Hypoallergenic dog food may improve your dog's behavior and quality of life in unexpected ways.
Many pet owners have never considered how food allergies may be affecting their dog for one simple reason - food allergies in dogs often go undiagnosed. The symptoms of food sensitivities and allergies aren't always obviously linked to food. When a dog exhibits symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and digestive upsets, it's fairly easy to assume food is the culprit.
Other common allergy symptoms are harder to trace back to their source, however. If your puppy is hyperactive, distractible or has itchy, flaky skin, you may not immediately consider his diet as the source of the problem. Complicating things even further, food allergies don't always show up immediately. Your dog may have no reaction to a particular dog food ingredient for years before developing symptoms.
If your puppy or adult dog has symptoms that may be related to food sensitivities, one of the best ways to determine their cause and treat the symptoms is to switch to a hypoallergenic dog food, such as H-Allergen.
What Is a Hypoallergenic Dog Food?
Many commercial foods contain ingredients such as chemicals and preservatives that may cause allergic symptoms in sensitive dogs. In addition, many dogs have food sensitivities to the same foods that are often problems for humans - wheat, gluten, milk, eggs and nuts. Hypoallergenic foods like H-Allergen contain only natural ingredients, and eliminate the proteins and other substances that are most likely to cause allergic symptoms in puppies and dogs.
Using Hypoallergenic Food to Pinpoint Food Allergies
Many vets recommend an elimination diet to pinpoint food allergies in dogs and puppies. An elimination diet requires that you eliminate all possible allergens from your dog's diet, then gradually add ingredients until you find the ones that trigger symptoms in your puppy. The initial period - generally about 12 weeks - helps clear all allergens from your dog's system and allows you a "clean slate" to start introducing suspected allergens. Once you know which allergens trigger symptoms in your dog, you can eliminate them completely and permanently from his diet.
A hypoallergenic puppy food like H-Allergen provides a good base for an elimination diet because it is made without any of the common allergenic ingredients found in most commercial dog foods.
Should You Make Your Own Hypoallergenic Pet Food?
If you check online, you'll find many recipes for homemade pet food, including recipes for hypoallergenic dog food. While it may be tempting, most vets advise against making pet food, especially special purpose pet food, at home. Providing balanced nutrition for your pet requires a great deal of nutritional knowledge and the ability to measure ingredients precisely. It's also very easy to accidentally introduce allergens into your dog food when you're cooking it in your home kitchen.
And while you may think that making your own dog food will be less expensive than buying hypoallergenic dog food, by the time you pay for all of the quality ingredients and count in your time and convenience, it's far less costly to buy one of the many varieties of hypoallergenic food available for your pet.
Where to Get Hypoallergenic Dog Food
Most major pet stores carry a selection of hypoallergenic dog food, including H-Allergen in a variety of flavors. If you can't get it at your favorite pet store, you can always find it online at pet stores that sell dog food and other things you need for your dog. About the Author
Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the world's MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web.
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Chris Robertson
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