Healthy Dogs

Caring for a Dog with Food Allergies

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Q: Is there anything I can do to keep my puppy from developing food allergies?

A: I don’t think anyone is going to tell you that you can prevent food allergies if your puppy is predisposed. My opinion is that if you provide a diet that has some variety in it, so they’re getting a natural rotation, you’re maintaining gut health by doing that.

I do recommend for young puppies and kittens that people put them on probiotics. I’m very concerned about the use of antibiotics in growing animals. I think it messes up their gut balance and I think it may make them more likely to become allergic over time. So for puppies, I try to avoid antibiotics and use probiotics up to six months to one year of age and give them a diet that’s fairly high in variety.