Kirkland Food Allergies in Dogs

Many dogs develop allergies over their lifetime; some of those allergies can be caused by what they ingest. One of the protein sources Kirkland food offers to buyers is chicken. While almost every dog loves chicken, it isn’t always the best for them seeing as many are allergic to it. Kirkland does have another great food with a protein source of lamb. Since lamb isn’t seen as frequently in dog’s diets, it is possible he has not developed an allergy to it. There are only a few ways to determine the exact ingredient your dog is allergic to so the process can be discouraging. However, once you find the source and remove it from his diet, he will be back to is happy, healthy, non-symptomatic self.

Kirkland dog food is one many people feed to their dog. If your dog is allergic to an ingredient it contains, then your dog will be allergic to Kirkland food. Consult with your veterinarian about your dog’s possible food-related allergies.

Symptoms of Kirkland kibble allergies can manifest in a variety of ways in each dog. The most common food related allergy symptoms include

• Itchy skin
• Skin infection
• Ear infection
• Obsessive licking/chewing of feet
• Loss of hair 
• Poor coat condition
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss

The vomiting and diarrhea are rare signs of a food related allergy but rather food intolerance. Either way, it isn’t good to continue feeding the item to your dog.

Types

Your dog may not be allergic to Kirkland food as a whole, but a specific ingredient within it. Many of the Kirkland foods use chicken as their protein source. While this is an excellent protein, many dogs are allergic to chicken.

Many of the Kirkland food recipes also contain brewers dried yeast. While it is not a common ingredient in many foods, some dogs are allergic to the yeast itself. Other ingredients in the food pose a potential allergen threat, but they aren’t seen as frequently as chicken or yeast allergies.

If your dog has allergies, it is his body’s way of protecting itself from something it thinks will harm it. While the item in question is actually harmless, the body doesn’t recognize it as such. It finds it dangerous and mounts a protective response to the threat. True kibble allergies are also known as Adverse Food Reaction (AFR). Your dog’s body produces an immune response to a main ingredient or an ingredient he ingests frequently.

When it comes to diagnosis of Kirkland food allergies in dogs there are very few diagnostic tests you can run. A dietary trial is the most frequently used method. Dietary trial diagnosis and treatment go hand in hand. In a dietary trial, you remove the suspected food item from your dog’s diet entirely. If you are just testing the protein source, it is a little easier to switch foods. For example, if you think your dog is allergic to chicken, you switch him to a food that does not contain any chicken ingredient and start giving him a protein source that is rare, such as duck or lamb. If you want to stick with Kirkland foods but cannot give chicken, they produce a lamb formula as well. If you believe it is the yeast, you will have to pick a food that does not have this as an ingredient. You have to feed your dog the novel food for at least 90 days before you can get a reliable diagnostic. After the 90 days, if resolution of the allergic signs occurs, you then must reintroduce the believed source of allergen. If a relapse in allergen symptoms occurs, then you know the source; if symptoms do not return, then it was a different ingredient. 

Bicom testing is another method of determining kibble allergy in your dog. Bicom testing is also known as bioresonance. This method believes every being and substance in the world emits its own electromagnetic wave. The veterinarian takes a blood sample from your dog and tests different foods and substances to see if it has a ‘good’, ‘neutral’ or ‘bad’ response. If the response is ‘bad’, this means the item being tested causes your dog’s blood wavelength to become stressed which results in a stressed body and therefore allergic reactions. If the response is ‘good’, then the item puts out a wavelength that is compatible with your dog’s blood meaning no adverse reactions should occur. If it is ‘neutral’, the item being tested does not put out a wavelength that alters that of your dog. Bicom testing is not commonly seen in veterinary practices because it is considered an ‘alternative’ medicine. Many holistic veterinarians use the Bicom testing with an extremely high success rate, but other veterinarians believe this method does not work. If you look up Bicom testing, some methods are potentially used to ‘retrain’ the body’s electromagnetic waves to relearn the allergen does not actually pose a threat and should therefore stop producing an allergic response. Other veterinary practitioners typically use it to find out if your dog is compatible with the food or not. If it is not good for your dog, then you simply remove that food from his diet and the allergic symptoms should stop. The main disadvantage of Bicom testing is that it doesn’t tell you exactly which ingredient your dog is allergic to; it only tells you that something within the product is not good for your dog.  However, if you believe it is the yeast, you can test a Kirkland food that contains it against a brand that does not. If both come back as good or neutral, you know the yeast is not the problem.

Some veterinarians will prescribe a medication to help with the itching. This medication will help for a while, but in reality, it is only masking the symptom, not curing it. If you do not remove the source of the itching, you will have to continue to give the prescription and possibly continuously increase the dose as time goes on. 

Bathing your dog can help with the skin itching. Be sure to bathe him with a mild shampoo or one your veterinarian recommends so as to not irritate your dog’s skin further. Be sure to rinse him completely and brush him out after bathing to ensure all the soap was removed. Without removing the allergen source, your dog will continue to suffer the symptoms.

Recovery from a food related allergy is usually very simple. Once the allergen is removed from the dog’s diet, then the symptoms should stop. However, if you continue to feed your dog something he is allergic to, he can begin to develop chronic issues. Ear infections, itching and skin rashes are the most commonly seen chronic symptoms that can lead to secondary infections. The allergen not only weakens your dog’s immune system as a whole, but if he is always scratching his skin with dirty paws, all sorts of bacteria can come into contact with his already delicate skin.

The best thing you can do for your dog is to remove the allergen from his diet. Many owners and their dogs are fond of Kirkland food, but if your dog is allergic to it, you may need to make a switch to a hypoallergenic dog food option. Once the allergen is removed, the symptoms and the secondary infections will stop and your dog will be back to his healthy self.