Meals for Mutts Salmon and Sardine: A Cure for Allergies?

Being a dog owner can be ridiculously rewarding. You get to see this small bundle of joy transform into a lifelong friend, who will mould to your living situation, complement your personality and give you the companionship required in times of need. But the pet ownership process can be endlessly frustrating if your pup suffers from food-related allergies. How do I know? I have first-hand experience. My dog Bubu is the light of my life. The sweetest, most affectionate companion one could ask for.

Sure, he is now an old man, at eleven, and sure, he might only have two functional brain cells and they compete with each other, but I love him to bits, and he is my best friend. Therefore, it's heartbreaking to see him struggle so much with food allergies. I don't know exactly why he is like this, but ever since his puppy days, if he eats any kibble that incorporates proteins from chicken or cattle, he just breaks out in hives and he starts scratching uncontrollably.

For years on end, I've tried every single kibble brand you can think of. Some worked, some made it even worse. But the best option I've tried so far seems to have been Meals for Mutts salmon and sardine. Fish, for some reason, seems to have a less pronounced effect on his allergies than other animal-sourced proteins. It's a shame, but at least vegan dog food and fish-based kibble can keep his scratching at bay.

Why Are Some Dogs Allergic to Common Protein Sources?

Typically, food allergies are caused by an overreaction of the immune system. Proteins are amino acid chains that provide countless nutritional benefits to our four-legged friends. But sometimes, the immune system can get confused and mistake the common proteins your pup gets from food for external threats that require a wide-scale response. Nobody knows exactly why this happens.

Genetics play a role, as some breeds are more predisposed to food allergies than others. However, the development of the microbiome in the first weeks after weaning from milk also seems to play a crucial role in long-term allergy predisposition. It's probably a cumulation of factors, all things considered. But the result is the same. For some dogs, food allergies are a lifelong struggle and only an out-of-the-box approach can alleviate their symptoms.

How Do Food Allergies Present in Dogs?

Typically, the main symptoms are related to skin issues. Bubu, for example, when affected by protein allergy, suffers from pruritus, and his skin gets all red and inflamed. Since he's so itchy, he scratches uncontrollably until he develops sores, and because of this and the moisture trapped in his fur, as he starts to lick these wounds, he also concomitantly suffers from Malassezia. He develops scabs, he loses hair, and his skin gets dark. It's a nightmare, but it's the reality I've had to deal with for more than eleven years now. 

Other dogs, however, can develop even worse symptoms. My aunt's puddle, for instance, suffers from partial hair loss because of the recurring ear infections triggered by an allergy to common kibble proteins. But the thing is, it's difficult to find kibble that doesn't cause symptoms like this in allergy-prone dogs. Meals for Mutts salmon and sardine and vegan dog food work, not because they do something magical, but because they provide proteins from sources that are quite new for your pup's immune system.

Chicken and beef are the most common allergens, not because there's something inherently wrong with them. They are just present in most kibble, and repeated exposure to the same protein sources is more likely to turn the immune system against them.

Why Get Meals for Mutts Salmon and Sardine?

Meals for Mutts salmon and sardine is different from other types of kibbles available in Australia, as it's completely grain-free, it makes use of fish-based proteins instead of cattle-sourced ones, and it's rich in EPA and DHA. Fish, as a protein source, is less likely to result in an excessive reaction of your pup's immune system, as most likely, he didn't encounter fish, in the form of kibble, in his formative months.  

Dogs are underexposed to fish, at least compared to chicken or other meats. Sure, it's possible for your pup to be allergic to fish, but most food allergies, when it comes to canines, are not really about the proteins themselves, as they are about the immune system's reaction to protein overexposure. Moreover, the omega-3 acids found in Meals for Mutts salmon and sardine have natural anti-inflammatory properties, which in themselves can reduce itching in food-sensitive pups. 

What about Vegan Dog Food?

Unlike cats, who are strict carnivores, dogs have evolved the ability to digest proteins from plant-based sources. They prefer meat, sure. But they don't necessarily need it. Vegan dog food has similar benefits to Meals for Mutts salmon and sardine, as your pup has never been previously exposed to proteins that come from non-animal sources. So, they are novel, and they are less likely to result in allergic reactions.

Vegan dog food replaces all the animal proteins present in kibble with ones that are sourced from plants. From a nutritional standpoint, your dog should not notice a difference. But since the animal sources are eliminated, vegan kibble can work similarly to an elimination diet. If, with vegan kibble, your dog stops exhibiting signs of food allergy, then more than likely, the issues that caused his symptoms were related to the protein sources themselves.

Yes, dogs can still be allergic to plants. But even though it's technically possible, chances are that your pup will not have the same allergic reaction to soy as it does, for instance, to chicken. As long as the plant-based proteins come bundled with taurine, vitamin B12, and certain amino acids, vegan dog food is safe and can even be helpful for determining if your pup's skin issues are caused by his food intake.