Allergy Or Intolerance: How Do You Tell The Difference?

Greyhounds,  and all dogs for that matter, just like humans, can experience adverse  reactions to certain foods.  These reactions can be classed under three  different categories: allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities…and no,  they’re not the same thing.

While  food allergies and intolerances are often confused and are frequently  used to describe any and all food reactions in dogs, due to having  similar symptoms, there is a difference.

True  allergies are an immune response.  The body overreacts to certain  ingredients (allergens) as if they are toxic…when they are actually  harmless!  This can cause severe reactions like anaphylaxis.   Intolerances on the other hand are not immune related, instead they are a  chemical reaction where your hound is unable to breakdown or process  certain foods.

While intolerances  can happen immediately after eating, like allergies, they typically  take several hours to develop and can vary depending on the amount of  food eaten.  Intolerances are not life-threatening, but they can cause  numerous uncomfortable responses in the body.

Food  sensitivities, which are far less noticeable than the others, as well  as intolerances are most common in relation to common food items such as  beef, chicken, dairy and grains such as wheat and soy.  

Though, while you may not think your hound being sensitive to certain things is an issue…it can become one.  

Your  hound’s reaction to certain foods may be mild, or fairly unnoticeable,  but continued exposure can increase the bodily response.  This  increasing reaction can, over time, lead to a true allergic response.   And once the body has developed that allergy, they will forever be  allergic to that food source, regardless of how much they are given.   This can happen after just one exposure, or it can happen gradually over  months or even years.

They can literally develop intolerances out what feels like thin air.

We have seen intolerances develop as a result of a change of diet, stress, medication, anaesthetic or as a result of illness.

The  sheer number of greyhounds we’ve seen develop an intolerance to wheat,  and other grains and ingredients, just simply from retiring from racing  and having post-adoption stress belly for a few days is insane.  But  sometimes that is all it takes.

So,  how can you tell if your dog is sensitive to something?  Many people  believe that food intolerances are limited to digestive upset, but this  is just one of the many symptoms and sometimes this doesn’t show up at  all until a true allergy develops…but a food sensitivity can be as  simple as weepy eyes.

Sensitivities and intolerances can present as in several ways, including but not limited to:

- Poor coat condition / balding / bare thigh syndrome
- Itchy, dry skin and dandruff
- Weepy eyes
- Abdominal discomfort after eating (lots of stretching, holding the ‘downward dog’ position for extended periods)
- Gas and bloating (lots of farting!)
- Digestive upset (vomiting and diarrhoea)
- Swelling around the mouth, ears and feet
- Recurring ear infections
- Recurring skin infections (quite often around the feet)
- Change in breathing

Allergies are a more dramatic version of each of these, if not straight up anaphylaxis.

The  only way to truly define what your hound is sensitive to is to go  through an elimination diet.  These can be tedious and long winded,  usually spanning several months, but often worth it in the long run.   There are skin and blood tests available to look for specific allergen  responses or antibodies, but this is not always necessary unless your  dog is really struggling to find foods they can cope with.

Realistically,  you can tell straight away by looking at the ingredients list.  It’s a  long-ingrained myth that greyhounds have sensitive bellies…but really,  their diets are just rubbish a lot of the time!

If  your hound has a true allergy or severe intolerance, it is important to  determine what ingredients trigger the response and ensure a strict  diet to avoid future issues.  

Quite  often, moving to a good quality diet (away from carb heavy ‘greyhound’  specific or cheap supermarket foods) is enough to improve the mild  intolerance issues such as farting, excessive pooing and poor coat  condition but you may have to go further still if you have a hound with  sensitivities.

Managing your  dog’s diet to avoid triggers doesn’t need to be complicated, and it  rarely is once you know what you’re looking for!  Once you ascertain  what it is that your hound is sensitive to, and are careful in what you  feed them, you’ll have a much happier and healthier hound!