Detecting Food Allergies
4 cards · about a minute
It shows on the skin
A true food reaction usually arrives as an itch that never quite settles, ears, paws, belly, the base of the tail, more often than as an upset stomach.
The elimination diet
The only reliable test is eight to twelve weeks on one protein and one carbohydrate your dog has never eaten, with nothing else at all: no treats, no chews, no scraps.
One thing at a time
Once the itch settles, add back a single old ingredient each week; the one that brings the itch back is your answer, and it usually shows within days.
Let the vet rule out
Fleas, mites and yeast cause the same itch food does, so have those excluded first, otherwise you spend three months changing a diet that was never the problem.