In Part 1, we discussed recognizing allergies.
In Part 2, we discuss how to handle them!

One way to test your theory that your pet may have a food allergy is to do an elimination diet. These diets avoid the antigens the dog has been on before, and introduce new or "novel" antigens.

Most dog foods contain beef, chicken, egg and lamb, and wheat and corn. Some elimination diets that are available include proteins such as venison, duck, rabbit & whitefish. Ingredients can also be rice, peas, potatoes, amaranth, or beets. The pet should be on the diet a minimum of 12 weeks. Introduce the diet slowly so your pet doesn't get diarrhea.

Treats also have to be compatible with the
elimination diet - the pet could have a vegetarian biscuit as long as the label is carefully checked to make sure there are no meat flavorings. Cubes of venison, duck or fish could be kept in the refrigerator and used as treats.

It can be a difficult 12 weeks but well worth the effort. If the animal improves, start adding back the old antigens one by one to see if signs recur.