Midwoof Diaries: Food Allergies and your Pomsky
About twenty-five years ago, I was a Shih Tzu mom. We were newlyweds and living in California. Mr. SmokyMtnPomskies worked nights and I was lonely, so we decided that we needed a dog. We found Sam at the local Humane Society. He was a little older, not a puppy, but had an adorable little fu man chu mustache and a beard that reminded us of the Yosemite Sam character on Bugs Bunny. And so we named him Sam.
That little dog was our baby. We took him everywhere we could, whether it was the bank or on a road trip across a few states to visit family. He was spoiled rotten and we loved him to pieces. He got us through seven years of infertility and loved our babies when they came with all his little heart. Sam was perfect, he was amazing…except he had terrible food allergies. Allergies that caused him to have awful hives at times, and we never could figure out exactly what he was allergic to back then, but we were able to manage it by making sure he had a good, high-quality food and prednisone from the vet if one of his allergy attacks caused the hives. Sam passed over the Rainbow Bridge years ago, but those allergies caused us a lot of stress, both about his health and on our finances.
We have been breeding Pomskies since 2015 and one of the big things that I stress to our owners is the importance of a good diet for their puppies. Siberian Huskies are notorious for having food allergies and sensitive stomachs; since Pomskies are normally at least half Husky, this well-known phenomenon has been passed down to the Pomsky breed. Food allergies can make both you and your dog miserable, whether they are causing skin issues, gastrointestinal issues, etc., any symptoms that are derived from food allergies are pretty sure to make for one unhappy dog plus his/her owner.
Common symptoms of food allergies in Pomskies include the following:
· Itchy skin or allergic dermatitis – this can be all over the body, but the ears, stomach, rear end and paws are usually affected
· Gastrointestinal issues to include gas, diarrhea and vomiting
· Chronic infections, usually ears and paws
· Swelling – this can be anywhere but is most noticeable in the facial area
· Incessant paw licking and a yeasty/Frito like smell coming from the paws
· Hair loss
· Hives
If you suspect that your dog has a food allergy, the first course of action is to discuss it with your veterinarian, who will most likely conduct a physical exam, do bloodwork, and possibly allergy testing. Bloodwork is less invasive than allergy testing, so many veterinarians prefer to start with that. There are also medications the vet can prescribe to calm allergic episodes.
Many times, an owner can figure out what the Pomsky is allergic to by trying an elimination diet or a hypoallergenic diet. This may be difficult because it involves 8-12 weeks of a diet that consists of ingredients your pet has not eaten in the past. The five most common food allergy “culprits” are beef, chicken, dairy, wheat, and eggs. Once the pet has “detoxed” from the original diet, if the allergies calm down, reintroduce the old diet and see if the symptoms return. If the symptoms have disappeared during the elimination trial and return soon after reintroducing the original food, it is a pretty good bet that your pet is allergic to one or more of the items in the food.
While there are no cures for true food allergies, by minimizing the exposure your Pomsky has to the offending ingredients you should be able to calm the symptoms down so that your furbaby is happier and more comfortable.
