My dog scratches. How to find his food protein allergy affordably?

Question

I took my terrier mix in to the vet today for his vaccines and exam and I was told that he has allergies (because he scratches quite often daily), it could be the protein that is in his food and I should change it but have to see what he is allergic to first. What do you recommend I do to see what protein he is allergic to. (I was thinking of doing a skin allergy test but is too expensive). Please advice me what I can do or buy, but is not too expensive. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 11 lbs

Jenna Beyer, DVM, MBA, cVMA · Accepted Answer

Your vet may have been referring to a food trial for food allergies. I will attach a link to a good article on performing a food trial below. Top 5 dog food allergens: Beef – 32% Chicken -26% Lamb - 20% Pork - 16% Dairy - 14% Less than 1% of dogs diagnosed with food allergies will be allergic to grains I usually recommend starting with a commercial dog food that uses a "weird" protein, like duck, venison, buffalo, rabbit, etc - basically something you wouldn't normally find in the meat section of a grocery store. If you get a good response after 4 weeks of this new food (and no other treats!), then you can give Toby a piece of chicken. If his allergies flare up, then chicken is a trigger. A few days later, try a piece of beef, etc. If you try a commercial dog food and never get a good response, then you may want to talk to your vet about a prescription hypoallergenic dog food to use in your food trial. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2499

My dog scratches. How to find his food protein allergy affordably?

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