Corgis, who doesn’t love them? They’re cute, smart as a whip, and have more personality than some politicians.
But they have to have some downsides, right? No dog is perfect, and corgis are no exception.
In today’s article, we’re tackling the subject of food allergies, more precisely, do corgis have food allergies?
We’ll try to provide as straightforward an answer as possible.
We’ll talk a bit about the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity, as those can often get mixed up.
Finally, we’ll mention the most common types of food allergies and how to deal with this often unpleasant situation.
Alright, let’s dive into it.
Do Corgis Have Food Allergies?
The short answer is: yes, they do.
The long answer is a bit more complicated.
Food allergies can be developed early, but what most people don’t expect is that food allergies can be inherited.
That’s right if your corgi’s parents had a food allergy, chances are, he or she may have it as well.
However, that really shouldn’t deter you from getting a corgi if you want one, as there are breeds far more prone to allergies than corgis tend to be.
We recommend asking the breeder you’re getting your corgi from to tell you as much as they can about the medical history of your future corgi’s parents.
A tricky thing about food allergies in dogs is how unpredictable they can be and how hard it can be to figure out what your dog is allergic to.
But what most owners think is an allergy is often a food sensitivity. But before we talk about that, let’s see what causes an allergy in the first place.
What Causes A Food Allergy?
This is a tricky question since there’s not enough research on this topic. For now, it’s believed that the main reason for allergies is genetics.
However, there’s also the so-called sedentary lifestyle.
The more we humans spend our days inside the house, the more our dogs do so as well.
In a way, we both suffer for it by becoming more prone to developing certain diseases tied to a sedentary lifestyle.
We treat those diseases by giving our dogs antibiotics, which are potentially one of the reasons our dogs develop allergies.
Antibiotics, especially at a very early age, can cause the environment in our puppy’s stomach to change. The stomach is the largest part of the immune system, the system that reacts to allergens.
This is why a lot of experienced veterinarians will try and keep young puppies off antibiotics as long as possible.
Forbidden Treats: What Are Corgis Not Allowed To Eat?
Food Allergies Or Food Sensitivity
Food sensitivity, or food intolerance, as some people call it, often gets mistaken for a food allergy. The reason being is that both of these can have similar manifestations.
Food sensitivity is a gradual reaction to a substance in your dog’s food; your dog’s digestive system causes the reaction.
Infection or parasites can often have similar side effects to food sensitivity.
A food allergy, unlike food sensitivity, involves an immune system response. Similar to food sensitivity, a substance in your dog’s food causes the immune system to react.
That substance is called an allergen, and it induces an unwanted response from your dog’s immune system.
Another possibility worth mentioning is that your dog suffers neither from food sensitivity nor from a food allergy. It could be that the diet he is on right now doesn’t sit well with him.
Feeding your corgi McDonalds and seeing him act like something’s wrong doesn’t mean he’s allergic to McDonald’s. It means he’s not getting enough nutrients and can’t handle fast food.
All in all, some research and observation on your part is inevitable. If you see your dog having a bad reaction to a specific type of food, figure out what it is before it gets out of hand.
The most common symptoms of a food allergy are: skin infections, rashes, gastrointestinal problems, chronic diarrhea, ear inflammation, itchy bottom.
We’ll go over how to diagnose a food allergy a little later in this article. Now, it’s time to mention the most common type of food allergies that corgis can suffer from.
Types Of Food Allergies That Corgis Can Suffer From
1. Meat
The allergens we mentioned earlier are often proteins. As we all know, meat is full of proteins, and even dogs, known meat lovers, can be allergic to some types of meat.
BEEF is probably the most common food allergy for corgis, for most dogs in general. It’s full of protein, and dogs love it.
If you’re buying your corgi any pet food without looking at the label, chances are, it contains beef.
Similar to beef, CHICKEN is also a common allergen. Probably not as common as beef, but it’s close.
LAMB allergy is much less common than beef or chicken. Lamb is more expensive, and it’s often recommended as an alternative to dogs that are allergic to beef or chicken. That doesn’t mean your corgi can’t have a lamb allergy as well.
2. Soy
Dogs are omnivorous. They can eat a lot of things without you having to worry whether they’ll be able to digest those things.
Soy, however, shouldn’t be on your corgi’s menu. It’s also full of proteins that are potential allergens and can indeed cause unpleasant reactions.
Soy allergy is not as common as meat allergies, but it’s potentially more dangerous. We highly recommend you keep your corgi away from any products containing soy.
3. Dairy
Just like humans, dogs can be lactose intolerant, as well. That’s the thing, though; dairy allergy is more often an intolerance than an actual allergy to dairy products.
If your corgi has gas, diarrhea, or vomiting but without any skin problems, chances are he has a food intolerance.
However, if all of the things mentioned above are present, but there are also clear signs of a skin infection or a rash, then dairy allergy is highly likely.
4. Eggs
Also a food very rich in protein. Just like your corgi can suffer from a chicken meat allergy, he can also have a chicken egg allergy.
You can try giving him some other type of egg beside chicken. Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility he’s allergic to a protein present in all kinds of eggs.
5. Grains
Although not that common, corgis’ have been known to develop a grain allergy.
It’s completely normal to give your dog leftovers so as not to throw away any food. Still, it’s necessary to make sure those leftovers don’t cause any harm.
How To Cure A Food Allergy?
Food allergies are trickier than if your corgi was allergic to pollen or fleas. They can’t be cured, but they can be managed.
Food allergies are almost impossible to treat with medications. Known anti-allergy drugs like antihistamines have proven pretty much pointless in this regard.
That’s why we’ll go over some of the more effective methods to deal with your corgi’s allergy.
Keep in mind; these methods will take some time. Also, we don’t recommend taking any severe steps before consulting a veterinarian.
Change Up The Food They Eat
The way an allergy develops is somewhat odd.
What your corgi once ate on a regular basis without any issues whatsoever can slowly become an allergy.
That’s why we recommend you don’t stick to just one type of diet.
We mentioned that a meat allergy is somewhat common.
You can lower the odds of such an allergy happening by varying the type of meat your corgi eats on a weekly, or at least bi-weekly, basis.
Look at the labels when buying food. Not everything has to be beef all the time. If you can afford it, put venison on their menu a few times every month.
Also, if your corgi doesn’t do well with any kind of meat, fish is a good alternative.
Keep in mind, though; dogs are rarely allergic to just one thing. Sometimes even great alternatives can also prove to be allergies.
Please don’t wait for an allergy to develop. Start doing this now. Not only will your corgi appreciate the rich menu, but you’ll also keep most of the potential food allergens in check.
Food Elimination Trial
Food elimination trial is probably the worst thing you and your corgi would have to go through.
The point of the food elimination trial is to figure out the exact ingredient that’s causing your dog to have an allergic reaction.
The trial is relatively simple. Your corgi will be given a diet that can consist of just one item and will have to be on that diet for ten weeks.
That’s right, eating the same thing every day for ten weeks, not an easy task. But believe it or not, owners reported that feeding their dogs wasn’t the most challenging thing about the trial.
The biggest challenge was to make sure they don’t eat anything else because as soon as they do, the trial has to start all over again.
Every walk around the block or a visit to a park can potentially destroy weeks of vigilant monitoring.
Some owners tried to do this on their own. We highly recommend against that.
Have a veterinarian that knows what they’re doing pick your corgi’s food elimination diet.
What most owners think is safe, things like vitamins and “harmless” treats, can make the whole process pointless.
Also, if you bought your corgi from a reputable breeder, see if you can find the parents’ medical history or even littermates.
There might already be an answer to what food your corgi is allergic to since, as we said, an allergy can be inherited.
Read More: Can Corgis Eat Bananas?
Meal Preparation
Once you discover what your corgi is allergic to, the easiest thing would be just to buy the food that doesn’t have that allergen in it.
However, the best thing to do for your corgi is to cook their food yourself. Before you dismiss this proposal, hear us out.
Putting in a couple of hours of cooking every other week might not be that huge of an obligation as it sounds.
Freezing the portions and taking them out in the evening, leaving them to thaw for the next day, shouldn’t take up that much of your time.
The main benefit of cooking their meals is that you know what goes into them and you have full control of their diet.
If you’re too busy to do that, we completely understand. In that case, make sure to buy high-quality food that will keep your corgi’s allergy in check.
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Conclusion
Do corgis have food allergies? Unfortunately, our lovely royal corgis can suffer from a food allergy.
That doesn’t make them any less special, though. They’re still great dogs with great personalities.
It’s pretty much impossible to find a breed that doesn’t suffer from a food allergy.
In a way, they’re unavoidable, but there are ways to ensure your corgi stays allergy-free for as long as possible.
Putting him on a rich diet with many different ingredients should prevent an allergy from rearing its ugly head.
If your corgi does develop a food allergy, going to a vet is pretty much the first thing you should do.
They should put him on a food elimination trial to discover the ingredient that’s causing the allergic reaction.
Once you discover the type of food your corgi can eat, don’t try to make up for his lost pounds by overfeeding him. Go easy on the portions.
Don’t let potential food allergies discourage you from getting a corgi; at the end of the day, they’re fantastic dogs no matter what.