Different Types of Allergies

Depending on its severity and mode of manifestation, we may distinguish between four types of allergy: addictive, cyclic, fixed and multiple allergies.

An addictive allergy The dog owner usually is not aware of his dog's carving for certain foods and for this reason this type of allergy is also called hidden or masked allergy, corresponding to the period of adaptation.

In a cyclic allergy dogs may have a reaction to a specific food only if it is eaten in excess, either by eating large quantities of it at any one time or by eating it on several successive days. In addition, a reaction to a cyclic allergen may be triggered by other adverse factors, especially by stress as from emotional and mental problems or from environmental agents such as fumes, mold.  Combining two different cyclic allergens in the same meal may also cause a reaction due to the joint effects of both; poor food combining or a generally acid body condition may be further contributing factors.

If you think that your dog may have a cyclic allergy - the food agrees with him sometimes but not always - then offer it only on a rotation basis, not more often than once every four or five days. Fruits and the lactose content of dairy products often belong to this category. They may not cause immediate reactions, but eating fruits on successive days may cause an increasing degree of overacidity and skin problems, while an oversupply of lactose may soon lead to a build-up of mucus. Both, in turn, can trigger secondary symptoms such as arthritic pains.

With a fixed allergy, the dogs reacts every time the offending food is eaten, no matter how small the quantity. Fixed allergies, therefore, are non-adapted allergies and thus easy to recognize. One soon becomes very efficient in avoiding offending items. Fortunately, only a small percentage of all allergies are of the fixed variety, most of them are addictive or cyclic in nature.

With multiple allergies, dogs react to a wide range of foods and chemicals and quickly become allergic to any replacement foods. This is sometimes called 'being allergic to the twentieth century'. The main causes are deficiencies of zinc and digestive enzymes, as well as gastric acid, weak liver functions and bacterial overgrowth of the digestive tract, possibly with systemic Candida infestation. The solution is intestinal sanitation, a raw-food diet and a high intake of zinc and sulphur compounds.

We may even speak of a trigger allergy. Attacks of asthma or hay fever are often triggered by inhaled substances, such as pollen or house dust with residues of the house mite. However, such reactions would not occur if the mucous membranes were not already hypersensitive because of underlying food allergies and mucus congestion. In a similar way, food chemicals may act as triggers for hyperactivity if the blood-sugar regulation is weak. Also a hypersensitive skin reacts very strongly to insect bites because of its high histamine levels due to underlying food allergy and overacidity. Removing the triggers will help to some degree, but the underlying health deterioration continues and a new trigger may readily be adopted.

Dealing with allergies is not an exact science, but owners need to be informed of offending allergy triggers and approach this problem with a great deal of patience and a dash of common sense.