Answer

To determine whether your pet has a food allergy, you’ll need to see your veterinarian. Once your pup is diagnosed with a food allergy, you can give him some relief by finding a diet that contains only "novel" food sources, for example things that your dog has never eaten and therefore probably hasn’t developed an allergy to. The diet should also contain as few preservatives and additives as possible, to eliminate the possibility that the additives are causing the allergic reaction.

There are a wide range of diets that you and your veterinarian can evaluate together, ranging from prescription diets to homemade lamb and rice, catfish and potato, or even pinto beans and potato diets. The most important thing is that you and your veterinarian work together to find a healthy, balanced diet that will keep your dog itch-free and happy. It may take some patiencedit can take a long period of trying various food combinations to find the one that works for your dog.

For more information about treatments for pet allergies, see Allergies.