Food Allergy

For how long do I have to feed my dog certain food to determine if he is allergic to it? The case is that my dog is always licking his paws no matter what he eats.

My Comment:

If a dog is allergic to certain foods this will show quite fast. The problem is to know exact what he is reacting against.

If you give a dog a food containing no allergens it normally takes 8-12 weeks to resolve the symptoms.

If you one by one add different possible allergens you can find out what he is reacting against. Adding one allergen will show within some days and cause a increased itching.

If you have been giving the allergen for a brief period the symptoms will disappear within 1-2 weeks removing the allergen again.

To examine, in the first place, if he is reacting towards food you need to give him some kind of hypoallergenic diet for at least 12 weeks. He is supposed to eat only this food – absolutely nothing else in this period.

If the itching disappears you know it is food causing the problem. If not, it is something else and might be something he inhales (i.e. atopic)

All the best

Per Schonbeck