If your dog truly suffers from food allergies, then hypoallergenic dog treats would be beneficial. However, to save yourself time and needless worry, first be sure your pet really does have an allergy.
Food allergies have been brought into social awareness and now there are numerous products for human consumption advertising themselves as “gluten-free”, “wheat-free”, “grain-free”, and so on. Some pet owners try to humanize their pets and attribute human conditions to them.
This is understandable as our pets are becoming substitutes for children, especially for people who live alone.
However, it is important to understand the evolution of the allergy free dog treat industry and then decide if this does apply to your pet.
Dog food manufacturers of cheaper dog food found it economical to bulk up their product with “fillers”, which tend to be grains such as corn and wheat.
Dogs are carnivores by nature, and in the wild subsisted on meat, not plants and grains. Their systems genetically are not equipped for eating grain products.
Because of this, dogs began developing allergies and having difficulty digesting grains. (A discussion of the physiology of this is beyond the scope of this webpage, so if you are interested, send us a note and we will provide you with more information.)
Food allergies typically manifest as itchy skin and rashes. Unfortunately, fleas and mites also produce itchy skin.
The following photo is of a dog thought to have food allergies and was placed on a strong medication called Prednisone (which has side effects of its own). There is more to the story but he is improving.
This photo is shown to suggest that before you decide your dog has allergies and needs allergy free dog treats, make sure this is what is really going on.
The discussion we offer about bladder struvite stones in dogs demonstrates the benefits of wheat in pushing the urine into the acidic range, thus inhibiting the formation of the struvite crystals.
According to our expert vet consultant, a blood test for allergies is not effective. The most conclusive testing is what is called “challenge testing”, where the offending substance is introduced slowly at a low level to determine the amounts necessary to produce an allergic reaction.
If your dog requires hypoallergenic dog treats, you can make your own homemade dog treats using a grain free mix such as available from dog bakery supplies such as K9Cakery.com.
Or, try this simple recipe for chicken jerky dog treats that just calls for drying out chicken breast in the oven.
