Just after some information if any one has any -
What is the most common ingredient(s) found in dog food ( particularly dried complete food ) that are likely to cause allergies ????
and why ?
Lel

I presume it's the protein? Like dairy or beef, pork?
and then it affects the immune system in some way which will in turn irritate the gut?

*Should have stayed out of this thead* :rolleyes:
(Was thinking along the lines of babies being allergic to milk)

Could be cereals??? Dry dog food do have them in and I have heard that some dogs can be allergic to grains. Don't take my word for it though, just guessing :)

I had one bitch who couldn't eat anything that contained soya because it caused her to bloat. Anything else was fine.

Which one of us guessed correctly then and what's the prize? :P

My guess woulld be Wheat (and gluten) followed by soya, then beef. 

Do I get a prize?  :)

Lel,

I don't think there is a definitive answer to the "why" with regard to allergies.  Why am I allergic to cats, horses, cattle, sheep and almost any kind of 4-legged animal that I've been near enough to experience a reaction if I was going to have one - but I am not allergic to dogs?  I haven't a clue - I am just very grateful I'm not allergic to dogs!  Why when I was younger no fruits bothered me, but now the inside of my mouth starts itching after I eat fresh peaches and melons?   It's a mystery.

There are lots of theories about allergies, but I think that most of them center around the fact that all living creatures are now bombarded with more chemicals, additives, enviromental polutents than we can tolerate. They create sort of a low-level, constant irritant that means when something singley does cause an allergic reaction its effect is heightened.
Plus, the diets of people and animals are now much more varied than they have ever been in the past.  Even if we could strip out the effects of our tampering with the environment and foods, we (and our pets) are now exposed to more foods that could cause an allergic reaction.

I think there is a difference from allergic reactions to food intolerance.  Many dogs are allergic to wheat gluten - probably the most common reaction is itchy skin.   My dog can only eat small quantities of beef or lamb, otherwise she gets soft poo.  I don't think of that as a food allergy per se, but more like a quirk of her digestive system.  Many dogs (and people) cannot tolerate milk products of any kind, that's not an allergy, it's just a reflection of adult mammals not built to digest lactose beyond the age when they stop nursing.  

All we can do is try and figure out what a dog might be allergic to and then remove it from their diet. 

Stacey