Finding cooling proteins for dogs that can help control allergies can be done by using Chinese medicine food energetics. Numerous allergy treatment alternatives make immediate promises of success. However, the adverse reactions may outweigh the allergic condition they are meant to address. Discovering the root of the problem is crucial.
The Cause of Allergies in Dogs
Allergies, like all medical problems, are signs of an underlying disharmony inside the body, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). You must first address the imbalance that is producing the allergy in order to effectively treat the issue.
What is an Allergy?
A hypersensitive response to an allergen constitutes an allergy (from food or an environmental factor). Your dog’s body overheats as a result of these allergens overreacting to the body’s defenses.
Skin that is itchy and reddened, panting, and restlessness are a few of the accompanying symptoms. According to TCM, the combination of cool (the body temperature of the dog) and warm (the heat of allergies) frequently results in a condition of “wind” within the body, which is what frequently results in intensely itchy skin.
How TCM Views an Imbalance
The “yin and yang” concept, the foundation of all TCM theory, can be used to explain any imbalance within the body. The body always contains both yin and yang.
Phlegm buildup is another way that allergies can have an impact on a dog’s body. Heat, phlegm, and wind are all signs of “Liver Qi stagnation,” which is an imbalance in your dog’s liver.
The liver, according to TCM, is the organ in charge of ensuring that Qi, the body’s general life force, flows smoothly. Qi is pronounced “chee.”
The liver serves as the body’s “pump” to ensure a constant flow of energy. The body’s essential fluids evaporate when that pump “overheats” as a result of an allergic reaction, and phlegm begins to build up. The dog’s coat develops an unpleasant odor and turns oily or sticky as a result of the buildup of phlegm.
The notion of “Yin” stands for cooling, fluids, stillness, and passive conduct. The concept of “yang” stands for things like heat, inflammation, external energy, and aggressive conduct.
The two forces will be perfectly balanced in a healthy dog.
Any imbalance between the two is viewed as an illness in TCM. This means that allergies are frequently viewed as being caused by an excess of yang (heat) in the body.
Imagine an allergic dog’s body as a pot of water that is going to boil. You can either lower the heat or add extra water to the saucepan to stop the boiling. TCM employs yin tonifying herbs that enhance the body’s total fluids while cooling herbs that reduce yang (or heat) in the body to restore the dog’s body to equilibrium. TCM herbs emphasize a wholistic approach to treating illnesses. In the case of canine allergies, they function to lower body heat, hence lowering skin inflammation and phlegm buildup.
The herbs treat the allergy’s underlying cause while also easing its symptoms.
Types of Allergies in Dogs
Food and environmental allergens are the two most common types of allergies in dogs.
Although each of these allergy kinds affects a dog in a distinct way, the same theories can be used to control them. You can take a few very easy steps to lessen how strongly your dog will respond.
Food Allergies
Finding the meal or foods that are triggering the reaction is crucial when you suspect your dog has food allergies. Change your dog’s diet to something other than kibble, like a raw fed diet, to achieve this. By feeding a raw diet, you know exactly what’s going into your dog’s bowl and can address the root of the problem along the way.
After a week of eating a particular protein, you can introduce another food if your dog is not experiencing any allergy symptoms, which can take anywhere from a few hours to several days to manifest. If your dog exhibits symptoms of an allergic reaction throughout this process (such as drooling, vomiting, a grumbling stomach, or skin rashes), this identifies the most recently ingested food as the allergen (or one of the allergens). Your dog should stop eating that food altogether.
There are particular blood or saliva tests you can perform to determine your dog’s allergies more quickly, like those found at AnimalBiome.
Environmental Allergies
Environmental or inhaled allergens are another type of allergy that is prevalent in dogs. When dogs breathe in allergens including mold, dust mites, dander, and grass and tree pollen, allergies develop. Itchy, unpleasant skin irritations may arise from this. The same pollens could be inhaled by us without creating any reaction, but allergic dogs are more likely to develop hypersensitivity, which results in their entire body swelling up. There is too much heat and inflammation, which is the cause of this discord.
Western medicine only considers outwardly visible allergy symptoms like lesions, itching, and scratching. TCM, however, also takes note of less evident signs like restlessness, irritation, and panting. All of these symptoms point to an allergic reaction, exposing the root cause of Liver Qi stagnation.
Traditional Chinese methods like acupuncture and dietary therapy can be used to treat Liver Qi stagnation in addition to employing medicines.
Food Energetics in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Dog allergy management using food therapy can be quite successful when paired with other methods.
According to Chinese medical thought, food functions similarly to a medication. You might use the proverb “you are what you eat” in this situation. As a result, you should be aware of warming vs. cooling foods for dogs.
What Are Cooling Proteins?
Foods are categorized according to their ability to do various things, like cool or warm you up. Dogs with allergies should consume cooling proteins such fish, duck, and rabbit. Cooling foods can aid dogs with allergies by reducing body-wide inflammation. Avoid eating foods like venison and lamb, which are among the warmest proteins and would cause an allergic dog’s body temperature and allergic reaction to rise sharply.
Cooling foods should be included in an allergic dog’s diet to help balance the imbalance that is producing the reaction. So, for dogs, here is a breakdown of hot and cold proteins.
Cooling Foods For Dogs
- Protein: Rabbit, Duck
- Fish: Clam, Cod, Crab, Scallop, Whitefish
- Vegetables: Tomatoes Yellow, Soy Bean, Bamboo, Broccoli, Celery, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kelp, Lettuce, Mushroom, Seaweed
- Fruit: Apple, Banana, Cranberry, Kiwi, Lemon, Mango, Orange, Pear, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
- Grains: Barley, Buckwheat, Job’s Tears, Millet, Mung Bean, Wheat, Wild Rice
- Miscellaneous: Eggs (Duck), Flax Seed Oil, Marjoram, Peppermint, Salt, Sesame Oil, Tofu, Yogurt, Chicken Egg Whites
Neutral Food
Neutral foods will often tonify Qi and Blood and balance Yin and Yang. To give diversity and choice, you can feed them with other kinds of food or to soften the harshness of a diet that is excessively hot or cold.
- Protein: Beef, Beef Liver, Goose, Pork Liver, Pork Kidneys, Pork Feet, Quail, Tripe, Bison
- Fish: Carp, Catfish, Herring, Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Sturgeon, Tuna
- Vegetables: Black Soy Beans, Kidney Beans, Beet Root, Broad Beans, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Green beans, Peas, Red Beans, Aduki Beans, String Beans, Pumpkin, Potato, Shitake Mushroom, Yams
- Fruits: Papaya, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Raspberry
- Grains: White Rice, Brown Rice, Rye, Lentils, Corn
- Miscellaneous: Chlorella, Spirulina, Tofu, Goat’s Milk, Yogurt Cheese, Chicken Eggs, Cow’s Milk, Duck Eggs, Honey
Warming Foods (Avoid For Dogs With Allergies)
- Protein: Turkey, Chicken, Chicken Liver, Pheasant, Ham
- Fish: Sturgeon, Lobster, Mussel, Shrimp, Prawn, Anchovy
- Vegetables: Black Beans, Squash, Sweet Potato
- Fruit: Cassia Fruit, Cherry, Date, Peach, Longan
- Grains: Oats, Sorghum, Sweet Rice
- Nuts/Seeds: Chestnut, Coconut, Pine Nut, Walnut
- Miscellaneous: Bay Leaves, Brown sugar, Cinnamon, Ginger, Molasses, Goat Milk, Turmeric, Vinegar, Basil, Clove, Dill Seed, Dried Ginger, Fennel Seed, Nutmeg, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme
Hot Foods (Also Avoid In Dogs With Allergies)
Protein: Lamb, Mutton, Sheep, Venison, Kidney
Fish: Trout
Miscellaneous: Cayenne
Address the Root of the Problem
The most important thing to remember about Chinese food energetics is that they don’t just treat the symptoms of allergies. They address the root imbalance to resolve the underlying disharmony. When you resolve that, the allergy symptoms go away, instead of just placing a temporary band-aid.
Read more:
Cooling Foods for Dogs: A Basic Food Energetics for Dogs Guide
Warming, Cooling, and Neutral Proteins. Which Is Right For Your Dog? – Grandma Lucy’s