Jack Russell Food Allergies: Symptoms & Common Allergic Foods

Food is essential for the existence of any living being. So, your Jack Russell also needs to get healthy food for their existence and good health. But, sometimes, food can cause allergies for the Jack Russells. They will be sick due to food instead of being healthy.

So, it will be a great problem for you as a good owner. Accordingly, it is very important to know about all the details related to Jack Russells and their food. Therefore, this article is all about Jack Russell food allergies.

What are the common Jack Russell food allergies? Have you noticed that your dog gets hotspots, redness of the skin, vomiting, and excessive chewing of the skin, etc., after getting some food? If yes, your dog may have food allergies. Generally, food items like; dairy products, lamb, beef, soy, etc., can be allergic to Jack Russells. But, you can cure them with better treatments. And after you realize the allergic foods for your dog, make sure not to provide them. Instead, you can give food items that do not become allergic-like; foods with limited ingredients, novel ingredients, dog foods, etc. 

Accordingly, in this article, I have covered what foods can cause allergies for the Jack Russells, how to identify the food allergies of your Jack Russell, what can you do to manage the food allergies of your dog, and finally, I have given some safe foods that you can provide for your Jack Russell if it has food allergies.    

Let’s get started!

What foods can cause allergies for the Jack Russells?

Food allergies can be seen within people and also within dogs. So, your Jack Russell also can face food allergies. But, if you know about causes for them, you can take steps to control their allergies. So, here let’s focus on the foods that can cause allergies for your Jack Russell. 

Here, the antibodies are produced for various parts of the food (generally protein or complex carbohydrates) with the overreaction of the immune system of Jack Russell. 

Most commonly, food items with protein can cause allergies for the Jack Russells. Dairy products, chicken, lamb, chicken eggs, beef, soy, etc., are included here.

When your dog eats any of the above-mentioned food items, there is a possibility to react antibodies with antigens and result in displaying allergic symptoms. 

1. Beef, chicken, and lamb

The same rules apply to all these food items. Protein causes allergies commonly for dogs. When you feed the dog for a long time with the same food item, it can lead to allergy or intolerance for one or more ingredients.

Beef, chicken, and lamb are food items that can cause allergies. So, rotate the diet of your dog within varieties of food to deal with allergies caused due to beef. 

2. Dairy

There are some dogs with the problem of digesting lactose. This can be cited as intolerance rather than recognized as an allergy. The intolerance of lactose can cause diarrhea, gas, or vomiting.

It is not a secret that when your dog gets an allergic reaction, it may display the same symptoms. So, it can be difficult to identify the intolerance and the allergy.

But, allergy can be manifested as skin itchiness and related symptoms, but the intolerance is always related to food digestion.

3. Wheat

Wheat is a type of carbohydrate that can cause allergies for dogs. But here, the symptoms and allergy reactions may differ from one dog to another.

So, it is better to consult the vet for the treatments.

4. Eggs

The allergies due to eggs happen because of the overreaction of the immune system of your dog for the protein contained in egg yolk. 

5. Soy

It has been found that soy can lead to many health problems like; thyroid, growth problems, and liver issues apart from allergies. So, be careful when providing them continuously for a long period.

When talking about Jack Russell’s food allergies, apart from dairy and animal food products, many other foods can cause allergies for them. Grains, corn, wheat, etc., are common food items with allergies for the Jack Russells. 

Not only that, the food items that have expired, with less quality, foods that are exposed to unfavorable climate conditions also can cause the food allergies of your dog. So, make sure to give them only high-quality products. 

How to identify the food allergies of your Jack Russell?

You have to keep your eye carefully on your Jack Russell to identify whether they have something wrong with their food.

Many dog owners worry about Jack Russell food allergies when they recognize the symptoms of those allergies. But, you don’t have to worry here because you can cure it with better treatments.

But the thing is that you have to identify their symptoms. So, here let’s see what those symptoms are.

• Itching
• Having redness of the skin
• Having dry skin
• Having hotspots
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea causes due to the digestive disturbances
• Lacking the energy
• Losing the weight
• Skin rashes
• Oily skin
• Being aggressive 

You may not recognize the symptoms soon after having the food by your Jack Russell; it may take some time. So, be careful about the dog if you provide it with a new food item. 

Also, dogs can have allergies due to many other reasons like; pollen, dust, mold, etc. But, those symptoms differ from allergic symptoms. So, the following are some of the symptoms due to allergies of Jack Russells for other reasons, not the food allergies.

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Hives
• Acne 
• Runny eyes
• Ear infections

So, identify the allergic food symptoms correctly and provide better treatments to control them. 

What can you do to manage the food allergies of Jack Russell?

Jack Russell food allergies may worry you much as an owner as you may not like to see any pain in your pet.

So, we know that you will take every step to cure your dog if it gets any allergic reaction. Here, I will help you with that by providing some tips to manage the food allergies of your Jack Russell. 

1. Assess the diet of your dog

First of all, you should have to see whether the food that you are going to provide for your pet has the possibility to cause allergic reactions.

So, you have to see the ingredients in the specific food whether there are ingredients that are likely to cause allergies or not. 

2. Be careful when trying new food items and many treatments at once

Here, you have to consider the ingredients of a new food item when trying it with your dog. You have to be careful when changing the diet of Jack Russell at once.

And also, make sure not to use many new items like; new shampoo, prescribed food items, medicine, etc., at once because they will worsen the allergies of your dog instead of giving good results.

So, remember that all of them are linked with one another.

3. Trying an elimination diet

After recognizing the ingredients that cause allergies for Jack Russell, you may try out the diet by eliminating the specific ingredients.

When there are more ingredients in the food, there is more possibility to cause allergies. So, you may eliminate the excessive ingredients and try a nutritional, simple diet.

4. Identify the difference of proteins

Generally, you may use similar proteins like; turkey, chicken together. Then, the dog may get food allergies. Then you decide that both items are not suitable for your dog. But, the case may be different. Every protein is different from one another.

As an example, the dog may have allergies not due to the togetherness of chicken and turkey. The dog that has allergies to chicken may not have allergies to turkey and other poultry products.

So, you have to understand this protein difference and eliminate the unsuitable products, not all protein products.

5. Stick to it

You should be patient when feeding your dog. Don’t expect immediate results after giving food to them. Make sure not to jump from one diet to another immediately.

Instead, feed with both at least 4-6 weeks before feeding with a new diet. If not, the dog may catch digestive upsets and other allergic reactions.

6. Monitor the changes

When feeding your Jack Russell, you have to monitor its progress. It can be done by taking photos, recording the changes along with a chart, etc.

Then you can identify how the dog will grow and what foods are suitable for them. 

7. Consult the vet

If the allergic symptoms become worse, you may consult the vet. If not, it will be dangerous with the development of infections, digestive problems, vomiting, etc.

You also can give antibiotics until you meet the vet to eliminate the infection if the dog is at risk. 

Safe foods for the Jack Russells with food allergies

Many owners whose Jack Russells have food allergies are searching for safe food items to give their dogs. So, here I will provide you with some food items. 

1. Prescription dog food

If you notice that the Jack Russell food allergies become worse, you may consult the vet, and he will recommend prescription dry food for the dog.

This is a little bit of an expensive option, and you can buy novel protein and hydrolyzed diets as recommended by the vet. It will keep your jack Russell comfortably and healthy. 

2. Limited ingredient dog foods

Generally, limited ingredient dry dog foods include little content of allergens like; beef, chicken, or lamb and combine with a little bit of carbohydrate.

But make sure to look for the approval of the food item regarding the suitability for consumption from the manufacturer or a recommended food control association. 

3. Novel ingredient dog food

These food items replace the traditional protein of dog foods like; chicken, beef, etc. And also, they may include; venison, duck, or salmon.

There are also proper carbohydrates like; sweet potatoes. They will offer a balanced diet. 

4. Grain-free dog food

If you notice that your dog has allergies to grains like; wheat, corn, or other grains, grain-free food will be best for it.

There is an additional benefit of these foods as they are free of gluten. 

Conclusion – Jack Russell Food Allergies

We have discussed; Jack Russell Food Allergies: Symptoms & Common Allergic Foods with more details. I think this article will be very important for all the Jack Russell owners as I have covered many important areas like; what foods can cause allergies for the Jack Russells, how to identify the food allergies of your Jack Russell, what can you do to manage the food allergies of your dog and finally I have given some safe foods that you can provide for your Jack Russell if it has food allergies.    

Jack Russell is a small terrier which many people love to raise as their pet. So, they must consider their feeding. But, Jack Russell’s food allergies are commonly seen related to protein and carbohydrate food items. Beef, chicken, lamb, etc., are some of the allergens.

You can recognize their allergies through symptoms like; itching, having redness of the skin, having dry skin, having hotspots, excessive licking and chewing the skin, and vomiting, etc.

But you can manage their food allergies by following very small steps like; assess the diet of your dog, be careful when trying new food items and many treatments at once and try an elimination diet, etc.

You also can provide safe foods for Jack Russell with food allergies like; prescription dog food, limited ingredient dog foods, novel ingredient dog food, and grain-free dog food, etc.

So, be careful about the food items that you are providing for your Jack Russell and have the healthy pet that you have ever loved. 

Thank you for reading this post. Stay tuned with Jack Russell Owner for more interesting posts about your favorite dog breed.

Cheers from Shaggy and Lenny!