Our Webazine JUNE/JULY 2017 | Page 54

Why is my dog itchy?

f this is your question, unfortunately you are not in the minority! 1:7 dogs suffer from

allergies and this is on the rise.

Health issues in dogs have increased with 60% of UK dogs having health problems, while in the US diabetes and cancers in dogs have risen by 900% in the last 10 years!

So what is going on??

The first step would be to look at their food:

● Is it ‘clean”?

● Is it natural?

● Is it over processed?

● Does it contain additives, preservatives, colourings?

Take a look at the food you are giving does it contain grains? What is the main protein source?

What is the top 5 ingredients?

With food allergies it can be hard to pin point the trigger, so my first call would be to keep a food diary noting ALL foods and treats given - human and dog - list them all - and note any

symptoms that present. Our article, Food ​Glorious​ Food ​has many tips to help a food allergy dog.

Things to note are that some meats, like beef, contain a higher amount of histamines due to the aging process - histamines naturally occur as the meat is aged and beef is generally aged longer than other meats hence the higher histamine content which results in a higher number of dogs being allergic to beef.

Grains are another food that can cause reactions. Grains are used as a filler to pack out the kibble so take a careful look at the ingredients in your dog's food - note what the first 5 ingredients listed are - do they offer your dog the energy they need to live healthily?

Often dogs who are itchy will have weakened internal systems

but there is more on that here

I

Happy pets make happy owners it’s the Eezapet way

By Heather Murphy

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