The number of instances where dogs display allergies and nutritional intolerances are rising. Here you will find indications on how to recognize those who can be the first alarm bells. First, we must divide allergies and intolerances that, commonly are considered as synonyms, but they actually present very different symptoms. The allergy is a reaction to a specific ingredient which is identified by the organism as harmful, while, the intolerances represent an issue related to the digestion of a particular substance. The ingredients which are often the cause of allergies or intolerances of our four-legged friends are: beef and steer meat in general, eggs, milk products, soy and gluten.

But what are the symptoms which can lead to think about an allergy or to an intolerance? The most common symptoms shown on a cutaneous level (skin and hair) come with redness, rash, brittle coat or dry skin; symptoms related to the digestive system as puke or diarrhea that remark a problem in the absorption of the nutrients and general symptoms, like inflammation on many parts of the organism like otitis, conjunctivitis, cough and so on. It is good to say that skin-related symptoms are more common than allergies, whilst intestinal ones involve the digestion and so it is more likely they are caused by an intolerance.