly seen with food sensitivities.
- Hair loss. Repeated scratching and other attempts to relieve the itching will eventually lead to hair loss and even bald spots.
- Red, inflamed skin. After bald spots appear, the exposed skin is likely to appear irritated and inflamed both from the allergy and also the scratching.
- Skin allergies will not go away unless the allergy is treated or the allergen is removed. Your veterinarian will provide a treatment plan to address the allergy, which may include medicated baths, anti-inflammatory injections, or laser treatments.
Of course, it would be better if we could simply remove the offending allergen from our dog’s world. But is it really that simple?
What causes skin allergies in dogs?
There are three main causes of skin allergies in dogs: fleas, environmental allergens, and diet. Let’s examine each of these in turn.
Dog skin allergy cause #1: Fleas
We all know flea bites cause itching, but some dogs have a more severe reaction than others. This reaction is called flea allergy dermatitis, and it involves an allergy to a flea’s saliva.
Dr. Dody, our resident veterinarian here at Holistic Vet Blend, said, “It’s always a good idea to regularly inspect your dog for signs of fleas, but this is especially true if you’re seeing signs of skin allergies. Also pay attention to where your dog is scratching. Fleas especially like to bite near the base of the tail, but they also may show up on the belly, around the neck, in the ears, and in the groin area.
“Keep in mind that you may not see the fleas themselves, but if fleas are present you’re going to see small black specks called ‘flea dirt’ when you comb or go through your dog’s hair.”
Dog skin allergy cause #2: Environmental Allergens
Just like in humans, environmental allergens can cause allergic reactions in dogs. These allergens include dust, pollen, mold, chemicals in the environment, and dust mites.
However, unlike in humans, these allergens are more likely to cause skin irritation and reactions than coughing or sneezing. Because of this difference, pet parents may not make the connection between seasonal allergens and their dog’s itchy skin.
Dog skin allergy cause #3: Food
Food allergies and sensitivities are a very common cause of skin reactions in dogs. While some dogs also show gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea or vomiting, your dog’s reaction may be limited to just their skin.
It is important to know the difference between food sensitivities and allergies. What many people commonly refer to as “allergies” are actually sensitivities.
Sensitivities are when your dog reacts gradually over time to a particular ingredient like beef, milk, or wheat. Allergies are an immune response that happens right after the ingredient is eaten. Allergies may include symptoms like hives or facial swelling, whereas sensitivities are more likely to produce chronic symptoms like ear or foot infections and stomach upsets.
Both allergies and sensitivities can cause itchy, irritated skin and can be alleviated with dietary changes, which is why we’re including both here.
Why diet is important in treating dog skin allergies
If your vet determines your dog has skin allergies, they will likely recommend treatment (as mentioned above) and a limited ingredient diet.
Dr. Dody explains why: “It can be quite difficult to determine what’s causing a dog’s skin allergies. A lot of times there isn’t a clear cause, so we have to do some detective work. One of the first places we start is with food.
“A limited ingredient diet eliminates the foods that cause the most allergies and sensitivities. If the dermatitis calms down, then we will look at food as the most likely cause. The pet parent can then gradually reintroduce certain ingredients under their vet’s care to see which ingredient is triggering the response.
“Even if it turns out that food is not the culprit, your vet may encourage you to stay on a more minimally processed or homemade diet to help lower your dog’s inflammatory response and support their skin health as they continue their allergy treatment.”
Since getting the right food is such an important part of a dog’s skin allergy treatment, it leads to a natural question: what is the best dog food for skin allergies?
What kind of dog food is best for skin allergies?
The phrases you’re likely to hear your vet say when talking about the best dog food for skin allergies are “limited ingredient,” “minimally processed,” and “novel protein.”
“Limited ingredient” and “minimally processed” pretty much mean exactly what they sound like. A limited ingredient diet limits the number of ingredients to reduce the possible allergens. And a minimally processed diet hasn’t gone through the heavy processing that many commercial diets do.
“Novel protein” is a less common phrase, though. “Novel” in this usage means “new,” so these are protein sources that are likely new to your dog (and thus unlikely to be the cause of their skin reaction). These include rabbit, venison, and duck.
There are commercially available foods that meet these requirements, but they are often far more expensive than “regular” dog food.
So what about just feeding your dog these novel proteins straight from the supermarket instead?
Unfortunately, that would not give your dog the complete and balanced nutrition they need. Be very careful when looking online for homemade allergy food recipes as well. If the recipe was not created by an expert in dog nutrition, they can be highly deficient or even make your dog’s condition worse!
All of the recipes here at Holistic Vet Blend are reviewed and approved by our team of board certified veterinary nutritionists, PhD animal nutritionists, and our holistic veterinarian, Dr. Dody.
They also formulated and approved our Canine Limited Premix, a vitamin and nutrient formulation which is carefully crafted to be safe for dogs with food allergies and sensitivities. When you combine the premix with our vet-approved recipes, you know you’re giving your dog food that’s safe and healthy and that meets their needs.
As an added benefit, it’s often cheaper to make your own easy-to-prepare homemade food than to purchase allergen-safe commercial dog food.
For example, on the back of the Canine Limited Premix, you’ll see the following recipe:
“Combine 2 Tbsp/30 g of Holistic Vet Blend Limited Premix with the following COOKED ingredients and mix well:
- 3 pounds of one or a mix of red meat, poultry, or fish, browned in 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 8 ounces of one or a mix of broccoli, kale, or spinach, chopped and cooked
- 1 pound of diced carrots, cooked
- 5 cups of one or a mix of cooked brown or white rice, white or sweet potato, quinoa, rolled oats, pearl barley, gluten-free or regular pasta
- 2 tsp of Holistic Vet Blend Icelandic Fish Oil or two 3.75 oz tins of sardines in water”
This recipe uses whole food ingredients from your local grocery store while being adaptable for your dog’s allergies and taste preferences. To make it even easier, you can even make multiple batches at once and freeze them for later use.
Of course, whatever food you decide on, make sure your vet approves it as an appropriate part of your dog’s skin allergy treatment plan.
Conclusion
Dog skin allergies can be frustrating, but there is help available. With proper care from your veterinarian and the healthy support of a limited ingredient and minimally-processed dog food, your dog can find relief. And a homemade vet-approved allergy recipe with a properly formulated limited ingredient premix can be one of the best possible ways to have your dog free from the itch and back living their best life once again.