Natural Balance Lid Lamb & Brown Rice Formula
First 5 ingredients: Lamb, Brown Rice, Lamb Meal, Brewers Rice, Rice Bran
Known for its limited ingredient dog foods, Natural Balance offers a superb but easy-on-the-pocket option for sensitive skin dogs lamb and brown rice formula.
Made with real lamb as the first ingredient, this limited ingredient dog food formula also features lamb meal for the extra amino acids mass, and brown rice for the rich fibers to support the digestive system.
This lamb and brown rice recipe is enriched with omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids to support skin, coat, joint, as well as many other aspects of dogs health.
Close to 500 customers reviewed this brand, giving it an average 4.6 out of 5 stars grade, with a 94% acceptance rate. The great majority of reviews were very encouraging, with several mentions of allergy relief in their pups, as well as healthier weight and poop.
There were a few mentions of an alleged formula change, and that the kibble was too large for small-breed dogs.
Pros:
The Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food
Buying your pup pet food that doesnt trigger an immune response is one of the easiest ways to work around your dogs food allergy. Weve rounded up some of the best dog food that is hypoallergenic, including two budget-friendly formulas. These limited-ingredient diets will help you keep track of what your dog isand isnteating.
What Are Dog Food Allergies
Food allergies can cause a lot of distress for both the dogs and their owners, explains Dr. Melissa M. Brock, DVM. To understand the causes of food allergies, its important to understand how they develop. Food allergies are triggered by an interaction between your dogs immune system and certain proteins in his diet. These proteins stimulate an immune response that results in inflammation of the skin or gastrointestinal tract, which is why theyre often referred to as allergic reactions.
Dogs of all sizes, breeds, and ages can develop food allergies, and its important to note that a true allergy is different than a food sensitivity or intolerance. Food sensitivities, which often present similarly to allergies, refer to any adverse food reaction thats non-immunologicbasically, a food that just doesnt sit right with your pets stomach.
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Why Would My Dog Need To Eat The Best Dog Food For Dogs With Allergies
There are a few reasons. First, if your dog has allergies, he may have sensitivities to certain ingredients in his food. Second, the best dog food for dogs with allergies will be free of any potential allergens.
And third, the best dog food for dogs with allergies will be packed with nutrients that can help to support your dog’s immune system.
Other Allergies Dogs Experience
Like us, dogs can be allergic to environmental elements such as dust, mould, pollen, and more. These are often called environmental, airborne, or seasonal allergies. These allergies may flare up more during certain times of the year and most often affect a dogs paws, ears, and any crevices where allergens may get stuck .
How Can a Change in Diet Improve Your Dogs Airborne Allergies?
While environmental allergies are not the result of what your dog is eating, having a higher quality diet can improve your dogs symptoms. When you support your dogs coat and skin health, the improved diet can do a better job of blocking the allergens from coming in contact with your dogs skin.
Additionally, supporting your dogs immune system can reduce the risk of secondary infections caused by scratching and chewing.
Look for these ingredients in the best dry dog foods for allergies caused by environmental triggers:
- Essential fatty acids
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Symptoms Of Skin Allergies In Dogs
Food and environmental allergies look very similar and are impossible to distinguish by symptoms alone. The common symptoms of allergies in dogs include:
- Chronic itching
- Recurrent skin or ear infections
- Hair loss, redness, and crusting of the skin
- Self-trauma such as scabbing, hair loss, and saliva staining
- Frequent scratching or licking
Other skin conditions can also cause similar symptoms, so if you suspect your dog may have allergies, its important to see your veterinarian first for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Your veterinarian will perform a full head to tail physical examination and may recommend some additional testing such as a skin scraping or sampling from your pets skin. Once the underlying cause of your pets itching and discomfort has been diagnosed, your vet will be able to develop an appropriate treatment plan to help get your pup feeling better.
Symptoms Of Skin Disease Due To Food Allergies In Dogs
Symptoms of an allergic reaction from foods that occur on the skin can be irritating and painful to the dog. Symptoms can include:
- Licking the skin
- Loss of hair and bald spots
- Hot spots on the skin
- The dog rolling around on the ground, as if trying to scratch the body
- Pacing, as if being irritated or uncomfortable
- Crusty and scaly skin
Types
Skin allergies due to foods are considered to be genetic, and there are allergens that have a negative effect more so than others. Many dogs that have food allergies are allergic to more than one specific food. Common types of food allergens are:
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Diets Commonly Recommended For Sensitive Skin
When dealing with food allergies or sensitive skin, an elimination diet, aka exclusion diet, or a diet change is often recommended. All the foods the dog is allergic to have to be removed from its diet to give your dogs immune system a break. This includes common allergens like chicken, beef, and the like.
Besides that, giving foods formulated to provide dogs with a healthy coat and skin is highly suggested. Most of them are natural dog food made with natural ingredients and without artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.
Apart from that, the best dog food for sensitive skin will also include nutrients that will help reduce the signs of skin irritation. The vitamins and minerals that your pup needs to get that glowing skin and fur back are often found in dog foods with the following labels:
Hypoallergenic Dog Foods
Youll only find a few dog foods labeled hypoallergenic. Hypoallergenic dog food is specifically formulated for dogs with food allergies and food intolerance. The best hypoallergenic dog food usually contains unique animal protein sources to minimize the allergic reaction. Theyre also loaded with skin health-enhancing nutrients.
Limited-Ingredient Diet
Limited-ingredient dog foods contain only a few key components, often with natural ingredients, minimizing fillers, and maximizing nutritional value. This also makes it easy for pet owners to pinpoint the allergens that might be harmful to their dogs sensitive stomach and skin.
Hydrolyzed Protein
Other Ways To Improve Your Pups Allergy Symptoms
Do a quick search on Amazon, and you’ll find plenty of dog foods to choose from that could help with your pups allergy problems. Blue Buffalo, Hill’s Science Diet, Purina Pro Plan, natural dog foods with no preservatives, GMOs, or harmful by-products… the list goes on and on. The key is to work closely with your vet to figure out what kind of diet will help your dog stay comfortable.
If youre looking for other ways to help manage your dog’s skin allergies, we have a few suggestions. Giving your dog a dietary supplement that contains omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, or prebiotics can make a big difference to their skin health. Fish oil has also been shown to help soothe dogs’ skin and create a smooth, shiny coat.
Additionally, medicated shampoos and sprays can help a lot of dogs to feel better. In the most severe cases, allergy medicine can be prescribed to help manage symptoms. Ask your veterinarian for more information about these options.
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Common Food Allergies In Dogs
Food allergies are one of the most commonly found allergies in dogs. Some of the more prevalent signs of a food allergy include itching and sneezing, itchy paws, hot spots, skin rashes, scaly or oily skin, pigmented skin, and possibly even skin that has more of a leathery texture.
Other signs of dietary sensitivity with your dog may include chronic ear problems, vomiting, gas, diarrhea, coughing, and wheezing. Some of the more common food allergens are beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. Typically, the dog will be allergic to more than just one thing.
Venture Limited Ingredient Diet Grain
- First 5 Ingredients: Turkey, Turkey Meal, Butternut Squash, Tapioca, Pumpkin
- Guaranteed Analysis: 25% Crude Protein, 13% Crude Fat, 6.5% Crude Fiber, 10% Moisture
- Caloric Content: 3,400 kcal/kg, 335 kcal/cup
- Breed Size: Small Breeds, Medium Breeds, Large Breeds, All Breeds
- Lifestage: Adult
- Key Feature: No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Limited Ingredient Diet, Grain-Free, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, Pea-Free, Chicken-Free
Reasons to suggest
- Venture Limited has a limited ingredient diet , which complements our search for the best hypoallergenic dog food.
- This is a grain-free formula that is ideal for all dogs with allergies or intolerances in this area. As previously mentioned, it is important to consult with your vet for grain-free diets as they are not ideal for all dogs.
- This protein does not come from chicken, which is a common allergen. It comes from Turkey.
- The pumpkin in the formula is rich in vitamins and also provides a strong source of nutrition and minerals.
- These vitamins have been especially helpful for our dogs coats and skin problems. Their itch quickly disappeared and their coats got brighter after our trial.
- Surprisingly, there are many dogs that are allergic to carbohydrates. If this is the case with your pet, we highly recommend this brand.
- It worked well for our dogs. That said, there were a few upset little bellies at first, but all went well after they got used to it.
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Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food For Skin Allergies
Although there are high-quality products on the market, the impact hypoallergenic dog foods will have on your canine will heavily depend on the cause of the allergy. As most common food allergies will have atopic dermatitis as the main symptom, you will not know the exact reason unless you perform the test.
Once you know the specific cause of the ailment, you will be able to select a good product that will remove any allergens from the dogs diet. This will usually leave you with several options that include both dry dog food and wet dog food from a can.
If your dog has multiple severe allergies, you might find acceptable dog food slightly harder to find, but even then, you will have at least a few options that will work for your dog before you need to start preparing food from scratch.
How Can Dog Food Help With Sensitive Skin
While your dogs food isnt often the cause of your dogs skin allergies or sensitive skin, giving your dog the best dog food for sensitive skin one that provides complete and balanced nutrition and supports coat and skin health can definitely help. Nutrition, after all, greatly impacts your dogs health, your dogs skin included.
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Pet Tao Harmony Diets Limited Ingredient
First 5 ingredients: Turkey, Carrots, Celery, Green Beans, Broccoli
For dogs that prefer wet food, we picked Pet Tao Harmony as the best wet dog food for allergies. This is because this US-made limited ingredient wet dog food is made with high-quality ingredients that are safe for any dog with food intolerance and food allergy.
This hydrating meal features real turkey meat as the only animal protein source. This holistic diet, guided by the Yin-Yang philosophy, only uses all-natural ingredients too. Aside from the first five ingredients, this diet suitable for all life stages also includes spinach, honey, and sesame oil.
While the brand does not have that many reviews on Chewy.com yet, online reviews for this product have been mostly positive, with most saying their pups have renewed energy and noticeable overall health improvement.
A Chewy.com customer gave this hypoallergenic dog food a perfect 5 out of 5 stars grade, adding that her skin-problematic dogs did well with this formula.
Pros:
- Holistically formulated to promote harmony and energetic balance
Cons:
- Not widely available in the market
What Food Is Best For Dogs With Skin Allergies
Once you’re sure that your dog has food allergies through an elimination diet or a vet, the next step is to give your pet the right food. Avoid food with ingredients that trigger any symptom.
You can use prescription dog food from your vet, make food from scratch, or try various types of allergy-safe food until you find what’s best for your pup.
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Nulo Adult Grain Free Dog Food
Both small and large breeds can benefit from Nulos Adult grain free dog food, which can help to alleviate and relieve food and skin allergies. It is made from clean, natural ingredients so your dog maintains a balanced diet and robust energy levels and contains no allergy-triggering grains such as corn, wheat gluten, soy or fake additives, colours and flavours. Egg and chicken proteins, which can often trigger food allergies and are not digested well, are also left out.
Ingredients & Nutritional Benefits
The Nulo is rich in protein, with up to 80% from natural and not synthetic sources. Deboned salmon is the main ingredient, being high in Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to nourish your pets skin and promote beautiful, shiny coats. Turkey meal, Menhaden fish meal, whole peas, chickpeas, lentils and sweet potato are low carb but high in nutrients and fiber, and it also contains dried apples, blueberries, tomatoes and carrots, in addition to vitamin supplements A, B1, B6, B12, C and D3. Salt is added for flavour. Meanwhile, the patented BC30 probiotic helps maintain a healthy balance in the gut.
Safety & Quality
Made in the USA, each batch of Nulo is carefully crafted and mixed, with low carb ingredients and advanced probiotics. It meets the nutrition guidelines laid out by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult maintenance.
Value & Convenience
Pros
Best For Puppies: Canidae Grain
We recommend trying the Grain-Free Pure Real Salmon and Sweet Potato from Canidae for puppies struggling with food allergies or sensitivities.Even young puppies may develop an allergy. Finding a limited ingredient food that is specifically formulated for the nutritional needs of puppies is important. The first five ingredients in this food are salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, and peas.
The food is grain-free, which is a great choice for puppies with allergies. It has a limited ingredient profile and comes in 4, 12, and 24lb bags.
The Canidate Grain-Free PURE dog food also doesnt contain soy, corn, wheat, and other fillers that other lesser brands will add and can often upset your dogs digestion.
The food is produced domestically in the USA at a Texas facility, and has a robust dose of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for your growing pup.
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Best Dog Food For Skin Allergies In Seniors
Some senior dogs have a harder time of it than others. For those dogs, they may need a little extra help with staving off some of the more annoying irritants that come with older age. To that end, weve put together some of our favorite foods that are suitable for senior dogs and their sensitive skin.
Figuring Out Your Dogs Allergies
So how do you identify the allergens responsible for your dogs symptoms? The gold standard is a veterinarian-conducted skin or blood allergy testthey can be life-changing tools for pups with severe cases. But theyre also usually pricey, which has led to a growing market of at-home dog allergy test kits, not all of which are reliable.
The most thorough and most affordable way to find out which foods your pet is allergic to is an elimination diet.
With an elimination diet, youll choose an ingredient in your pets food to cut out. Most pet parents choose to start with a protein, since thats statistically more likely to be the culprit. For example, if your dogs current diet includes chicken, youll switch to a hypoallergenic dog food that has no chicken and relies instead on another protein, like salmon or duck.
Then youll wait and watch for a period of six to eight weeks to see if your pets allergy symptoms go away. If they dont, youll move on to the next ingredient on your list and repeat the same process. It can be both time-consuming and complicated, which is one reason its nice to involve your vet from the start an experienced professional can help you avoid time-consuming mistakes and understand the data youre getting.
Once youve determined your dogs allergens, the next step is to choose a healthy diet free from problem foods. There are several routes to follow.
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Environmental Allergies In Dogs
Environmental allergies are the result of allergens in a dog’s natural environment, such as pollen, grass and dust. When allergens cross a dog’s skin barrier the immune system responds by causing inflammation of the skin. This results in dermatitis and in some cases, an allergic reaction.
Find out how you can support your dog if they are suffering from an environmental allergy.
Best Dog Foods For Allergies In 2022
If your dog has been experiencing itching and skin irritation, there are a variety of medical issues that could be causing the symptoms, including a food allergy. Food allergies among dogs arent that commonaccording to research from Banfield Pet Hospital, just 0.2 percent of dogs are affected by food allergies, whereas around 3.6 percent have environmental allergies. However, if your dog is allergic to an ingredient in their food, its important to have the allergy diagnosed by a veterinarian and find an appropriate treatment, which usually involves changing their food.
The following is what you need to know about dog food allergies, what causes them, and the best dog food for allergies to help your pet start feeling better.
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