How to Feed a Dog That Has Food Allergies

So you think that your dog may have a food allergy. A common symptom of corn and wheat allergies are crusts around the eyes, red eyes, itchy skin and runny nose. Before you run to the vet, you want to try a corn/wheat free food to see if that corrects the issue. How do you know what food to feed? Which one is best?

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Some time to shop
• Ability to understand the information on a bag of dog food

1. The first thing that you will need to do is choose a food. Remember to integrate the new food in slowly so as not to upset the stomach.

2. To find a corn free and wheat free food, you will have to go to a pet specialty or feed store. You will NOT be able to find a quality food at a retail or grocery store.

3. Corn and wheat are used as fillers in cheap food. This is a major case of getting what you pay for, as you have to feed a lot more of the cheap food compared to the smaller quantity of quality food. Not every food in the specialty store will be what you are looking for, so you need to start by reading the label.

4. You are looking for key phrases, such as "wheat free", "gluten free", "no corn", etc. Most foods that use rice in the title will be wheat free, but you still need to check the label. Is meat the first ingredient? It should be.

5. You will also want to look out for "by-products", as this is another ingredient that is uber cheap and can aggrevate sensitivities in some dogs. Some foods will claim no by-products, but then list "digest" in the ingredients. Digest is close to being a by-product; it is actually worse!

6. There is no need to pick the most expensive food there is. The middle of the road foods are just as nutritious and tasty. But a small bag at first. If your dog doesn't like one flavor or kind, pick another one.

Tips & Warnings

• Your dogs diet is important. If you feed quality food, you will spend less at the vet.
• Better quality foods need to be served at smaller quantities, so the money spent ends up being about the same as on a cheaper food. Follow the guidelines on the bag.
• Always have plenty of fresh water available to your dogs.
• If your dogs symptoms persist, or are unusually severe, please seek vet attention.