Quinoa Allergies in Dogs

Many people are becoming more health conscious for themselves, their families, and even their dogs. Just like quinoa has many beneficial properties for humans, it can be beneficial for dogs as well. However, some dogs are in fact allergic to it and cannot have it in their diet. While quinoa has not been known to cause the typical food allergy related reactions in dogs, it can. In most cases, severe diarrhea is the most commonly seen symptom of a quinoa allergy. If introduced gradually without any adverse side effects, quinoa should be safe for your dog to consume. If your dog has any negative side effects, as soon as you remove quinoa from his diet and it passes through his system, he should make a full recovery without any long term issues.

Quinoa is becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in dog foods today. While it has many beneficial qualities, your dog may be allergic to it. If you are considering introducing quinoa to your dog’s diet, consult with your veterinarian.

Typical food related allergy symptoms in dogs include:

• Itchy skin
• Skin infection
• Ear infection
• Obsessive chewing/licking of feet
• Loss of hair
• Hives
• Runny nose
• Runny eyes
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea

When it comes to an allergy from quinoa, it is commonly seen more of an ‘intolerance’. Quinoa is extremely high in fiber which commonly leads to diarrhea in dogs. 

Types        

There are many different brands of quinoa you can purchase for your dog. It is possible your dog may be allergic to one brand but not to another due to the growing, harvesting, and packaging process. For example, it can be found that a dog is allergic to one brand of quinoa, but is not allergic to an organic brand.

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. The body finds it dangerous and mounts a protective response to the threat. Your dog’s body produces an immune response to the quinoa ingredient. This allergic response may develop quickly or may develop over a period of years. Many food-related allergies happen after the dog suffers from an infection involving the stomach or intestines. 

Since quinoa is not an ingredient commonly found in many dog foods, it is introduced by you as the owner in forms of food or supplements. If you begin to give your dog quinoa and he immediately has a reaction, do not give him any more.

A discussion of your pet’s dietary habits and the type of food that you feed him will be a large part of the diagnostic process and can be talked about during the physical examination. Let your veterinarian know when you began to notice symptoms related to the allergy. To begin, the veterinarian will check your dog’s vitals and carefully examine his nasal passages, eyes, and ears for infection or irritation.

If your pet is experiencing a lot of diarrhea, a fecal sample will be analysed to see if there is an underlying cause for the problem other than the quinoa allergy. In addition, blood tests and urinalysis can alert the veterinarian to possible problems with the liver or kidneys.

Bicom testing is another method of determining a quinoa 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 food items and substances to see if it has a ‘good’, ‘neutral’ or ‘bad’ response. If the response is ‘bad’, the item being tested causes your dog’s blood wavelength to become stressed. Stressed blood leads to a stressed body and therefore an allergic reaction. If the response is ‘good’, then the item puts out a wavelength that is compatible with your dog’s blood which means 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.  If the bicom testing determines that the quinoa is not good for your dog, then you simply remove that food from his diet and the allergic symptoms should stop. However you feed the quinoa to your dog is how you test it. For example, boil it before you feed it to him boil it before you test it. By testing it in its prepared form, you are able to get a more reliable result. 

When it comes to diagnosis of quinoa allergies in dogs there are very few diagnostic tests available. There are the options of serum allergy and intradermal testing in addition to the bicom method, but a dietary trial is the most frequently used method. In a dietary trial, you have to feed your dog a novel diet, meaning you feed him a diet without any quinoa ingredients whatsoever. During this trial, you cannot give any type of treats containing quinoa as it can affect the results. You have to feed your dog the novel diet for at least 90 days before you can get a reliable diagnostic. After the 90 days, if resolution of the allergic symptoms occurs, you then must reintroduce quinoa to his diet. If a relapse in allergy symptoms occurs once the quinoa is reintroduced, then you know the source. If symptoms do not return with the reintroduction of quinoa, then it was a source other than the quinoa your dog was reacting to. 

The symptoms your dog is experiencing will determine his course of treatment. If your dog is experiencing any type of dehydration due to the diarrhea and poor body condition, fluids will be started. If your dog has itchy skin, the veterinarian may recommend a bath with mild shampoo to offer him some relief. If your dog has an ear infection, the veterinarian may prescribe an ear cleaner and medication to be used per her instructions. 

In regards to the poor body condition and diarrhea, as soon as you remove quinoa from your dog’s diet, he should begin to gain weight and his stools should return to normal. The veterinarian may recommend a specific food to start with to get his nutrient levels and vitamin levels up to a healthy range. She may also put him on diet supplementation for a while to give his body the extra help and nutrients he needs.

As long as you remove quinoa from your dog’s diet, he should recover without a problem. Since it was the quinoa causing all the problems, once it is gone from his system, his symptoms should subside. However, if you continue to feed him something with quinoa, he will not be able to get the nutrients from his diet he desperately needs and it may cause him to slowly waste away. Chronic infections and skin irritations will heal and not occur again as long as you keep quinoa out of his diet. His immune system will stop over-reacting and return to its normal strength. This will help your dog fight off actual threats instead of false ones.

If you notice your dog is losing weight without you changing anything in his diet or is not thriving like he should be, it is time to talk to your veterinarian. The sooner you figure out the problem and remove it from his diet, the healthier he will be.