Royal Canin Allergies in Dogs

Many people have differing opinions on the quality of the Royal Canin products.  What should matter most to you: is it a good choice for your dog? Royal Canin produces good foods for many different stages of a dog’s life as well as different breeds and different medical conditions. However, no matter the quality, if your dog is allergic to an ingredient within the food, it is not the best choice for your dog. Symptoms of allergies can develop either immediately or over years of your dog having consumed the same diet. Most develop signs between the ages of one and five. If your dog is diagnosed with a food allergy, treatment is straight-forward and prognosis for a full recovery is good.

Royal Canin is a brand of dog food known for its variety of diets, including a veterinary line. While this food may be an excellent source of nutrition for some dogs, it is possible your dog may be allergic to some of the varieties. If you suspect your dog has an allergy to Royal Canin and this is their current diet, consult with your veterinarian.

Symptoms of allergies from Royal Canin in dogs will vary because each dog may be allergic to different ingredients resulting in different symptoms.  Allergy symptoms may include

• Runny nose
• Runny eyes
• Itchy skin
• Dry, flaky skin
• Poor skin conditions
• Poor hair coat
• Hair loss
• Bumps/rash 
• Hives
• Chronic ear infections
• Obsessive licking/chewing of feet
• Inflamed, red paw pads
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Weight loss or a failure to thrive

Types

Royal Canin produces a wide variety of foods for dogs of all stages in their life.  They have foods with different protein sources, foods with and without grains, wet foods and dry foods.  Depending on which ingredient your dog is allergic to your dog may or may not be allergic to one, some, or all of the Royal Canin products.

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 the allergen dangerous and mounts a protective response to the threat. Your dog’s body produces an immune response to the allergenic ingredient. This allergic response may develop quickly or may develop over a period of years of consuming the same diet. Some food-related allergies happen after the dog suffers from an infection involving the stomach or intestines.

When you first arrive at the veterinary clinic, the veterinarian will start with a physical exam. This will allow her to take note of all your dog’s symptoms. If your dog has watery eyes, the veterinarian may perform fluorescein staining to check for a scratch on the eye that could possibly cause the watering. If your dog’s skin is irritated, the veterinarian may take a skin scraping to check for external parasites or a swab to assess for fungal or bacterial overgrowth.  

Blood work will be performed to give the veterinarian a broad look as to how the internal organs are functioning and to rule out other possible causes of the signs such as a parasitic infection.  A complete blood count (CBC) and chemistry panel will provide the veterinarian with needed information for proper assessment.  If your veterinarian feels it is necessary, she may also perform a urinalysis for further evaluation of kidney function. 

Bicom testing may be something you have heard of when researching food allergies. Bicom testing is also known as bioresonance. This method believes every being and substance in the world emits its own electromagnetic wave. Bicom testing is not commonly seen in veterinary practices because it is considered an ‘alternative’ medicine and there is no scientific evidence it works. Many holistic veterinarians use the Bicom testing, but conventional veterinarians believe this method does not work and that it is a way of scamming money out of concerned owners. The vets who use it claim to be able to  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 ‘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 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. The main downside to the Bicom testing for an entire food, is it does not tell you what specific ingredient your dog is allergic to, just that something in the food reacts poorly with your dog. 

For most, allergy blood work and/or intradermal testing can pinpoint a food allergy. This can be costly and is not always effective, but generally points us in the right direction.

A food trial is also sensible, whereby we avoid certain foods for several weeks to see if an improvement in symptoms is noted. Ideally, we would feed only a hydrolysed diet for 8 weeks alongside no treats, chews or titbits. If symptoms resolve, a food allergy is suspected. If we re-introduce the suspected allergen (for example, a Royal Canin diet) and signs recur, the diagnosis is confirmed.

 If symptoms do not return with the reintroduction of the Royal Canin, then it was a source other than the food.

While it may be a long process, if you are able to discover the actual ingredient(s) your dog is allergic to, you may or may not be able to keep him on certain Royal Canin foods. In addition, once you know the actual allergen, you can then have strict control over your dog’s diet and can keep him from ingesting it in any form of food, treat, or supplement.

Though the  veterinarian will prescribe a medication to help with the itching your dog may be suffering from while trying to diagnose the cause, it may cease it’s healing properties in time. If you do not remove the source of the itching, you will have to continue to give the prescription medicine and possibly continuously increase the dose as time goes on. 

Removing the allergen completely will also help avoid chronic infections.  If the allergen remains in your dog’s food, it will continue to weaken his immune system and may lead to more and more visits to the clinic.

A hydrolysed diet made by Royal Canin called 'Anallergenic' food should not cause allergies in any dog, as the proteins have been broken down so small that they are not recognised by the body. This is a good option if you suspect your dog is reacting to another Royal Canin food. You may also consider switching your dog to a hypoallergenic dog food option. 

Once you discover the exact allergen(s) causing issues in your dog and remove it from his diet, all of his allergy symptoms should stop. While there have not been any known cases of death from an allergy to Royal Canin, the longer your dog is eating a food that weakens his immune system, the higher his chances he may develop a more serious secondary health concern. Once your dog is consuming a diet that's right for him, his immune system will return to full strength and prognosis of a full recovery is good.