For the allergic dog, food is medicine. Some foods have cooling properties, while others are warming. Animals experience allergies may benefit from a diet that is concentrated with cooling or neutral foods. These types of food can help bring down inflammation and decrease the excessive amounts of heat in the body from an allergic reaction. On the contrary, foods with warming properties may actually add to your pet’s allergy symptoms and should be avoided during seasons when allergies are at their peak. Below is a (non-comprehensive) list of cooling, neutral, and warming foods.
Cooling Foods (Great for pets with allergies, or who always run a little hot)
- Meats: rabbit, duck
- Seafood: clams, codfish, whitefish
- Veggies: tomatoes, yellow soybeans, broccoli
- Fruit: apples, kiwis, mango
- Grains: barley, buckwheat, wild rice
- Other: eggs, salt, tofu, yogurt, sesame oil, flaxseed oil
Neutral Foods (Great for maintaining balanced temperature levels)
- Meats: beef, goose, pork
- Seafood: salmon, tuna
- Veggies: carrots, peas, pumpkin, potato
- Fruit: papaya, raspberries, pomegranate
- Grains: brown and white rice
- Other: corn, cheese, milk, flaxseed
Warming Foods (Should be avoided during seasons of allergies)
- Meats: turkey, chicken, ham
- Seafood: lobster, mussel, shrimp
- Veggies: black beans, squash, sweet potato
- Fruit: cherries, dates, peaches
- Grains: oats, sorghum, sweet rice
- Other: chestnut, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, nutmeg
If you believe your pet is dealing with an allergy to a specific food, you can fairly easily determine whatever ingredient is causing the issue by a simple process of food elimination. Find out how here.
