Food allergy can also affect your pets, like cats and dogs. You may often find your dog scratching, shaking the head constantly, and ear infections can develop too. While it can be frustrating for your dog, it can be equally worrying for you. Like humans, a food allergy occurs when your dog’s immune system mistakes a certain food to be harmful.

It can also lead to other common disturbing habits like paw biting, poor coat texture, and obsessive licking. However, it’s essential to know the difference between food intolerance and food allergy. Food intolerance happens due to poor digestion, and food allergy results from an over-response of your dog’s immune system to a particular food.

Dog food allergy symptoms
Excessive sneezing, chronic diarrhea, and restlessness are among the most common allergic symptoms in dogs. However, dog food allergy symptoms can range from unpleasant skin reactions to gastrointestinal troubles to specific behavioral issues. Check out the comprehensive list of food allergy symptoms in dogs that are divided into specific categories.

Intestinal & digestive food allergy symptoms
Digestive and GI allergies in dogs account for about 30% of dog allergies. These are often related to skin symptoms and can cause short-lived to chronic symptoms, including the following.

• Difficulty in passing stools
• Chronic diarrhea, sometimes with blood and mucus
• A feeling of nausea leading to vomiting
• Severe abdominal pain with a loss of appetite

Behavioral issues and symptoms
While some behavioral symptoms are rare, they can occur due to prolonged allergic reactions to certain foods.

• Frequently scratching itself on furniture and other objects
• Constantly expressing feelings of restlessness
• Scratching and shaking the eras frequently
• Regularly biting the paws and tail
• Showing signs of withdrawal from enjoyable activities
• No interest in eating food once enjoyed

Triggers of food allergy in dogs
The following information gives a wider perspective of the common triggers of food allergies in dogs.

• Issues with proteins
  Food allergies in dogs are predominantly caused by certain food proteins. These can be proteins from soy, cows, dairy products, eggs, or grain. Contrary to the belief, fish and rice rarely trigger allergies in dogs and are considered healthy. If you suspect a food allergy in dogs, reduce the variety of food items to see what works and what doesn’t.
  Another leading cause of an allergic reaction of foods in dogs is the genes. In this case, it’s important to know that its always due to exposing them to whatever they’re allergic to. It’s advisable to remove one food item at a time to see any improvements.

The common/rare foods dogs are allergic to
The most common culprits causing an allergic reaction include the following:

• Dairy products
• Beef
• Chicken

The rare ones that can cause an allergic reaction include the following:

• Wheat
• Rice
• Corn
• Oats
• Barley

Rare symptoms of food allergies in dogs
Though the following symptoms are rare, your dog can show these signs of food allergies:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Nasal discharge
• Seizures and other mental disturbances
• Urinary tract infections
• Significant weight loss