How Do I Know if My Dog Has a Nutritional Deficiency?

One of the most common problems that vets treat today, is dog allergies. Dogs with skin allergies, dogs with food allergies, dogs with unknown allergies, all looking for relief. Dogs with allergy symptoms are everywhere! They are almost epidemic!

Why is it that dog allergies were unheard of a few years ago and now, this is the most common problem among dogs? What causes "allergy symptoms" and what if it's NOT allergies after all?

We get a dozen phone calls a day, from dog owners who’ve been told that their particular breed is prone to dog allergies. The truth is, just about all dogs are equally prone to allergies and are naturally resistant to most of them. Allergens are substances with which a dog's system struggles. Pollens, microbes, smoke, polyester fabrics, insects, even dandelion fuzz can trigger reactions such as – itching, scratching, shedding, sores, scabs and bad odor.

But WHY is your dog suffering from allergies? WHY are so many dogs suffering from dog allergies? Believe it or not, there are simple answers to these questions, answers that make common sense. 

Why dogs have "allergy symptoms"

Most dogs are fed commercial dog food. They get kibble or canned food from the grocery store, the pet food supermarket or the local farmer's feed store. A typical commercial dog food starts out with ingredients like this: Whole grain corn, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E) A slightly better dog food ingredient list may start like this:  lamb meal, dried potatoes, potato starch, potato protein, sunflower oil, chicken fat.

But even the best, highest quality kibble and canned pet foods are heat processed and cooked literally to death. Delicate nutrients, vitamins, fats, enzymes and beneficial bacteria are all adversely affected by heat. Fats become rancid. Enzymes are destroyed. Beneficial bacteria are killed. Most vitamins are obliterated. So what is your dog left with when all this processing is done? Protein, carbs, fillers, chemical preservatives and dyes.

The dog's health suffers. His immune system takes a dive. His digestive tract becomes weak. He begins to show "allergy symptoms." "Allergy tests" will even show specific allergies!

Interesting note: While on chemotherapy which is a state of weakened immune system, some people will have "allergies" to specific foods or environmental factors. Once chemotherapy is done and their body's immune system gets strong again, those "allergies" will disappear. So, was it "allergies" after all 

But is it really an allergy or is it simply a nutritional deficiency?

You can spend hundreds, if not thousands, to treat dog allergies only to end up right back where you began in the first place - a miserable itchy, scratchy mess. So, maybe it's NOT dog allergies, but a nutrition issue!

Take a close look at your dog's daily diet. Do the first few ingredients look something like this? Ground yellow corn, soybean meal, ground whole wheat, corn syrup, poultry fat, Meat and bone meal (Animal Fat Preserved with BHA and Citric Acid), Chicken by-product Meal, Rice, Animal Digest, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Potassium Chloride. These are carbs, grains, starches, and unclean animal protein. If you answered yes, then it's time to find a new food for your dog and add high quality whole food supplements!

Choose a dog food that has meat as the first ingredient plus another meat in the top 3-4 ingredients. More meat than grains/carbs/fillers is the goal.

Or, try our Homemade Dog Food Recipe that is easy to make and super healthy for your dog!

4 Simple Steps to Conquer Dog Allergy Symptoms:

1. Start with a meaty dog food or our Homemade Dog Food Recipe
2. Add in the delicate and required nutrients by adding Dinovite Daily Supplement and  LickOchops Omega Fatty Acid Supplement.
3. Give it a full 90 days. Be CONSISTENT and observant!
4. If at any time in this process you have questions, please contact a Pet Nutrition Coach via EMAIL or by PHONE, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. EST, 859-428-1000.

"This is Awesome! Nicky is my Rottweiler who has very severe allergies during the spring summer and fall seasons. Last summer she completely itched her fur off her face and paws. Her eyes were swollen and had no hair around them she was bleeding where she had been scratching. Dinovite has been amazing! The itching has stopped so she is not pulling on her face. The swelling is gone and the hair is growing back! She looks great. Thank you! Camping season, here we come!"
 - Meghin H. 
Salt Lake City, UT\

*All information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the expert advice of a veterinarian or veterinary practitioner.