Allergy and atopy in dogs

What you need to know about allergies and atopy in dogs

• Allergy is a defense reaction of the body by removing the intruder with antibodies;
• Atopy is an acute direct immune reaction of the body against something in the environment or from food;
• Most common allergies and atopy are directed against fleas and food components;
• Proper nutrition is crucial for sensitive dogs;
• Snacks, sweets, chews and bones often contain animal proteins. These can also cause allergic reactions;
• Allergies in dogs can be solved with the right nutrition.
• Denkadog Micro-Protein for dogs with a food allergy.

Allergy and atopy in dogs are fairly common conditions. Both conditions can be caused by food. A food allergy in dogs is annoying, but fortunately easy to treat. Symptoms such as itching, scratching and as a result red skin and bald spots should lead to parasites (fleas) but also to nutritional errors.

Allergy is different from atopy in dogs

Allergy in dogs can be described as: an oversensitivity to certain foreign substances with an extreme reaction of the immune system as a result. The immune system has built up a memory against the substances. This is different from atopy. It is estimated that 3-15% of all dogs have some form of allergy. The symptoms can vary from a little itching with some red spots to extreme itching. The sensitive areas are armpits, toes, ears and groin. In the case of an allergy, the body reacts en masse with antibodies to tackle the intruder. The body has a memory for those stimuli and can therefore react (allergically) quite quickly. This takes about 12 to 24 hours. The most common allergy in dogs is a food allergy.

Flea allergy

A flea allergy is often technically an atopy. This causes severe itching and your dog starts scratching. After the flea puts its saliva in the dog's skin, the body reacts very violently. The body's reaction is acute and extremely severe. Redness and itching occur and your dog starts scratching. In some cases, the itching can even be so bad that it leads to a hotspot. A number of dogs even react violently to 1 flea bite. We then call this a flea atopy. The solution is to prevent fleas in your dog's environment. Various products are available for this. These kill the adult flea, the larvae that hatch from the eggs and inhibit the hatching of flea eggs. It is very important to follow a closed flea prevention schedule.
Itching can also be caused by other parasites such as scabies and mite infections (cheyletiella, demodex, ear mites). This does not necessarily have to be an allergic reaction.

Food allergy

Just like in humans, food allergies are also becoming increasingly common in dogs. Dogs can react very strongly to components in food. We call this an allergic reaction. The body usually reacts strongly to proteins. An allergic reaction is caused by the immune system, reacting to the ingested substances as if they were pathogens. The body then wants to fight the "intruders" with the immune system. Massive amounts of immune blood cells are then sent to the intruders, in this case food components. This reaction then causes damage to the body itself, as it were. A common allergy is caused by animal proteins (chicken and beef), wheat gluten, milk and egg.

Food allergy in which breeds

There are several studies that indicate different breeds that more often have a food allergy. It shows that: Terriers, Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Dachshunds and Boxers are mentioned with sensitivity to atopy or allergy. The condition often occurs at an age of 4 to 18 months. There is no difference in occurrence in males and females.

Cause of food allergy

The causes (allergens) in dogs are mainly animal proteins from beef, milk, cheese, chicken, eggs and wheat. Together they account for approximately 85% of the cases. Proteins are large molecules that are broken down by the body into smaller amino acids. These amino acids are then absorbed into the blood through the intestinal wall. If complete proteins enter the blood through the intestinal wall, the body can react excessively violently. You can see this in red bumps in the skin that make your dog itch. Sometimes diarrhea also occurs.
Research has shown that the immune system of dogs only reacts to proteins that are approximately 10,000 daltons or higher. Denkadog Micro Protein Denkadog Micro Protein Grain Free contains small (hydrolysed) proteins. The strength of this innovative product is that the proteins used are too small to be recognised by the immune system and therefore do not cause allergic reactions (with some exceptions). This means that there is no need to constantly search for new nutrients (proteins) and the dog can continue to eat the same product for years.

Symptoms of food allergy

The symptoms seen with a food allergy vary. In many dogs we see coat problems as a result of itching in the armpit, groin and between the legs, ear infection, hotspots and stomach/intestinal problems such as vomiting and diarrhea. In most dogs you see skin complaints in the form of itching with redness and baldness in fairly specific places on the body. Places where this itching occurs are often the legs, ears, in the groin, armpits, belly and behind under the tail. Hotspot is a sudden inflammation of the coat. These are often fluid accumulations and cause frequent licking by the dog itself.

Prevention is better than cure

A food allergy can often be prevented by the right food. Adapted food that lacks the nutrients that the dog is allergic to. For example, there are products such as "lamb and rice", "duck and rice" and "salmon and rice". The disadvantage of these products is that the dog gets used to them and can eventually become allergic to these nutrients again. The food, but also the chews, snacks, dental and chew products and trainers must be free of meat and animal products. These often cause allergic reactions.

Read the blog “Solving Food Allergies with the Right Diet” for more information.

Atopy is different from allergy in dogs

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In atopy, the body reacts differently to unwanted substances than in an allergy. The body reacts according to a different system with a different type of blood cell than in an allergic reaction. There is no memory of the body and the body simply reacts directly because it is sensitive to the trigger. The reaction is usually faster than in an allergic reaction, namely from 15 minutes. The most common atopy in dogs is directed against flea bites. There are also indications that certain types of fish in the diet.

Causes

Causes may include:

• flea bite;
• tuna;
• mackerel;
• preservatives.

Symptoms

The symptoms of atopy and allergy in dogs are often the same, only the reaction upon contact with the cause is different. With atopy, this is much faster and often more severe than with an allergy. Dogs with atopy mainly have itching on the head, ears, armpits, groin and feet. Some breeds are more sensitive than other breeds. Atopy often develops between 6 months and 3 years of age. The dogs are thin and have almost continuous diarrhea. For these dogs, we strongly recommend Denkadog Hypo-Sensitive. This vegetarian food helps the stomach and intestines to digest the food easily. That is the first gain for your dog.

Sensitive to gluten

Gluten sensitivity is seen in dogs that are sensitive to specific components (gluten) in a number of types of grains. Gluten is found in spelt, barley, rye and wheat. These substances can activate the immune system in sensitive animals. This can cause stomach and intestinal problems in particular. Alternating diarrhea, vomiting bile, flatulence, not eating enough and even weight loss. Rice gluten and corn gluten are usually not bad. Gluten can also occur in oats and quinoa because they come into contact with other grains.
Irish Setters are officially known to be sensitive to gluten.
Diagnosis through an elimination diet for dogs.
The most reliable result in dogs is obtained by means of an elimination diet for dogs. Such a diet consists of two components:
1. The elimination phase. You give a diet without ingredients that have no or minimal chance of an allergic reaction.
2. The provocation phase. You give a diet to which an ingredient is added that in many cases is the cause of an allergic reaction.
The elimination diet method is considered the gold standard for diagnosing allergies and atopy in dogs. Treating a food allergy is primarily based on a hypoallergenic diet for dogs.
Also read the blog: "Are grains good or bad for your dog?"
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