[nagdu] allergies

[Danielle Sykora]

Hi all,

Due to a prolonged, recurrent ear infection, I have begun to suspect
my dog has a food allergy. I have not yet had my dog for an entire
year so have not been able to observe his reactions to each season
more than once; however, I suspect his allergy is food related rather
than environmental because it began in late fall and has continued
through the winter and spring. The ear infection responds to treatment
but returns shortly after it is completed. Having another dog who
suffered from allergies for several years, I was very careful to find
food containing no fillers such as grains and undergoes minimal
processing. Eliminating kibble from my pet dog's diet has completely
cured her allergies but I have not have such luck with Thai.

I am currently attempting to determine the allergen by process of
elimination but I'm concerned his ear infection will get worse and
will need another trip to the vet in the mean time. I know that
allergy testing is generally most accurate with environmental
allergens but was wondering if anyone has had success testing for food
allergies. Any other suggestions for dealing with allergies would be
greatly appreciated.

Danielle and Thai, who is tired of having an itchy ear