Food Allergies

Is your dog itching and scratching? Does she have frequent ear infections or poor coat quality? You could be contributing to your dog’s distress without knowing it if she’s allergic to what you’re feeding her. Food allergies are a rising concern with dog owners and it seems like more and more dogs are suffering from them.
But what exactly is a food allergy?

Food allergies are different from food intolerance. Food intolerance is the result of poor digestion, such as lactose intolerance. People and dogs with lactose intolerance are either missing or have low levels of the milk digesting enzyme lactase (Foster & Smith, 2011)

Food allergies are the over-response of your dog’s immune system to an invading protein. In the case of a food allergy, this protein is contained in your dog’s food. Proteins are present in most of the foods your dog eats. While most people recognize that meats are a source of proteins, there are also proteins present in grains and vegetables. Any one of these proteins has the potential to cause a food allergy.

Your dog’s gastrointestinal system (mouth, stomach, intestines) protects her from potential allergens each day. Approximately 70 percent of the body’s entire immune system is centered in the gastrointestinal tract (Silver, 2011). When your dog eats a meal, the food is first digested in the stomach. The large pieces of food are broken down into smaller pieces by stomach acid and then enzymes and stomach acid work together to break the complex protein structures down into smaller structures. The partially digested food then moves into the small intestine. The food is further digested until the proteins are broken down into their smallest parts, amino acids, which can then be absorbed into the body through special cells called enterocytes. Enterocytes act as both a welcoming hostess to amino acids that they like and want, and as bouncers (door guards) for amino acids they don’t like. When a whole protein is absorbed in the intestines instead of being broken down first, the immune system reacts and your dog shows symptoms of a food allergy.

When the System Works
The intestinal tract’s ability to prevent the absorption of whole protein is dependant on the health and integrity of the mucosal barrier. It is the proverbial guardian of the body at the gastrointestinal gate. The mucosal barrier (lining of the gut) is comprised of both structural components and immune system components. The structural components physically prevent the absorption of large proteins. The immune system component is responsible for recognizing potentially harmful contents of the gastrointestinal tract. The health and integrity of the gastrointestinal tract is dependant on the normal structure and function of the enterocytes, effective protein digestion, and the presence of the dog’s immune cells (called IgA cells) in the gastrointestinal tract.

The Gut and Immune System Together

Prevent Food Allergies
IgA cells are a type of immune cell secreted in the intestine. Some of the IgA will float freely in the contents of the intestine while other IgA attaches to the wall of the intestine to prevent whole protein from coming in contact with the enterocytes. Just like volleyball players they bounce whole proteins back into the contents of the intestine for more digestion. The more effective protein digestion in the stomach and intestine is, the smaller the proteins are when they come in contact with the IgA. Small proteins and single amino acids do not get bound to the IgA and are allowed to pass by the IgA and be absorbed into the body as nutrients. (Gross, 2005)

When the System Fails
Malnutrition can affect enterocyte structure and function. A poorly functioning or damaged enterocyte can let whole proteins into the body. Once a whole protein has managed to breach all of the gut’s defenses, gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) takes over. GALT can prevent the body’s natural immune response to a foreign protein. Most of the time this is what happens, but in the case of food allergies, GALT does not prevent the immune response and an allergic response (immune hypersensitivity) is formed.

Unfortunately, every time the food is eaten, this over-response of the immune response becomes greater. So continuing to consume the diet that caused the allergic response results in a greater and greater response every time. After this hypersensitivity is formed, each time the dog eats the food, mast cells in the body’s immune system release hertamine. If this hertamine release is large enough, it may manifest as diarrhea, itchy skin, chronic skin infections etc.

Isolating the Problem
The first thing you need to do is work with your veterinarian to make sure that your dog’s symptoms truly indicate a food allergy. If that’s the case, your vet will likely recommend that you try an elimination diet— feeding a food that has a different protein (meat) source and a different carbohydrate (grain) source than what your dog has had before. Common anti-allergy foods (novel protein sources) include kangaroo and oatmeal or venison and potato. This prevents the immune response from continuing to be triggered(Foster & Smith, 2011).

Your vet may also suggest that you try a hypoallergenic diet. These foods are made with hydrolyzed proteins. That means that the proteins are already broken down into pieces that are small enough that IgA won’t bind to them and they won’t trigger an immune response.

Lamb and rice foods used to be considered “hypoallergenic” when most commercial dog foods were made with chicken or beef and corn or wheat. Since most dogs had never had lamb or rice before, it was a good option for dogs that experienced allergies while eating a regular food. Now, however, many dogs are showing allergies to lamb and rice diets. This is to be expected since an allergy can develop to any diet. If your dog is allergic to lamb and rice you may need to find a food with different ingredients such as fish and oatmeal, or venison and sweet potato.

While your dog is on any special diet, it’s very important that she doesn’t get any other food such as cookies, treats, rawhides, people foods, etc. Since you don’t know yet exactly what she is allergic to, you don’t want to give her something other than her food and trigger the allergic reaction. Once you’ve got her on a food that she is not reacting to, you can start to reintroduce other foods. If your dog reacts, you’ll know exactly which food (or foods) causes the problem.

Preventing Food Allergies

Is there anything we, as owners, can do to avoid food allergies from developing? This is one of the toughest questions in dog nutrition today. While we still don’t really know how to prevent allergies entirely, there are things you can do that may help your dog fight off numerous allergies.

Promote a healthy mucosal barrier. This can be done by ensuring that our dogs, and especially puppies, have adequate nutrition and health care.

Watch out for gastroenteritis. There have been some theories that early gastroenteritis or severe gastroenteritis, especially in puppies or young dogs, can result in an adult dog that is more likely to develop food allergies. Preventing gastroenteritis, in theory, is easy— just don’t let your dog eat anything but dog food and treats. In actuality, this is much harder to deal with. Dogs eat a variety of things, some that are not harmful—grass, dirt, bark, wild berries (i.e., raspberries, strawberries), sometimes a little cow or horse dung—and some that are not good for them (rotten garbage or dead animals). It can be very hard to police what goes in your dog’s mouth.

If you suspect that your dog has gotten into garbage or eaten something that may cause tummy upset, it may be best to feed your dog a low-protein diet (boiled white rice or potato) until the suspected tummy upset passes or you consult your vet. In general, if diarrhea lasts more than 72 hours without signs of getting better or if the diarrhea seems especially severe or malodorous, you should consult your vet. In these cases, do not attempt to treat the dog yourself with over-the-counter medications because diarrhea is the body getting rid of bad things in the gut. To give something that stops the diarrhea can result in keeping the bad things in the gut and causing a serious illness. (Spielman, 2011)

Promote effective protein digestion. In general, your dog should have no problem digesting protein. If you are feeding a homemade cooked or raw diet, grinding or blending your protein source in a food processor can be helpful in improving protein digestion. In kibble-fed dogs, the protein is already ground before it is kibbled so there is no need to grind it.

Choose a dog food with exclusive protein sources. A food that only has one or two protein sources can be helpful in giving you more choices later on should your dog develop an allergy. For example, if you use a food with five protein sources (i.e., turkey, chicken, duck, salmon, and tuna) and your dog develops an allergy to it, you now have to find a food that doesn’t contain any of these protein sources. This can be challenging. Conversely, if you feed a diet with chicken as its sole protein source and your dog develops an allergy to it, you can easily find a diet that doesn’t contain chicken.
Preventing food allergies may be impossible in dogs that are prone to developing food allergies. Some breeds are becoming noted for food allergies (see sidebar p.82). As a result, it is possible that a propensity for developing food allergies may be genetic, in which case, we should avoid breeding dogs that have food allergies.

Don’t Give Up
Dealing with a dog with food allergies can be challenging and disheartening. Proper diagnosis of food allergies can make it easier and understanding why food allergies start can help us prevent future allergies from starting. On a personal note, my dog has had food allergies. It has been a long road and often a difficult one. It is so much easier to find novel protein sources now than it was 3 years ago. If you have a dog with allergies, take heart, it will get better.

Nutritional Needs

The best thing we can do for our dogs is to provide them with healthy nutrition. There are many foods that fulfill basic nutritional needs, but what about foods that actually improve health? Specific foods can have a positive impact on many health conditions. We can feed these foods in addition to the dog’s regular food, or, if feeding homemade food, we can incorporate these foods into our dog’s meals.

Flaky skin.
Skin is an important protective barrier that prevents bacteria, viruses, and fungi from entering the body and prevents fluid from escaping. The skin’s strength will determine how well it protects the body. Strong, flexible skin with good moisture balance is resistant to foreign invaders. Weak, dry, and flaky skin has microscopic tears or holes in the top layers, making it easier for foreign invaders to get past the outer layers of skin and cause local inflammation and itching (Carter, 2008). To keep skin healthy, we need to make sure that our dogs consume enough omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids help improve the integrity of skin and reduce inflammation. Omega 3 fat can be found in trout and salmon (mackerel and herring are very good sources but they are higher in mercury than farm-raised fish). Other sources of omega 3 fat include fish oil capsules, flaxseed oil, or flax meal and walnuts. Vitamin E can also be very beneficial to skin health. The body can store large amounts of Vitamin E, so it is important not to oversupplement. Wheat germ and corn have the highest sources of vitamin E, but other sources include peanuts, eggs, fish (many fish oil capsules contain added vitamin E) and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.

Tooth plaque.
The dog’s mouth is the gateway to her body. Plaque and tartar build-up on your dog’s teeth can lead to gingivitis and periodontitis. Bacterial infections in her mouth can lead to septicaemia (blood infection) which, in turn, can cause infections in other areas of the body(Martin, 2005). The best way to prevent this is with regular brushing, but you can also help your dog keep her teeth clean by feeding her treats that promote chewing. The best treats are gently abrasive to your dog’s teeth, just like a tooth brush. Vegetables that are low in sugar are the best choice for these types of treats. Carrots, broccoli stalks, cauliflower, and rutabaga are all good choices.

Stiff joints.
Stiff joints are a natural part of aging in dogs. Some dogs with hip dysplasia or osteochondrosis (cartilage malformation during growth) will suffer joint pain and stiffness at a young age(Foster & Smith, 2011). Without a doubt, the best thing to do with dogs with joint pain is to keep them lean and fit to minimize the stress on the affected joints. However, we can also provide some nutritional support for these dogs. Feeding diets high in omega 3 fat will help reduce inflammation. In addition, glucosamine HCL, vitamin C (in fruit), and vitamin E can also be beneficial in helping to maintain joint health.

Reduced eyesight.
A number of diseases, including progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, and glaucoma, affect sight (Solanki, 2010). Recent research has suggested that omega 3 fat can help reduce age-related changes to human eyes. It is possible that dogs may get the same benefit. In young puppies, the omega 3 fat called DHA is important in proper development of the retina. So, if you breed dogs, consider making sure the puppy’s mom has additional sources of fish oil to enhance the development of the puppies’ retinas. To help your adult dog make the best of his sight,supplement his diet with carrots (or other orange vegetables), which are an excellent source of provitamin A. Other sources of vitamin A include eggs and liver.

Inflammation.
Current research has implicated inflammation as a contributing factor to premature aging. Lifetime obesity can result in whole-body, low-grade inflammation. To avoid this, keep you dog at a healthy weight, and feed foods high in antioxidants, such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries. Broccoli is also thought to be a good source of antioxidants.

Anxiety.
There are a number of herbal remedies you can add to your dog’s diet to help her cope when she is anxious. Look for something with valerian root, chamomile, or L-tryptophan in it.

Dull coat.
A shiny coat is a sign of a healthy dog.Help your dog’s coat shine by adding the B vitamin biotin to his diet. Biotin is involved in making the building blocks of healthy hair and skin. A good source of B vitamins is brewers yeast (NOT active baking yeast) which can be purchased at most health food stores.

Depressed immunity.
A good balanced diet is the best recipe for supporting a healthy immune system; however, adding foods that are high in antioxidants has been proposed to enhance some types of immunity. Foods such raspberries and blueberries are high in antioxidant ability.

Cancer.
Cancer can occur in any type of cell. It happens when a mistake in the DNA of the cell allows the cell to grow uncontrollably. There has been a lot of press on foods that can prevent cancer but there is little research available on dogs. In human research, diets high in fruits and vegetables have been linked with a low incidence of cancer. So adding fruit and vegetables to your dog’s meals may be beneficial in preventing cancer. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, berries, and citrus fruits are all thought to have anticancer properties (Crosby, 2011).

Upset stomach.
In most cases, dogs that have an upset stomach do not want to eat. This self-enforced fast helps rest the stomach and intestines allowing them to return to normal. If your dog seems to have an upset stomach but is still eating, ginger, dill, and anise can all help soothe a troubled tummy.

Poor appetite.
While poor appetite can be a sign of illness, some dogs just get a little bored with their everyday food. Mix it up for them by adding a cooked egg, some cottage cheese, or a little of last night’s chicken to their bowl. Just remember, keep it to small amounts and make sure that it is lean and not high in fat.

Overweight or underweight.
Some dogs are harder to keep weight on than others. If your dog sheds the pounds easily, try supplementing his food with some extra protein and fat. A bit of extra fat can be added by using peanut butter or flaxseed oil, while meat and cooked eggs are always good sources of protein. If you are feeding eggs more than once a week, the eggs should be cooked because raw eggs contain a protein that prevents the intestines from absorbing biotin (a B vitamin). Other sources of protein and fat include yogurt (not fat-free), cottage cheese, meat, chicken, and fish.

On the other hand, older dogs with a tendency toward plumpness may need fewer calories, so you can supplement their diets with extra lean protein and a little extra fibre in the form of pumpkin or green beans to avoid packing on pounds.
Many health conditions can be relatively benign but others can be a symptom of a serious disease that cannot be managed with diet alone. For example, if your dog has poor coat condition and is lethargic and overweight, he may have hypothyroidism.

Attempting to treat the dull coat and weight problem with diet will not solve the underlying illness; medical intervention is required. So if the dog has multiple symptoms or if a symptom persists despite your best efforts, have the dog examined by a veterinarian. Nutrition and health food are only able to support the body; they are not a medical treatment.

Mixed Group

A mixed-breed dog is a dog which is not purebred, either literally a mix of two or more breeds, as is the case with crossbred dogs, or as a misnomer when the term is applied to dogs which are not literally a mix of pure breeds, but rather which have never been bred, such as primitive or pariah dog populations who evolved without intentional intervention by humans.


KENT

Kent the Mongrel dog. It also named as Mixed Breed dog. He might not as perfect as other pedigree dogs, but look unique and most important they healthy. He also loyal to the family and less maintainence. Many people might don’t like him, but he extremely friendly and shy. His non prefect appearance take make him to behave better, so he able to get same cares by everyone. (Dog breed, 2011)









Toy Group
Hound Group
Working Group
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Non-Sporting Group
Herding Group
Mixed Group

Herding Group

The Herding Group, created in 1983, is the newest AKC classification; its members were formerly members of the Working Group. All breeds share the fabulous ability to control the movement of other animals. A remarkable example is the low-set Corgi, perhaps one foot tall at the shoulders, that can drive a herd of cows many times its size to pasture by leaping and nipping at their heels. The vast majority of Herding dogs, as household pets, never cross paths with a farm animal. Nevertheless, pure instinct prompts many of these dogs to gently herd their owners, especially the children of the family. In general, these intelligent dogs make excellent companions and respond beautifully to training exercises.

Picture 7. List of Herding Group Dog.
Source from 2011 American Kennel Club® (www.akc.org)

ROCKY

Rocky the German Shepherd Dog. He is one of the herding group dog that recognized by American Kennel Club (AKC) since 1908 (AKC, 2011). Beside that, German Shepherd Dog also a large breed dog that famous for police, guard and military dog. (AKC, 2011). According to Knobel, It also trained to track narcotics and sniff out explosive (Tan, 2010). Rocky consider as an eldest brother in the kennel with his fierce, strong and muscular body shape. Eventhough Rocky is a fierce dog, he also a loyal and friendly dog.









Toy Group
Hound Group
Working Group
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Non-Sporting Group
Herding Group
Mixed Group

Non-Sporting Group

Non-sporting dogs are a diverse group. Here are sturdy animals with as different personalities and appearances as the Chow Chow, Dalmatian, French Bulldog, and Keeshond. Talk about differences in size, coat, and visage! Some, like the Schipperke and Tibetan Spaniel are uncommon sights in the average neighborhood. Others, however, like the Poodle and Lhasa Apso, have quite a large following. The breeds in the Non-Sporting Group are a varied collection in terms of size, coat, personality and overall appearance.

Picture 6. List of Non-Sporting Group Dog.
Source from 2011 American Kennel Club® (www.akc.org)

COCO

Coco is a female English Bulldog. This breed family was first to register by AKC in 1934 in non-sporting group (Bulldogbreed, 2008). She like to stay indoor and spend most of it times to sleep. Bulldog also recognize as non-sporting group (Dogbreedinfo, 2011). She grow up to be gentle, calm adult and prefer not to exercise because easily over heated (Bulldogbreed, 2008).









Toy Group
Hound Group
Working Group
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Non-Sporting Group
Herding Group
Mixed Group

Sporting Group

Naturally active and alert, Sporting dogs make likeable, well-rounded companions. Members of the Group include pointers, retrievers, setters and spaniels. Remarkable for their instincts in water and woods, many of these breeds actively continue to participate in hunting and other field activities. Potential owners of Sporting dogs need to realize that most require regular, invigorating exercise.

Picture 5. List of Sporting Group Dog.
Source from 2011 American Kennel Club® (www.akc.org)

BENJI

Benji the Golden Retriever Dog. Ranked 4th for the most popular dogs breed. Suitable for family and hunting too. This dog also loyal to the owner and suitable to be family dog eventhough with kids at home. It is very smart and easy to train. Active and Playful make this dog categorized as sporting dog. They love water and like to play around with everyone. They need attention and cares from others. (Mackenzie, 2010)









Toy Group
Hound Group
Working Group
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Non-Sporting Group
Herding Group
Mixed Group

Terrier Group

People familiar with this Group invariably comment on the distinctive terrier personality. These are feisty, energetic dogs whose sizes range from fairly small, as in the Norfolk, Cairn or West Highland White Terrier, to the grand Airedale Terrier. Terriers typically have little tolerance for other animals, including other dogs. Their ancestors were bred to hunt and kill vermin. Many continue to project the attitude that they're always eager for a spirited argument. Most terriers have wiry coats that require special grooming known as stripping in order to maintain a characteristic appearance. In general, they make engaging pets, but require owners with the determination to match their dogs' lively characters.

Picture 4. List of Terrier Group Dog.
Source from 2011 American Kennel Club® (www.akc.org)

APPLE

Apple the West Highland White Terrier also name as Westie. It is an active dog that not show any shyness and like to chase small animals such as bird and squirrels because originally bred to be a hunter of vermin. Eventhough Apple is small size but she not a lap dogs. It also an independent little dog and very alert. (Logan-Hale, 2006)









Toy Group
Hound Group
Working Group
Terrier Group
Sporting Group
Non-Sporting Group
Herding Group
Mixed Group