Best Puppy Food Without Chicken

What Dog Breeds Are Prone To Food Sensitivities

Almost all breeds, says Dr. Erica Irish, DVM. Theoretically, food sensitivities can occur due to prior exposure to something in the past. Since chicken, beef, and lamb are the most common proteins in dog foods, these allergies are automatically the most common types. This is why changing protein types early in life can increase the risk of food sensitivity.

How Much Food Should I Feed My Puppy

Deciding how much to feed your puppy is a processnot a one-time choice.

Since a larger breed puppy requires more food each day than a smaller breed

And because every brand of dog food contains a different number of calories per cup

Start with the recommended feeding amount printed on the foods package. Then, adjust that amount up or down to keep your dog at her ideal weight.

Benefits Of Large Breed Dog Food

Feeding a large breed-specific food is not a requirement. In fact, many dogs do just fine on all-breed diets, but there are some unique benefits to large-breed formulas that can help prevent common issues in big dogs.

Bigger Kibble

The average size of kibble is perfectly fine for most dogs, but for big doggos, those small pieces are easy to swallow hole. Often, big dogs dont chew their kibble very well, or at all, and this can lead to poor dental health and digestive issues.

Large breed kibbles are much larger and encourage your dog to chew more. Chewing starts to break down the food, making it easier for your dogs body to digest and absorb nutrients.

Dogs who dont chew may throw up food shortly after meals, too. The unchewed kibble will expand in your dogs stomach, and he will start to feel very full. If his meal was large enough, you may see some of that meal again soon.

Higher Protein, Low Fat

Many large breed dog foods offer a slightly higher protein content and a reduced fat content. This offers plenty of nutrients that your big pooch needs to maintain muscle mass and supply long-term energy, but can also help to reduce weight issues.

While big dogs can still have a lot of energy, they dont burn through calories as quickly as smaller breeds. All breed diets may offer too many calories for your big pooch, and this could lead to weight gain as they age.

Hip and Joint Care

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American Journey Limited Ingredient Duck

• Limited ingredient recipe.

American Journey is Chewys in-house brand. Weve looked at the American Journey brand extensively in this review. It was created for people that want a premium formula, without breaking the bank. The Duck & Sweet Potato Limited Ingredient formula provides a poultry free experience, with a lower ingredient count. This is a high-quality duck dog food, with duck as the first ingredient. The thought behind the limited ingredient formula, is that less ingredients usually equates to a more nutritious formula.

This limited ingredient formula is free of grains, soy, corn, preservatives or artificial colors in addition to being free of poultry ingredients. The budget friendly price point is also a major benefit. Because of the stripped down ingredient list with a single source of animal protein, this formula is perfect for dogs with any type of allergy.

We love that American Journeys products strike a nice balance between both budget and quality. Chewys shipping times are also excellent. If you are looking for a food that has plenty of nutrients like Omega fatty acids and easily digestible carbs, this is an excellent option.

How Do You Know If Your Dog Is Allergic To Chicken

First things first, if youre unsure whether your dog is allergic to something or not you should stop using it immediately to see if the problem becomes better. If it does, your dog is likely allergic to the thing that you stopped giving them.

If your dog has a severe allergic reaction take them to the vet to be seen by a professional. You can take them to a veterinarian anyway to see whether theyre allergic to anything or not without a reaction so that you know more about your dog.

Below is a common list of symptoms that may arise if your dog has a chicken allergy. If you notice these, stop feeding them chicken and see if it gets better. If your dog is in distress or pain however, take them to a vet.

• Chronic ear infections

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Purina One Adult Dry Dog Food

The Purina ONE SmartBlend Dog Food is made with only the highest ingredients while remaining a completely chicken free dog food. Made with real lamb and rice, this food is packed with natural proteins and vitamins that your dog needs for their health. On top of healthy ingredients, there is an antioxidant blend that strengthens their immune system.

• Made from best ingredients for highest quality of food
• Lamb and rice are main ingredients, packed with natural proteins and vitamins
• Antioxidant blend allows extra strength to your dogs immune system

Best For Large Breeds: Diamond Naturals Large Breed Adult Chicken & Rice Formula Dry Dog Food

Chewy

Whats the best natural food for your large dog? Consider Diamond Naturals. Made in the USA, this dry food has cage-free chicken, whole grain brown rice, and fruits and vegetables.

Its full of nutrient-rich ingredients tailored for a large-breed dog, and does not contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservativesnor does it have any filler ingredients. This food is also high in glucosamine, a nutrient thats key for joint health, particularly as dogs mature.

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Best Dog Foods Without Chicken

Lets make your dog healthier and free from any allergies. Give nothing but the most nutritious and best dog foods without chicken. It contains plenty of animal-based protein for your dog without compromising its overall health. So, here are some of the best dog foods that have no chicken that you can give to your dog.

American Journey Lid Grain

Most Affordable Dog Food Without Chicken or Chicken Meal: If youre concerned about your dogs chicken allergy but you dont want to pay an arm and a leg for a limited ingredient diet, this American Journey LID Grain-Free Venison & Sweet Potato Recipe is a great option. Made with deboned venison as the main ingredient, this recipe also contains venison meal for a protein-rich product. It features digestible sweet potatoes, peas, and chickpeas for a grain-free formula that is rich in fiber for healthy digestion. It also contains canola oil and fish oil to ensure the optimal blend of omega fatty acids for healthy skin and coat. Overall, it provides 22% protein and 12% fat with 6% crude fiber and it is formulated for all life stages.

• Pros: Limited ingredient diet, venison as a lean source of protein, digestible grain-free carbohydrates, rich in omega fatty acids, chelated minerals
• Cons: No probiotic supplements, could be higher in protein

Also Check: How Much Crude Fat Should Be In Dog Food

Unique Requirements Of Large Breed Dogs

So what is it exactly that makes large breed dogs different from small and medium breeds? While maintenance for a larger breed dog is important, feeding the right nutrients for growth during puppy stages is when size matters the most.

As stated above, their bone structure is the most obvious difference. It might seem that big bones require more calcium, but that is not always true.

Big dogs grow for longer than smaller dogs, so large breed puppy foods are designed to support slower and more even bone development over a longer period of time. This means they often have lower levels of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D, which are all vital to bone growth.

Larger breed dogs also use calories differently than small dogs do. They have a slower metabolic rate, so they require fewer calories to supply daily energy. This helps support healthier weight and muscle maintenance.

Natures Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food

Natures Recipe dog food contains lamb meal as its first ingredient, which isnt bad considering how affordable it can be. It also has some healthy vegetables and grains like oats for added fiberno grain-free formula though!

Natures Recipe dog food is a great choice if your pet has allergies or sensitivities to chicken. As an ingredient that can trigger reactions in some animals, this lamb-based dish may not be for them. However!

If you dont mind the inclusion of fat from poultry and beef sources then we think all pets would benefit greatly from eating it because these meats provide important nutrients otherwise lacking abundantly within most commercial dry foods today.

Pros

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Diamond Care Sensitive Skin Formula

First five ingredients: Peas, pea flour, hydrolyzed salmon, sunflower oil, and flaxseed

Price: $52.99 for 25-lb bag

Diamond CARE Sensitive Skin Formula is a limited ingredient, grain-free dog food that is uniquely crafted for dogs with skin sensitivities. It’s made with a single source of high-quality protein, along with other health boosting ingredients like flaxseed, salmon oil, and tomato pomace.

This sensitive skin dog food offers the right balance of omega fatty acids to protect your pup’s skin and coat health. Each meal provides complete and balanced nutrition for your furry friend, with optimal levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

Diamond CARE Sensitive Skin Formula is enriched with species-specific probiotics that thrive in your dog’s GI tract. Probiotics play an important role in digestive and immune health.

Canidae Grain Free Pure Real Salmon Review

Canidae Grain Free Pure is a high-quality dog food range. Pure includes a large variety of recipes, and while some of their recipes arent quite up to our high standards, we rate a select few of their formulas very highly.

Many of the recipes contain Chicken, as is expected in almost all brands. But some of the recipes, such as Pure Real Salmon, do not contain any Chicken ingredients.

Pure Real Salmon is a formula with a focus on fish ingredients such as Salmon and Menhaden Fish. While Menhaden Fish are often misunderstood, they can be an affordable high protein addition to pet food and preferred to unnamed meat by-products often seen in lower-quality recipes.

These high-quality fish ingredients are combined with vegetables such as Peas and Sweet Potatoes. These vegetable ingredients provide a satisfactory portion of carbohydrates and dietary fiber to aid digestion.

The recipe does, however, contain traditional Potatoes, which are considered a less beneficial ingredient. However, the portion of Potatoes is relatively low and should be of little concern.

Read Also: When To Stop Feeding Dog Puppy Food

Best Overall Dry Food For Small

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Wholesomes Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon Dry Dog Food

First five ingredients: Salmon meal, brown rice, oatmeal, ground rice, and pearled barley

Price: $42.09 for 30-lb bag

Wholesomes Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon Dry Dog Food supports your pup’s digestive health, which can have notable impacts on your dog’s skin and coat. This food is made with easily digestible proteins along with wholesome sources of fiber to keep your dog healthy through all life stages.

Wholesomes Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon Dry Dog Food is made with ingredients you know and trust, including salmon, menhaden fish meal, and ancient grains. Each serving is packed with taurine for heart health along with omega fatty acids to promote healthy skin.

This sensitive skin dog food doesn’t contain any lentils, peas, or legumes, which could be the cause of your dog’s allergies.

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What Is The Best Dog Food For Large Breed Puppies

The first place to start when choosing a new dog food is their age, and for large breeds, age matters a lot. Bigger dogs age differently than smaller dogs, and that means each life stage works differently and an all-life-stage diet may not be suitable.

We typically consider a dog as a puppy until they reach about 12 months old, but larger breeds have more growing to do, so the puppy stage is elongated. The bigger that dog, usually the longer they are considered a puppy.

Instead of 12 months, some big dogs are still considered puppies until 18 months or longer. Large breed puppy formulas do not require increased protein compared to a regular puppy option but will offer lower fat and calories to prevent excessive weight gain and growth in the early stages of development.

Nutrition is the foundation of your dogs health, and growing puppies require a careful blend of nutrients to support their development. Choosing a good dog food for large breed puppies means you need to find a formula that is both age-appropriate and will support your pups growth and development.

Alternative Meats To Use Instead Of Chicken

The key to resolving your dogs chicken allergy is to switch to a dog food that doesnt contain any chicken ingredients. This can be difficult because chicken is such a common ingredient in commercial dog food. Even if chicken or chicken meal arent one of the main proteins, many recipes include other chicken-based ingredients like chicken fat.

If you suspect that your dog is allergic to chicken, you should consider switching to a limited ingredient diet to reduce the risk of triggering food allergies. Look for a recipe made with a novel source of protein one your dog hasnt had before to further reduce that risk. Here are 7 alternative meats to consider:

Related:

When shopping for dog food, you are likely to see two different forms of various proteins meat and meat meals. If the protein ingredient is simply listed by name , it is likely the deboned meat. Meat meals are simple fresh meats that have been cooked and ground prior to their addition to the formula this makes them a more highly concentrated source of protein than fresh meat, considering that fresh meat contains up to 80% water by volume.

Also Check: Where To Buy American Journey Dog Food

Canidae All Life Stages Dog Food

Rating:

Canidae All Life Stages Chicken Meal and Rice is one of 5 dry recipes included in our review of the Canidae All Life Stages product line.

• First 5 ingredients: Chicken meal, brown rice, white rice, rice bran, cracked pearled barley
• Type: With grain
• Other recipes: Multi protein, lamb formula, large breed, less active recipe and more
• See all 5 available recipes

This Canidae All Life Stages dog food derives largest portion of its animal protein from chicken meal. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 17% fat and 46% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%.

A fully-balanced, budget-friendly option. Ideal for dogs of differing ages and breed types. Highly recommended.

Sample buyer reviewIm fanatical about the health of my animals. I research the food my dogs eat every 3 months for recalls and health issues. I also will not buy dog food if the ingredients are sourced from China. Through recent research, my other dog food was found to be causing congestive heart failure. I recently changed my dogs to this food and they are thriving with no issues.

Reasons Why You Might Want To Avoid Chicken

A dog has the potential to develop an allergy to just about any food ingredient. When your dogs immune system becomes sensitive to a particular ingredient, it starts to identify that ingredient as a threat and launches an immune response against it. This is what triggers an allergic reaction and it happens each and every time your dog eats the offending ingredient.

Related:

Dogs can develop food allergies to just about any ingredient, but chicken is one of the most common. Other common allergens that make the list include beef, dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, pork, lamb, rabbit, and fish. If your dog continues to eat chicken after his body becomes sensitive to it, his reaction can worsen. Common symptoms of food allergies in dogs include the following:

• Intense itching and scratching
• Redness and inflammation in the ears
• Recurrent skin and ear infections
• Hair loss or dull, dry coat
• Vomiting and diarrhea

If your dog exhibits these symptoms, you may want to talk to your veterinarian about the possibility of a food allergy. Your vet may suggest that you switch your dog to a limited ingredient diet made with a novel source of protein and carbohydrate until your dogs body heals from the damage caused by the allergic reaction. Once your dog has healed, you can introduce potential allergens one at a time until you identify the culprit.

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When Should I Switch My Puppy To Adult Food

Its critical not to switch your puppy to adult food too soon.

Thats because adult dog food can contain too much calcium which can make it unsafe for a growing puppy.

Truth is

The best time to switch your puppy to adult food depends on your puppys breed type. The following table can help you determine when its safe to switch your puppy to adult food.910