# Food Allergies in Dogs Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/blogs/blog/food-allergies-in-dogs Published: 2023-07-26 Author: Alex Camara Tags: nutrition, pet food In this week’s blog, we are answering some burning questions regarding food allergies in dogs. ## What is a **food allergy**? A food allergy occurs when a dog’s immune system reacts to regular foods as harmful to them. The most common foods that trigger this response are **dietary proteins**. ## What are some **symptoms** of food allergies? Dermatological signs include red itchy skin, lesions, recurring ear infections, and hair loss. Gastrointestinal signs include irregular bowel movements, bad breath, excessive gas, rumbling or gurgling sounds from the gut and nausea. The most common sign of food allergies in dogs is **itchiness**.  ## How do you know if your dog has a food allergy? The best way to determine if your dog has a food allergy is a **food elimination trial**. Allergy tests based on skin, saliva, blood or hair samples can produce unreliable results. A food elimination trial consists of three steps: - Eliminate the potential food allergen (i.e. dietary protein source).  - The trial period with a very strict elimination diet containing either a **novel protein diet **or a **hydrolyzed protein** diet.  -   Re-challenge period with previous food to observe for any recurrence of clinical signs pointing to the food allergy. Finding a diet to use during a food elimination diet may require a deep dive into your **pet’s diet history** to ensure you are feeding a novel protein. On the other hand, you can feed a hydrolyzed protein diet. Hydrolyzed proteins are created via hydrolysis. Hydrolysis uses water to chemically break down proteins into very small pieces so the dog’s immune system won’t react to them.  ## What are the **most common food allergens** in dogs? The top three food allergies in dogs are **beef, dairy** and **chicken**.  ## What are the best **hypoallergenic protein** options? A hypoallergenic protein is a protein that is **less likely to cause an allergy** than other proteins. A good hypoallergenic protein is black soldier fly larvae protein because it is a very novel protein and most dogs haven’t been exposed to insect protein before. If your dog is sensitive to chicken or beef, you may want to try an insect protein diet.  Check out our products including hypoallergenic insect protein!  ## Buyer facts As of 2026-10-29. Prices are in Canadian dollars. - **Protein:** hypoallergenic novel protein (insect protein, from black soldier fly larvae). No chicken, beef, lamb or dairy in the Daily Recipe. Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/alt-pro-vs-your-current-food - **Nutrition standard:** the Daily Recipe is formulated to meet the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance; 25% protein (min), 12% fat (min), 437 kcal per cup. Adults only, not puppies. Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/products/nutrient-rich-daily-recipe-for-dogs - **Made in:** Canada. Over 90% of ingredients sourced in Canada; insect protein from Enterra (Canada). Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/faq-1 - **Price:** Daily Recipe $28.99 (1.59 kg bag) or $73.99 (3 bags); treats $11.99–$12.99 (130 g); Food & Treat Starter $35.99. Subscribe & save takes 10% off. Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/what-it-costs-delivered - **Shipping in Canada:** free on orders of $89 or more, and always on the Food & Treat Starter; otherwise $9.99 (ON, QC, Atlantic) or $12.99 (Prairies, BC, North). Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/what-it-costs-delivered - **Guarantee:** if your dog doesn't like it, we refund you within 30 days, and you don't need to return the product. Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/how-returns-work - **Not for:** puppies (food), pregnant or nursing dogs, dogs with a shellfish allergy. Source: https://altproadvantage.ca/pages/will-alt-pro-work-for-my-dog - **Contact:** info@altproadvantage.ca