What to Do When Your Dog Has Food Allergies (and Why Raw Didn’t Work for Us)
🐾 What Do You Do When Nothing Works?
What do you do when your dog has severe allergies, you’ve tried everything, and nothing seems to work — but you still want them on a proper diet?
That was the situation I found myself in with my dog, Tobey. Like many pet parents, I thought the “gold standard” was raw feeding. I believed raw was the answer… but it actually made his allergies worse. Here’s what I tried, what failed, and what finally worked.
Step 1: Bug Protein & Kefir Water
We started with bug protein (yes, crickets!) and kefir water. This combination actually stopped Tobey’s allergy attacks for a while. But it wasn’t something I wanted to keep him on long-term.
Step 2: Testing Hypoallergenic Proteins
Next, I tested single proteins, one at a time. The “hypoallergenic” list included kangaroo, bison, and lamb.
The challenge? Tobey’s reactions usually took 7–10 days to show up, which made testing a slow process. I’d cycle back to bug protein in between trials, then introduce the next meat.
Step 3: Pork Shows Promise
Finally, I landed on pork. For the first time — no reaction. I thought we had cracked the code.
But then I realized something shocking…
Step 4: The Real Problem Was Raw
It wasn’t the protein causing the flares. It was the raw food itself.
Every time I fed raw, Tobey’s allergies came back with a vengeance. One day I poured boiling water over raw pork to lightly cook it, and suddenly… no reaction. That’s when I knew: raw wasn’t the magic answer for us.
💡 Takeaway for Other Pet Parents
There’s so much pressure in holistic circles to feed raw. But sometimes, raw is actually the problem. For Tobey, raw diets led to thousands in emergency vet visits, steroids, and stress.
Cooked, simple foods are what finally gave him relief — and helped him thrive.
If your dog is struggling like Tobey was, know that you’re not alone. Sometimes the most “popular” solution isn’t the right one for your dog.