One of the hardest parts of being a pet owner is not understanding why your fur baby isn’t feeling its best. Animals can’t verbally express what is wrong, which is why it took one dog parent a few trips to the vet to get to the bottom of her canine’s health problem.
Kayla Valdes originally thought her shih tzu, Juniper, had an ear infection, as she explained in a June 6 TikTok video posted to the account @junietheshihtzu. However, the ear infection was ruled out. The veterinarian offered to run an allergy test, which involved taking a blood sample from the dog.
About two weeks later, Valdes learned what it was: Junie is allergic to turkey, peanuts and fish. The dog received an allergy shot to help with the itching following the diagnosis.
Relief settled over Valdes when the results came back, but doubt also crept in. She wrote in the video’s caption that she felt as if she had “failed as a dog mom.” On the bright side, she’s thrilled Junie is eating food that will not irritate her.
@junietheshihtzu/TikTok
“We had no idea what she was actually allergic to either and had to wait weeks to find out the results from her tests,” Valdes told Newsweek via TikTok. “It was a journey to get here, but I’m so glad because she has so much more energy now.”
She said that Junie is acting like her puppy self again.
The TikTok clip, which brought in 120,500 views and 13,700 likes, prompted people to share their similar experiences and what they have to do now after discovering their dogs are allergic to food.
“This is my dog too, my mom has to now make homemade dog food cs my dog constantly licks the top of his paws till it turns red,” said one.
Another added: “My girl has allergies and she takes the Apoqual pill, prescription food, special shampoo, and Cytopoint. She cost more than my human child lol.”
A viewer commented: “I wish they could talk just a day and tell us how we can make their little lives better.”
If only it were that easy!
Food Allergies in Dogs
The VCA Animal Hospitals website says that if food allergies in dogs pop up, it’s because of prolonged exposure to a specific brand, type or form of food. The most common food allergens in dogs are proteins. This is especially true with dairy products, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, soy and wheat gluten.
But how do dogs communicate to their owner that they have a food allergy? Parents should be on the lookout for itchy skin, paws or ears. Other signs include digestive disturbances such as vomiting or diarrhea. There are more subtle changes too: hyperactivity, weight loss, lack of energy or aggression.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.