If your dog is ill but you can't figure out why, he could be suffering from a dog food allergy. Some symptoms that would indicate this possibility are swollen stomach, lethargy, skin rashes or dermatitis, weepy eyes and laboured breathing (wheezing). Sometimes your dog will simply just not seem well.

There are so many additives in most commercially prepared dog food products that a dog food allergy should be the first thought when we see our pet looking unwell. The easiest way to test for this is to change your dog's diet. The best diet for a dog is a raw meat diet with vegetable scraps, sardines and crushed egg shells added. The next best diet is to use an organic dog food product from a reliable and caring manufacturer who clearly has attempted to use ingredients and recipes that enhance a dog's health. Organic dry dog food can be used sparingly and general commercially prepared dry dog food products should not be used at all.

It may take some time for the dog food allergy symptoms to disappear. You need to keep your dog on this new diet for at least three months and monitor the results. Whether or not the allergy symptoms are related to the dog food, your dog will be a lot healthier and happier if you do not return to the regular commercial brands.

If you have changed your dog's diet and allergy symptoms persist, you may need to carefully look at the actual food he is eating. He may have a food allergy as opposed to being allergic to preservatives and other additives. The most likely source of such a dog food allergy is grains, so make sure there are no grains or grain based foods in his diet. Watch carefully to monitor results. It's very important that family members and friends do not feed your dog during this time. It will be difficult to solve the problem if you are giving him a strict diet that others are disregarding. Also make sure that whatever vegetables are included are not known cause a dog food allergy. If you get no improvement by removing grains, you may need to remove vegetables one at time to observe results.

However, if symptoms persist your dog may not have a dog food allergy after all and instead be exhibiting symptoms of something more serious. Your dog will probably need a professional checkup with your local vet. It may help to take along a record of your dietary changes and any health results you have observed.