If your dog's skin is sensitive, red, itchy, and inflamed, but you can't find the cause, your dog may have a food intolerance. In severe cases, or if your dog has allergies (a less common condition than food intolerances), he may scratch his sensitive skin causing an infection. Consult with your veterinarian to design a diet program, and learn how to make special foods for your dog.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Considering Food Options
Step 1. Check if the dog has any food allergies or not
If you notice your dog scratching his irritated or sensitive skin, or if his ears and skin are oily and smelly, take your dog to the vet. The vet will check if your dog has any food allergies or intolerances. The condition is usually caused by protein in dog food, but is also commonly caused by beef, chicken, dairy products, wheat, corn, and soybeans. They are also the most common ingredients in commercial dog food.
Preservatives and additives can also irritate your dog's digestive system
Step 2. Consider an elimination diet
Because commercial dog food contains many ingredients, fillers, and preservatives, your veterinarian will likely recommend an elimination trial of the food. To do so, a food sensitivity diet will be selected to be fed exclusively to dogs. Do not give any food that is not part of the diet. This will help you determine what substance is bothering your dog.
Remember not to treat or bone during an elimination diet. Even though it may seem cruel, it can take a dog's body up to six weeks to "clean" of the allergen that bothers him. Giving other foods during this period can cause the diet to fail
Step 3. Choose a food sensitivity diet to try
Once you're ready to closely monitor your dog's strict diet, you'll need to choose a food sensitivity diet. That way, you'll know exactly what foods your dog eats. After a few weeks, you will notice an increase in your dog's allergies or realize that certain foods in the diet are causing the problem. Some food sensitivity diets to try are:
- New protein: With this diet, you'll be choosing an unusual source of meat that dogs have never eaten before. The meat chosen can be sourced from salmon, deer, buffalo, or duck. Because they have never been exposed to these proteins, the risk of allergies is less for dogs.
- Protein hydrolyzate: This diet consists of protein that breaks down into small amino acid components. Due to its very small size, the dog's body will not be aware of the protein, thus preventing an allergic reaction.
- Therapeutic: This diet uses protein hydrolysates and a new protein made from higher omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids so as to reduce symptoms of food allergies.
Step 4. Talk to your vet to develop a balanced diet for your dog
Once you and your vet have determined the cause of your dog's allergies, choose a nutritious diet. Your vet may recommend that you purchase certain commercial products or prescribe a detailed diet for your dog. If you decide to make your own food, consult a nutritionist who has obtained information on your dog's dietary needs from a veterinarian.
A special diet is important for dogs because dogs have different mineral and vitamin requirements than humans. Most diets for dogs consist of 40 percent meat, 50 percent vegetables, and 10 percent carbohydrates
Part 2 of 2: Making Homemade Food
Step 1. Prepare to make dog food
After understanding the diet recommended by veterinarians and nutritionists, decide whether you want to make raw or cooked food. This depends on individual preferences, but dogs suffering from certain diseases such as a hyperactive immune system or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) should avoid a raw food diet.
Regardless of whether the food is raw or cooked, buy the best quality ingredients you can afford. After deciding on the type of protein and carbohydrates, you should continue to provide these foods and not give other foods
Step 2. Prepare the meat
Wash your hands before handling the meat and cut the meat into small pieces that are appropriate for the dog's body size. When cooking, put the meat in a large saucepan. For cooking large portions, choose 1.8 kg of protein such as:
- Venison
- buffalo meat
- Duck meat
- Ostrich meat
- Turkey meat
Step 3. Pour the oil and cook the food
If the dog food is cooked, add 120 ml of olive oil along with the meat in a saucepan. Cook the mixture until the meat is almost done.
Step 4. Add vegetables and carbohydrates
If you are giving your dog raw food, make sure that the vegetables and carbohydrates you choose are cut into small enough pieces and that they are soft enough for the dog to eat without cooking. If you cook the meal, add 2.2 kg of vegetables and 0.4 kg of carbohydrates. The vegetables can be fresh or frozen, but try to use a mix of at least two types of vegetables. Cook the mixture of meat, vegetables, and carbohydrates until they are fully cooked. Some good vegetables and carbohydrates are:
-
Vegetables:
- Broccoli
- Carrot
- Beans
- Celery
- Spinach
- Pumpkin
-
Carbohydrate:
- Sweet potato
- Lima beans
- Apple
- Peas
- Lentils
- Chickpeas (chickpeas or garbanzo beans)
Step 5. Divide food into recommended portions and give supplements
If cooked, allow the food to cool before mixing in any of the recommended nutritional supplements. Mix well and divide food into individual portions before freezing. If you're taking a supplement, you can also give it the recommended amount on top of dog food before serving.
Your vet may recommend a complete dog vitamin that includes all the vitamins and minerals your dog needs. Other supplements are probiotics and omega fatty acids
Tips
- Dogs are prone to the same food allergens as humans. The most common allergens are wheat, dairy products, eggs, nuts, soy, fish, and shellfish.
- You may have to visit the supermarket or butcher shop for meat that dogs never eat.
