You love your dog like a member of the family, so when King's skin starts to look odd, finding out what is wrong with him becomes a top priority. In your quest to find out what is wrong with King, you call the veterinarian's office in a panic. You try your best to describe the dry, red, itchy spots to the veterinarian. The veterinarian says to just bring King in for a checkup to try to determine what is going on.
At the veterinarian, King goes through a battery of tests, which rule out various types of mange, hot spots and other skin conditions. After you spend all that money, the veterinarian tells you that King is suffering from a food allergy. You sit down with the veterinarian and discuss what you have been feeding King. It turns out that the food you thought was good for King isn't so good after all.
What in Dog Food Can Cause Skin Irritation?
Many dog foods contain a lot of filler ingredients that don't actually provide King with nutrition. Some of these filler ingredients are known allergens for dogs. Wheat is the most common food allergen for dogs. Soy is another common allergen for dogs. That is really a shame because most of the least expensive dog foods contain large amounts of wheat or soy, so these aren't an option for King.
Since you now know about King's food allergy, you have to find him a food that won't make his skin irritation worse. Even if you find a food that doesn't contain soy or wheat, there is a chance that the commercial food may contain other substances that will make King's skin allergy manifest again. Low-quality dog foods are out because they are unsafe and don't give King the nutrition he needs. Mid-quality foods are out because they also contain wheat or soy.
You decide to check out the premium dog foods that are marketed as skin-and-coat varieties. Much to your dismay, you find that wheat or soy is in most of those. Corn and preservatives are also listed, and since those may cause skin irritation, the premium foods are out of the question.
Next on your list is the top-of-the-line super-premium dog food. As you start to check those out, you find the same problem. Sure, the ingredients are some of the best available. King will get the nutrition he needs from these foods, but still, you see potential allergens. You decide to try King on one of these foods only to discover that he still breaks out in spots. You go through duck and potato, salmon and potato, and venison and potato varieties all with the same result.
So, What Type of Commercial Food is Best?
In a moment of frustration, you wonder if you can find anything suitable for King to eat. Luckily, there is another option: holistic dog food. Holistic dog food doesn't contain fillers. It only contains natural ingredients. Most holistic dog food doesn't contain any type of wheat, soy or corn. Most of them contain brown rice, which isn't likely to cause King's allergies to flare up. Other ingredients, such as carrots, real meat, pumpkin, tomato, herring, apples, and a host of other natural ingredients are listed on the label.
After choosing a holistic food for King based on his age and breed, you take it home and feed it to him. As time goes by, you discover that King's allergy spots are fading. More time passes and you notice that King seems much healthier. His skin looks great, his coat is starting to shine and he seems much happier.
King's follow up with the veterinarian is wonderful. By choosing a holistic food for him, you not only helped him get rid of those bothersome spots, you also gave him the best shot at living a long and healthy life by providing him with a quality holistic food.
At the veterinarian, King goes through a battery of tests, which rule out various types of mange, hot spots and other skin conditions. After you spend all that money, the veterinarian tells you that King is suffering from a food allergy. You sit down with the veterinarian and discuss what you have been feeding King. It turns out that the food you thought was good for King isn't so good after all.
What in Dog Food Can Cause Skin Irritation?
Many dog foods contain a lot of filler ingredients that don't actually provide King with nutrition. Some of these filler ingredients are known allergens for dogs. Wheat is the most common food allergen for dogs. Soy is another common allergen for dogs. That is really a shame because most of the least expensive dog foods contain large amounts of wheat or soy, so these aren't an option for King.
Since you now know about King's food allergy, you have to find him a food that won't make his skin irritation worse. Even if you find a food that doesn't contain soy or wheat, there is a chance that the commercial food may contain other substances that will make King's skin allergy manifest again. Low-quality dog foods are out because they are unsafe and don't give King the nutrition he needs. Mid-quality foods are out because they also contain wheat or soy.
You decide to check out the premium dog foods that are marketed as skin-and-coat varieties. Much to your dismay, you find that wheat or soy is in most of those. Corn and preservatives are also listed, and since those may cause skin irritation, the premium foods are out of the question.
Next on your list is the top-of-the-line super-premium dog food. As you start to check those out, you find the same problem. Sure, the ingredients are some of the best available. King will get the nutrition he needs from these foods, but still, you see potential allergens. You decide to try King on one of these foods only to discover that he still breaks out in spots. You go through duck and potato, salmon and potato, and venison and potato varieties all with the same result.
So, What Type of Commercial Food is Best?
In a moment of frustration, you wonder if you can find anything suitable for King to eat. Luckily, there is another option: holistic dog food. Holistic dog food doesn't contain fillers. It only contains natural ingredients. Most holistic dog food doesn't contain any type of wheat, soy or corn. Most of them contain brown rice, which isn't likely to cause King's allergies to flare up. Other ingredients, such as carrots, real meat, pumpkin, tomato, herring, apples, and a host of other natural ingredients are listed on the label.
After choosing a holistic food for King based on his age and breed, you take it home and feed it to him. As time goes by, you discover that King's allergy spots are fading. More time passes and you notice that King seems much healthier. His skin looks great, his coat is starting to shine and he seems much happier.
King's follow up with the veterinarian is wonderful. By choosing a holistic food for him, you not only helped him get rid of those bothersome spots, you also gave him the best shot at living a long and healthy life by providing him with a quality holistic food.