“What We’ve Learned About Dog Allergies”
Before we dive in on such a big topic, I just want to say that everything in this blog is based on our own experience with Angus and other family dogs. It’s not intended as medical advice or a substitute for guidance from your vet. Every dog is different, and what works for one may not work for another—this is simply a guide of what we’ve found helpful along the way.
If you do suspect your dog is struggling with allergies, don’t ignore it or assume it will sort itself out, these issues rarely improve without proper attention. Left unmanaged, allergies can escalate quickly, leading to chronic skin infections, painful ear problems, hair loss, and ongoing discomfort that affects your dog’s behaviour, sleep, and overall wellbeing. What starts as mild itching can turn into something much more serious if it’s not addressed early. It’s always worth seeking professional advice and continuing to push for answers until you feel you have things under control. Your dog relies on you to advocate for them and getting on top of allergies sooner rather than later can make a huge difference to their quality of life. This I can confirm from personal experience as I’ve suffered from allergies all my life in one form or another, skin itching can at times feel like thousands of needles are under your skin while there may be no visible mark.
Understanding Dog Allergies: Food vs Environmental
Dog allergies can be frustrating, both for pets and their owners. Constant itching, ear infections, digestive upset, and general discomfort can really impact your dog’s quality of life. The key to managing allergies effectively is understanding what type you’re dealing with.
Dog allergies fall into two categories: food allergies and environmental allergies. While symptoms can overlap, the causes are quite different.
Food Allergies
Food allergies occur when your dog’s immune system reacts to specific ingredients, most commonly a protein such as chicken, beef, or dairy. These reactions are typically consistent year-round because the trigger is part of your dog’s daily diet.
Common signs include:
Itchy skin (often around the face, ears, and paws)
Recurring ear infections
Digestive issues like vomiting or diarrhoea
The upside is that food allergies are often manageable—and sometimes effectively “resolved”—once the trigger ingredient is identified and removed. Start with the elimination diet explained later on in the blog.
Environmental Allergies
Environmental allergies are caused by things like pollen, dust mites, mould, or grass.
Typical symptoms include:
Persistent itching and licking
Red, inflamed skin
Watery eyes or sneezing
Unlike food allergies, environmental allergies are not curable. This is an important distinction. Once a dog develops environmental sensitivities, the focus shifts from elimination to long-term management.
Triggers are often impossible to fully avoid—your dog will still encounter pollen, dust, or grass in everyday life—so treatment is about reducing the immune response and keeping symptoms under control.
Start with Veterinary Support
From experience, one of the most important steps is to get on top of the symptoms early with veterinary treatment. This might include medications to control itching, inflammation, or infections. Stabilising your dog first makes it much easier to properly investigate the underlying cause without them being in constant discomfort.
Once symptoms are under control, you can start working on longer-term solutions.
Veterinary treatments might include:
Anti-itch medications
Anti-inflammatories
Antibiotics or antifungals (for skin/ear infections)
Getting this baseline control is essential. It gives you a clear starting point to then investigate the root cause—rather than trying to troubleshoot while your dog is actively suffering.
Veterinary Treatments vs Herbal/Natural Approaches
When managing allergies—especially environmental ones—you’ll often weigh up traditional veterinary treatments against more natural or herbal options. Both have their place, but they come with trade-offs.
Veterinary Treatments
Pros:
Fast-acting relief (often within days)
Clinically tested and regulated.
Highly effective for moderate to severe cases
Can significantly improve quality of life quickly.
Cons:
May require long-term use for environmental allergies.
Potential side effects depending on medication.
Can be costly over time.
Veterinary treatments are often the most reliable way to control symptoms, particularly in more severe cases or during flare-ups.
Herbal / Natural Approaches
These might include supplements, herbal remedies, or diet-based support aimed at improving skin health and immune balance.
Pros:
Generally gentler on the system
Can support long-term health and skin barrier function.
Often appealing for owners wanting a more “natural” route
Cons:
Slower to show results.
Less scientifically consistent evidence
Often not strong enough alone for severe allergies
Requires careful selection — “natural” doesn’t always mean effective.
In reality, many owners find that a combined approach works best—using veterinary treatments to stabilise symptoms, then introducing supportive natural options to help maintain balance over time. This would obviously depend on your dogs’ needs and the root causes of their allergies.
The Elimination Diet: A Practical Approach
In our case, we explored the elimination diet with Angus, and it was a key step in understanding his allergies. I would recommend this for anyone believing their dog may be suffering from allergies, it can help determine whether they are food related or environmental and therefore the path you should take to make you dog more comfortable.
Step 1: Strict Elimination Phase
Angus was placed on a diet of anallergenic food only—no treats, no extras, no exceptions or there just isn’t any point in going through this process. The three options we are aware of are Royal Canin Anallergenic, Hills Z/D and Purina Pro Plan HA. These are hydrolysed which means the protein has gone through a process where it is broken down into such small particles the body can not react. It is important to note that not all hypoallergenic foods follow this process. Angus’s preference was the Royal Canin, although we didn’t try the Hills option. There are also tin options available these are quite expensive, but Angus was kibble fed and we then used blended kibble with the meat to make treats.
Timeframe: Should be 12 weeks
Absolute consistency is crucial.
During this phase:
If your dog has food allergies, you should see a noticeable improvement.
If the issue is environmental, you’re unlikely to see much change.
This stage helps answer a critical question: is food part of the problem or not?
Step 2: Gradual Reintroduction for established food allergies
If symptoms improve, you can begin identifying the specific trigger by reintroducing ingredients.
Introduce one protein at a time.
Timeframe per protein: 1–2 weeks
Monitor closely for any return of symptoms.
If no symptoms count the protein as safe, go back to your anallergenic for one week then continue with the next protein.
If symptoms flare up, you’ve identified a trigger. Remove it, allow your dog to settle by going back onto the anallergenic diet for two weeks, and then move on to the next protein.
Why This Process Matters
This approach takes time and discipline, but it gives you something far more valuable than guesswork: clear, evidence-based understanding of your dog’s triggers.
If it’s food-related, you can build a safe, tailored diet.
If it’s environmental, you know to focus on long-term management instead of constantly switching foods.
Final Thoughts
Dog allergies can feel overwhelming, especially when symptoms are persistent. But breaking it down into type (food vs environmental) and taking a structured approach makes it far more manageable.
In our experience, the most effective strategy was:
Use veterinary treatments to get symptoms under control.
Investigate with an elimination diet where appropriate.
Build a long-term plan—whether that’s dietary or environmental management.
Environmental allergies may not be curable, but should be manageable. And with the right combination of treatments and careful observation, you can make a huge difference to your dog’s comfort and quality of life.
I cannot reiterate enough that allergies are unsufferable, always advocate for your dog!
Some additional notes from our reps:
@babybelletomkins
Belle was diagnosed with allergies after experiencing gastrointestinal issues and red, itchy paws. Following allergy testing, we discovered that fish was the only protein she could tolerate—she showed an allergic response to every other protein source.
Since then, we’ve carefully managed her diet with fish-based kibble, salmon oil, and a variety of fish skin treats from Furreal. The range available is fantastic, so she never gets bored, and for training, the fish-based treats have been perfect.
By sticking to a strict diet alongside her allergy medication, we’ve been able to get her symptoms well under control. In fact, her progress has been so positive that we’ve recently started introducing some novel proteins. She now enjoys ostrich (especially the bones, which keep her happily occupied), insect-based treats, and even crocodile meat!
Maintaining consistency with her diet and having a trusted place to source high-quality treats has made a huge difference in managing her allergies and keeping her happy and healthy.
@meatballmogwai
Food allergies:
Meatball kept getting really bad ear infections, I paid mostly out of pocket but then it was really all adding up (£120 for an eardrop!?), then she needed a minor operation on her eardrum due to chronic infections, that’s when I realise the issue was in her gut microbiome! I spoke with a nutritionalist and we started an elimination diet. It turns out grain was the issue, and since going grain free she’s been the happiest & healthiest ever! Chicken is apparently quite a common allergy so that’s something we also looked out for but luckily that’s not a trigger for her.
Seasonal allergies:
Local raw honey, just a few licks, apparently is meant to help desensitise their immune system to the local pollen! We do this in the hot months. Also a warm face cloth every morning and night to clean her whole face & body! When she gets particularly sneezinseason we do half a piriton - has to be piriton, not piriteeze or anything else (our vet told us that).