What Can Your Morkie Eat? Food Sensitivities for This Toy Breed

No matter how much you love your dog, a constant itch can be pretty irritating. This is especially true if your dog seems to be in continuous irritation, itching and scratching at their ears, skin, and paws. Not only can your dog‘s itchy skin lead to some severe discomfort for the dog, but it can become a problem for you (and even other pets) if the dog begins to shed more than usual or develops an odor from their constant scratching.

Morkies are one of the cutest small breed dogs you will ever come across. They have a unique appearance, head to toe. They’re incredibly friendly and love to be around their family. Morkies’ personality is so lovable that you can’t help but want to keep them around for as long as possible. Therefore, to give the best life to your precious small breed Morkie, it’s essential to understand what they can eat and what they can’t because of food sensitivities and allergies.

Allergies and food sensitivities in dogs and other animals are caused by an immune system response to a normally harmless substance that becomes an allergen due to frequent contact with the animal. The allergen can be ingested, inhaled, or injected. Food allergies are most common in dogs with other allergies. Multiple allergies are more likely if your dog has been exposed to many different allergens, such as fleas or pollen, or if they are allergic to several non-food substances. In addition, some dogs may develop food allergies after being fed a new diet.

There are a few things to consider when it comes to what a Morkie can eat, including their eating habits and the type of treats you give them.

Also, it’s essential to understand the signs of food sensitivities in your Morkie.

As dog owners, we are responsible for knowing what our dogs can and cannot eat. Keep reading to get a complete understanding of Morkie food sensitivities and how to provide support to your small breed dog.

Causes of Morkie Food Sensitivities

Just like humans, dogs can suffer from food allergies and food sensitivities. While it’s not common for a dog to die from an allergic reaction, the dog can still experience painful and uncomfortable symptoms due to morkie food sensitivities.

If you’re concerned that your dog may have a food allergy, here’s what you need to know. A food sensitivity is a reaction to food that causes symptoms such as itchiness, swelling, and redness. Morkies are particularly prone to food sensitivities and allergies, but this is not much different than in other breeds of dogs.

Most dogs can develop an allergy or sensitivity to any kind of food they eat frequently and in large quantities. Morkies can be allergic to even the best dog food, and they will show symptoms no matter the source, even if it is a protein that is supposed to be suitable for their diet.

As a best practice, try to avoid the following foods because they can cause Morkie food sensitivities: dog biscuits and treats with high sugar content, salmon and other fish (fish allergy is common in Morkies), coffee, tea, cocoa (these ingredients can cause stomach upset in small dogs if ingested in large amounts), dairy products (milk, cheese – these are difficult for Morkies to digest and can cause diarrhea), whole eggs (egg whites contain avidin, which interferes with the absorption of biotin and causes skin issues), and yeast dough (not digestible by toy breeds).

The most common food allergies include wheat, corn, and soy products outside of the listed foods. These ingredients are cheap fillers and preservatives in some pet foods, so they are present in almost all commercial dog foods. Trying to determine exactly which ingredients or additives trigger your Morkie’s food sensitivities is problematic because it can be any number of things in various combinations. In addition, food sensitivities and allergic reactions can vary from one day to the next!

So, how do you know if your Morkie is suffering from food sensitivities?

How Food Sensitivities Can Affect Your Morkie

Many people wonder if their new puppy will have food allergies. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for puppies to develop sensitivities to certain foods as they get older. But, a food sensitivity can occur at any age and isn’t necessarily related to the dog‘s environment or previous diet.

Food allergies and food sensitivities in dogs can be challenging to diagnose because food allergy symptoms are similar to many other diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease, that cause vomiting, and diarrhea.

The most common symptoms of food sensitivities in your Morkie include itchy skin, hair loss, and even problems with the gastrointestinal system.

Food sensitivity symptoms may vary from one dog to another but are usually similar to those experienced by human beings who have allergies.

And, symptoms in your Morkie can range from mild to severe.

The most common symptom of food sensitivities is itchy skin. The prime areas of itching can include the feet, legs, belly, and back. While excessive itching of the feet and legs tends to be more a symptom of environmental sensitivities, all-over body itching indicates food sensitivities.

Some of the other common signs that your Morkie is suffering from a food sensitivity include excessive licking, vomiting, diarrhea, and even difficulty breathing and ear infections in more extreme cases. If your Morkie has severe gastrointestinal symptoms or difficulty breathing, you may need to get everything checked out.

Another symptom of Morkies with food sensitivities is thinning hair. Typically, Morkies have a long, soft coat. But, if you notice that your Morkie shows signs of thinning hair, especially around their elbows, back, and face, this could result from a food sensitivity.

Have you noticed recently that your Morkie has watery eyes? If so, keep an eye on your pup, as this could be another sign of food sensitivity. Whether their eyes are wet or have a goopy discharge that causes continued irritation, they are all signs of potential food sensitivity, so it is essential to be aware of them.

In the end, the sooner you can treat the allergy, the better chance your Morkie has of living an everyday life without having to avoid foods. While there is no cure for food allergies, there is a treatment. Dog allergies to certain foods will produce symptoms that you can look out for and monitor. If your Morkie shows these symptoms after eating a certain kind of food, he may have developed a food allergy.

Life Expectancy of a Morkie With Food Sensitivities

Your Morkie is an adorable companion with a fun personality. And, when it comes to your Morkie’s life expectancy, you can expect an entire life together, even with food allergies.

Morkies are a mix of a Yorkshire Terrier and a Maltese dog. A Yorkshire Terrier can live up to 16 happy years, and a Maltese dog can have a life expectancy of 14 years. Therefore, your mixed-breed Morkie has a significant chance of living up to 18 years! But, generally, the life expectancy of a Morkie is anywhere from 12 – 15 years.

Signs That Your Morkie Might Have Food Sensitivities

A food allergy is where the immune system reacts to a certain kind of food as if it were a germ — in other words, an allergen. An allergen is usually either a protein or complex carbohydrate that the body would otherwise tolerate. In a pet with food sensitivity, their immune system can generally overreact. This causes antibodies to be produced for something your Morkie would generally be able to handle and digest with ease. With food sensitivities, antibodies are produced against some part of the food, usually a protein or complex carbohydrate. For an allergy to develop, antibodies must be created. Therefore, it can take prolonged exposure for a food sensitivity to grow in your Morkie.

Because of the nature of their skin, morkies are especially vulnerable to food allergies. They have very sensitive skin, and because of this, it can reflect any allergic reaction quickly.

If your morkie has a food allergy, you will notice rashes or patches on their skin. These rashes may manifest around the face, neck, and legs, but they can also be located on other areas of the body. These allergies may not cause discomfort for your morkie, but it is still essential that you take note of these reactions.

Another sign that your Morkie might have a food sensitivity is if they keep scratching at their paws, face, ears, and back. If the scratching continues, there is a chance your Morkie could start losing hair, all from food sensitivities. And, if your Morkie has a red underbelly, along with the prolonged scratching, you may be dealing with food sensitivity.

Most dogs with a food allergy don’t have allergies to other foods. However, some dogs develop cross allergies to other substances – most commonly grasses, weeds, and pollens; flea saliva; insect stings; mold; yeast; fungi; insect bites, and some drugs. These allergies can be caused by the same protein that causes the food allergy or by proteins in the same family as the one that causes the food allergy.

How To Care for and Treat Your Morkie for Food Sensitivities

Food allergies in dogs can be severe and even life-threatening if the dog eats the food he is allergic to consistently. A dog‘s diet should consist of various foods, not just one particular food. Many people think that their dog is allergic to a specific type of food when it is an ingredient in the food. For example, a dog may react to a particular ingredient, or type of dry dog food such as chicken or beef, but not to another type, such as lamb or venison. These sensitivities make it difficult to determine exactly which ingredient is causing your dog‘s allergies and making him sick.

When figuring out if your dog has a food allergy, it is important to note how long the symptoms last. For example, if your dog develops an allergy to something they eat within a few hours of consuming it, this might be a sign that they are allergic to that particular substance in the dogs diet. On the other hand, if your dog‘s symptoms do not subside after several weeks, this could be another sign that he has developed an allergy to the food.

To find out if your Morkie dog breed has food sensitivities, you can do a few different things. First, you can opt-in for an elimination diet.

An elimination diet is when you remove what you think might be causing the food sensitivity for your Morkie. Once removed from their diet, you can monitor your Morkie’s progress to see if the food you removed was the culprit of the uncomfortable symptoms. Then, after a few weeks without noticing the allergy to the food in their diet, you can introduce the old food again. If your Morkie begins to show the symptoms they were showing from the food sensitivity, you know that it was that food, and you can no longer feed it to your Morkie.

Your next option is to put your Morkie on a hypoallergenic diet.

A hypoallergenic diet is one that is specially formulated for dogs with allergies. This type of diet gives them protein from chicken (or a specific type of protein) that has been cooked in such a manner that it does not cause allergic reactions. The protein source must also be free from any additives or preservatives.

In addition to chicken as the primary protein source and ingredient, hypoallergenic diets typically contain brown rice for grain, potato, and sweet potato as carbohydrate sources. Vegetables are also included in some diets to give the dog more nutrients. A small dog with allergies (like a Morkie) must avoid corn, wheat, soy products, and artificial flavors in their kibble and diet because they can be allergens.

When you are feeding your small breeds (like Morkies) a hypoallergenic diet, the main thing to remember is to make sure that you do not feed them anything else. Yes, this means avoiding dog treats and table scraps from the dinner table at all costs!

Similar to the elimination diet, your morkie needs to stay on this diet for two weeks before slowly adding small amounts of his regular dry dog food or wet food back into his diet. Then, if you see any signs of an allergic reaction, such as excessive scratching, diarrhea, or vomiting, immediately take him off of his regular diet and stick with the hypoallergenic diet until he has fully recovered from any digestive issues.

Because dogs with food allergies experience symptoms when they eat their trigger foods, the dog owner needs to identify those foods to provide the proper treatment. The final way to find out if your Morkie has a food sensitivity is through a blood test.

A blood test can detect the level of antibodies your dog‘s body has produced in response to allergens. The higher the levels, the more likely it is that a particular food caused an allergic reaction. This type of test takes approximately four weeks, so blood samples must be taken before you change your dog‘s diet.

How To Help Your Morkie Live a Fulfilling Life With Food Sensitivities

If your Morkie seems to be suffering from food sensitivity, it’s essential to rule out other causes first. For example, if you notice that your Morkie is itching excessively or having diarrhea, try eliminating his current food (puppy food or adult dogs) and see if his symptoms improve. If they do, you can start working on a diet that may help relieve some of his symptoms.

Once you’ve determined that your dog has a food sensitivity, try switching your Morkie to a brand of food and dog treats that’s free of the proteins that cause the allergic reaction. If more than one is causing the allergic reaction, keep in mind that there may be no single food in which all the ingredients are safe. Also, remember that just because the food you choose clears up the itching doesn’t mean it will solve many other problems such as chronic ear infections or skin conditions. On the other hand, you might find that switching over to a new diet can make your dog happier and healthier overall!

Morkies need a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Protein is essential for the growth and repair of tissues and organs, while carbohydrates are converted to glucose, which increases insulin production. Insulin, in turn, causes the body to store fat. Therefore, monitoring your Morkies’ carbohydrate intake is necessary to help keep weight gain at bay.

Feed your dog high-quality dog food (sometimes even raw food can be supportive). High-quality brands have no corn, wheat, or soy, common allergens for dogs with food allergies. In addition, they contain a lot of protein from animal sources like chicken and fish. And finally, please don’t give him human food scraps. Although it might seem like a fun treat for your dog, it could worsen his allergies because it contains ingredients that aren’t good for him. So, again, please do not feed your Morkie human food from your plate.