Food Allergies - Is Your English Bulldog in Danger?

Is your English Bulldog suffering from a food allergy? How can you tell? How do you help him if he develops one? It is very important to know the answers to these questions to make sure your dog stays healthy. As a good mother or father knows, the health of your pet is vital to his and your happiness. Sometimes, however, it is hard to know when an allergy is affecting your beloved animal. Luckily, you will find some tips here to help you out.

Symptoms
There are a lot of ways you can tell if Rufus is allergic to something in his food. You just have to pay attention and notice it. Many of the signs are apparent in his skin and fur. If he seems to be scratching all the time with no sign of fleas, losing patches of hair, or developing dandruff type flakes, then you may be dealing with a food allergy. Another sure sign that Rufus' food is not agreeing with his body is an increase in bowel movements. If he is eating the normal amount of food but goes to the bathroom more often, it means that the food he is eating is not being processed through his body. This means that he isn't getting the nutrients he needs and will invariably become ill.

What can I do?
If you think that Rufus has become allergic to something in the food you normally feed him, now is the time to try another type of food. To find the right food for him, you have to figure out what is in his original food that he is allergic to. This will probably mean a lot of trips to the store, a lot of different dog foods, and a lot of extra time and energy. Thank goodness you know that Rufus is worth all the fuss! As you try each different type of dog food, you will have to give it around a month to know for sure if the allergy has made its way out of Rufus' system. Make sure that you are strict and feed him only the food you are testing. That way you know he is not getting something he is allergic to in a treat or off your floor. You can try several different types of hypoallergenic dog food, which may make it easier to gauge Rufus' reactions.

Hypoallergenic Food
This can really be a good choice for your dog, whether he has developed an allergy or not. Hypoallergenic dog food is made only with products that are natural for your dog to eat. A lot of the additives and fillers that people put into dog food these days are things that Rufus' body just can't digest. That will increase his chances of developing an allergy to something in the food. Hypoallergenic food is made with only the things that Rufus needs and are healthy for him. There is always a chance, however, that he may have become allergic to a typical ingredient that is not bad for him, but that his body just does not like. This may take some trial and error with various brands of foods to determine if this particular ingredient isn't present in more than one brand.

A food allergy can be really dangerous for your dog if you either ignore it or fail to respond in a timely manner. Once the original symptoms begin showing, do something about it as soon as possible. Kidney and liver function can be affected if your dog continues to be fed food he is allergic to. At minimum Rufus can get very ill, require IV antibiotics and a long hospital stay. However if ignored, he could die. Rufus is an important member of your pack and you would do anything for him, wouldn't you? You wouldn't continue feeding your daughter strawberries if you found out she was allergic to them, right? Rufus deserves the same love and respect.

As you can see, with a watchful eye, tuning into obvious changes in Rufus' behavior and health, a minor food allergy doesn't have to turn into something major. If caught early, Rufus, with a change in diet, can live a very long and happy life.