Many dog breeds suffer from allergic reactions to distinct things, and it seems that the Shih Tzu is a breed of dog that suffers more than most. Food is one possible cause of allergic reactions in Shih Tzu. Just as in people, dogs may live for years without displaying any allergies, and then suddenly they may start showing the warning signs.
How do you know your dog has allergies?
Shitzu Dogs
I all the time ask dog owners to pay attention to their pet's behavior. If you see your dog starting to scratch much more than usual; if you see him sneezing repeatedly; if you see that his eyes and nose are running; all of these signs could mean that an allergy is present. Other signs contain unusual coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, head shaking and severe breathing difficulties. If you are in touch with your dog's usual behaviors, you will know immediately if something is wrong. If you're not sure, a quick visit to the vet is a good idea to confirm your suspicions, although I wouldn't recommend a visit to the vet just because your dog's eyes are watering one day.
What should you do?
If you calculate that your dog has a food allergy of some sort, it's very leading to find out what is causing it and take off it immediately. Your Shih Tzu may have been eating the same food for years, but this doesn't mean that he cannot compose an allergy to it over time. Just like people, the body chemistry of a Shih Tzu changes over the years, and that can trigger new allergies.
Change his main food to a brand that is hypoallergenic. All major dog food market will carry such brands. I don't recommend buying a huge bag of food right away. Just get the smallest bag you can find (enough for a few days' worth of meals) and start feeding it to your Shih Tzu instead. If the allergy suddenly disappears, you have your answer; take off the old food and continue to give your Shih Tzu the hypoallergenic brand.
If you've tried distinct foods and the allergy persists, start looking towards the snacks you give your Shih Tzu. If you feed him human food as treats, switch to dog treats instead. These are designed for a dog's digestive system and aren't supposed to cause any reactions. If you're already feeding him dog treats, then try changing the type of treat that you give him (instead of jerky treats, for example, try liver treats) and eye the result. If the allergy disappears, you can pretty much halt that the old treats were causing the problem.
When it comes to dog food allergies, there are no solid rules about what is great and what is worse to eat. However, I've found that generally speaking, protein ingredients like beef, chicken, and lamb have been known to cause allergic reactions in some dogs, which go away when an alternative protein source is fed to them. This can be foods with fish, duck, or even kangaroo meat in them. One last thing to reconsider is that some dogs are not nothing else but allergic to their food, they may simply be intolerant of it. This is just like population who get diarrhea when eating distinct foods that become too rich for them.
What if the allergy doesn't go away?
If you've tried the process of elimination with all of the distinct foods your Shih Tzu consumes daily and his allergy persists, there is a pretty good occasion the dog is not allergic to food, but may be allergic to something in his environment. Once again, it's a good idea to start eliminating the possible culprits one by one. eye your Shih Tzu and seek medical advice if you need it to help recognize and cure him of any allergies he may contract. Your dog will thank you for it.
Is Food the Cause of Your Shih Tzu's Allergies?