Dog Allergies & Hot spots

Does your dog get hotsposts? Constantly iching? Not sure what it is because you KNOW that it isn't fleas or ticks??? A little known fact about dog nutrition is that most dogs, especially small breeds, are prone to allergies caused by Red Dye #40 (or Red 40) that is in most dog food ingredients. The easiest way to determine if you dog is allergic to Red 40 is to go check out the ingredients on the dog food bag of the food they have been eating. If Red 40 is in the ingredients, switch your dog food imediatly to a brand that doesn't have Red 40 in it. Just check the ingredients on EVERY bag and you will know which has it and which doesn't. Any time you switch you dog food for any reason, you should never take up the old food and replace it with the new. You must mix in the the new with the old until you've gradually switched to your new food totally. The reason being is that the switch could make your dog sick. 9 times out of 10, when an owner switches food, they don't gradually switch, mixing the foods, and their dog gets sick, which makes the owner think that it's just the new food that's making them sick, and they switch back. It's not the new food, it's just the switch. After switching food totally, allow about a month to see if the hot spots and itching stops. If it does, you know your dogs was having an allergic reaction to the Red 40. If not, then you should probably see your Vet for further testing. Here are some foods that DO have Red 40: Alpo Ol' Roy Kibbles & Bits Beneful Check ALL bags ingredient before buying because even some of the top brands have Red 40. Beggin' Strips....I would stick to one piece a day. (Check ALL dog treats ingredients also!) Here are some brands that DO NOT have Red 40: Royal Canin Science Diet Eukanuba Iams Small & Toy Breed I will be having some Dog food reviews in detail in the future.