What’s The Best Dog Food For Allergies

Best Dry Dog Food For Skin Allergies

Sometimes whatever it is thats causing your dogs dermatitis is unavoidable.

A dog with pollen allergies or dust allergies might not be able to get away from these two things.

With this in mind, the next three examples of dry dog food for skin allergies will help your dogs skin to defend against nasty reactions and subsequent infections.

What Is An Elimination Diet And Can This Form Of Diet Work For Treating Food Allergies

Perhaps the hardest part of making a change to your dogs food involves working out what it is provoking the allergy. An elimination diet is a systematic and thorough method of achieving this. First, you remove all the foods your dog was eating. In place, you feed him very limited base ingredients before you start gradually introducing him to different foods. When you begin the diet with base ingredients, use protein from a single source lean meat like turkey or beef, pinto, or beans all work well. Continue using the base food ingredients for up to two weeks. Give your dog no other foods at all during this period. Check continuously for any allergic reactions. If you find that regular, non-hypoallergenic foods are triggering adverse allergic reactions, its time to explore hypoallergenic options like any of those on our shortlist.

How Is A Food Allergy Treated

Once the offending food substance has been identified, a diet is chosen that does not contain these particular substances. Today there are a number of commercially available, tasty, hypoallergenic diets that can be fed for the rest of your dog’s life. Your veterinarian can discuss the best choices for your pet, based on the results of testing.

Occasionally commercial diets containing the right constituents are not available or your pet will not eat them. If this occurs, you may have to prepare a home cooked diet.

You May Like: Who Makes Dr Pol Dog Food

What Causes Food Allergies In Dogs

Dogs with food allergies are typically allergic to proteins, which come from animal or plant-based ingredients of the diet. The proteins are broken down into molecules that the immune system misidentifies as a potential threat. Beef, dairy, wheat, and chicken are the most common culprits of food allergies in dogs. The development of food allergies, however, takes time. So the dog may have been eating the offending ingredients for quite a long time before symptoms develop.

The Best Diet For Pitbull With Allergies

The Association of American Feed Control Officials recommends that you feed an adult dog with 18% protein. For puppies, protein consistency should be higher at 22%. However, addressing skin allergy isnt just about having the skin allergy food for Pitbulls with high protein levels. There are more aspects to consider in order to prevent the condition from getting in the way of your dogs life.

Some protein sources can be allergens for Pitbulls. Some doggos could be allergic to beef, fish, lamb, pork, or dairy. Theres no single ingredient that can be considered as allergens unless your Pittys body reacts negatively to it.

For example, your Pitbull could be allergic to salmon but mine isnt. Still, it doesnt mean salmon is something I should avoid.

One way to know what is best and what isnt for your Pitty is to put him on the food for a few weeks. If the pooch starts exhibiting symptoms of allergy, thats the time you should analyze the situation. What are the main ingredients of the food? Which of those are the possible allergens? Once you have an idea, go to the vet and request a patch test for confirmation.

If you dont want to subject your doggo to this experiment, secure discharge samples from the Pittys eyes, ears, or mouth. Send this to the vet for further examination. Through that, you can determine what you should avoid in order to establish what the best diet for your Pitbull is.

-Limited ingredients

-Prescribed or formulated by veterinarians

-Novel ingredients

Recommended Reading: Can You Buy Dog Food With Food Stamps

Natural Balance Lid Limited Ingredient Diets Dog Food Sweet Potato & Venison Formula

Main Ingredients: Sweet potatoes, venison, pea protein, potato protein, canola oil , brewers dried yeast, natural flavor, dicalcium phosphate, salmon oil , flaxseed, dried potato products, calcium carbonate, salt, dl-methionine, choline chloride, minerals (zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, copper sulfate.

Where To Buy It: Available from Chewy.com.

How Much Is It? $69.99 .

Bottom Line

This limited ingredient blend is designed to bring your dog optimal nutrition without the added weight of extra fillers and additives.

Senior Dogs Foods For Arthritis

Arthritis in senior dogs happens when the synovial fluid separating the dogs joints begins to thin dogs will experience excruciating stiffness and severe pain.

Arthritis in senior dogs can be shown by the following symptoms:

• Unwillingness to walk or climb
• Limping weight shifting from one leg to the next
• Holding their paws off the ground
• Stiffness when walking

When you eliminate some foods from your dogs, it will prolong the dogs life.

Dietary changes in senior dogs are meant to eliminate any inflammation and replace them with better and healthier options.

Senior dogs foods for arthritis can be categorized as follows:

Read Also: What Stores Carry Rachael Ray Dog Food

Choose Limited Ingredient Dog Food

Consider getting dog chows that contain very limited ingredients. If it is made of a single animal protein and handful of fruits and vegetables, then youre better off with this than something that has a very long list of ingredients. This is to help you zero-in a lot easier on the possible food allergen in the event that your dog develops hypersensitivity reactions in the long run.

For Active Working Dogs

This nutritious dry dog food provides a complete meal that will leave them full and looking forward to every meal. The best part? It wont cause stomach upsets or itchy skin as a result of food allergies and is loaded with omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for a strong immune system and a healthy coat.

It has a great protein content at 21% as well as 10% fat for those who need to keep their weight down, and 7% ash. Its rich in nutrients and minerals, offering your working-dog the energy and support they need to get through the day. Not to mention the spectacular joint support provided.

• Key Ingredients: Rice, duck meat meal, organic oats, whole linseed
• Texture: Dry

Also Check: Can Chickens Eat Dog Food

Allergic Reaction Heres A Step By Step On What To Do Next

Step 1: stop panicking!

Step 2: head to the vet for a confirmation of an allergy or fleas.

Step 3: work out what the allergens are and remove or avoid them.

Step 4: treat with prescribed medications and natural home remedies for dog allergies to soothe itchy skin symptoms.

Ahhhhhhh. Thats better!

As pet owners, its our duty to take care of our beloved fur-balls. We treat their symptoms, remove their fleas and cuddle them tight. We also get to jump with joy and go for a celebratory walkie when the home remedies work like a treat!

How Is The Condition Diagnosed

The best and most accurate method of diagnosing food allergy is to feed a hypoallergenic diet for eight to twelve weeks as a food trial called an elimination trial.

“The elimination diet must not contain any ingredients that the pet has eaten in the past.”

To be a true elimination trial for your pet, this special diet must not contain any ingredients that the pet has eaten in the past. This also requires that no other foods, treats, or supplements be fed during the trial period, including flavored vitamins and heartworm preventives.

There are blood tests that may give an indication of whether the dog is allergic to specific foods. These are called serum IgE tests and your veterinarian will discuss whether they would be of benefit in diagnosing your pet’s condition.

Don’t Miss: How Long Does Dog Food Last

Just 6 By Rachel Ray Nutrish Hypoallergenic Food

This limited-ingredient food that wont stress your budget. What are the six ingredients, you ask? Lamb meal, brown rice, ground rice, beet pulp, chicken fat, and natural pork flavor. Meat meal provides concentrated protein, making this a very affordable grain-free, limited-ingredient, hypoallergenic food.

Just 6 by Rachel Ray Nutrish Hypoallergenic Food

Not only is this hypoallergenic dog food affordable, but it boasts just six ingredients, including lamb meal.

Dog Allergy Elimination Diets

An elimination diet is a way to systematically test which ingredient your dog is reacting to. If your dogs potential chicken allergy is severe, your veterinarian may recommend prescription dog food to use in the process. But if the symptoms are mild, you can use dog food available in the market that provides the ingredients you are testing for.

Note however, that dog allergy elimination diets are not nutritionally-balanced and therefore should only be used for a short period of time. Consult your veterinarian first before starting on a diet this extreme.

Don’t Miss: Where To Buy Darwin’s Dog Food

The Difference Between Dog Food Allergy And Intolerance

Its important to recognize that your four-legged friend has a food intolerance or food allergy. This is how the treatment can be really effective.

As I mentioned, in a dog food allergy, the immune system responds to proteins. This is because certain whole proteins are not digested properly and will not become amino acids.

The immune system does not respond to amino acids, but it is activated when these whole proteins are absorbed in the small intestine.

In case of intolerance, it is simply that the dogs digestive system is unable to digest some food or any of its ingredients. A common example of this is lactose intolerance, when a dog cannot tolerate lactose in dairy products due to a lack of the enzyme lactase.

Intolerance and allergies have similar digestive symptoms. However, food allergy allergies can also cause other symptoms in dogs, such as skin allergies. Usually, both conditions are resolved by excluding the food or ingredient in question from your puppys diet.

How To Choose The Best Dog Food For Allergies

If your dog seems more interested in pawing at his ears or scratching her skin than hanging out with you and youve ruled out other causes, then it could be time to consider experimenting with their diet.

But with as many free-from foods on the market for dogs as there is for people, knowing where to start can be daunting. Thankfully, weve come up with a few simple guidelines that will help point you in the right direction.

Look for products that have short ingredient lists, generally with one form of protein and one form of carbohydrate which makes it easier to identify the potential allergen. While there are both risks and benefits, raw dog food is another option worth looking into. With few ingredients and zero additives, our guide to the best raw dog food is a great resource if youre not sure where to start.

Look for added vitamins, minerals, prebiotics and probiotics. Vitamins C and E and probiotic strains like lactobacillus and acidophilus are great for soothing the GI tract and ensuring good digestive health. Antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and Omega-3 fatty acids are also great additions.

Finally, if youre noticing your dog displaying any of the symptoms of a possible allergic reaction be sure to consult your vet who will be able to help identify the cause and recommend the best course of treatment.

Read Also: Dr Pol Cat Food Reviews

Wellness Simple Lid Hypoallergenic Dog Food

The Wellness Simple line of foods uses both whole single proteins and meat meals along with good, recognizable ingredients. The result is high-quality dog food that is hypoallergenic at a medium price point. You can get it in lamb, turkey, and salmon in addition to the duck and oatmeal recipe linked below.

Wellness Simple LID Hypoallergenic Dog Food

Available in both wet and kibble versions, this high-quality, hypoallergenic dog food is available in a range of flavors, including lamb, turkey, salmon, and duck.

Purinas limited-ingredient dog food recipe was formulated by in-house nutritionists to include nine natural ingredients, with chicken as the first ingredient. This food has no wheat, soy, or corn its a pretty affordable hypoallergenic dog food.

Purina Beyond Simply LID Adult Hypoallergenic Dog Food

This affordable, limited-ingredient dog food boasts chicken as its main protein source and is free of wheat, soy, and corn.

When Do Dogs Develop Allergies

No matter the case, dog food allergies can manifest at any point in your pups life.

You may, for example, feed your dog chicken-based food for most of her life, only to discover that at some point, she begins exhibiting signs of an allergy to the food. And because the proteins contained in chicken are very similar to those in turkey, she may become allergic to all varieties of poultry!

Don’t Miss: Iams Veterinary Formula Intestinal Plus

What Is The Most Common Ingredient In Dog Food That Causes Allergies

Believe it or not, the most common cause of food allergies in dogs is protein source, quickly followed by gluten. The allergy-causing protein can be either in meat , soy, or in dairy products, so often the solution is to switch the usual type of food for one with a novel protein. In case its gluten thats causing your pet troubles, grain-free food is the way to go. Either way, always thoroughly read the label if your pet has a sensitive stomach and avoid those chock full of artificial ingredients or those considered inflammatory, such as dairy and its derivatives.

Treating Dogs With Chicken Allergies

Food allergies are often lifelong conditions. Allergy relief medication can be used for symptomatic treatment, but its inconvenient, unsafe, and expensive. These treatments do not address the underlying allergies, rather help soothe the symptoms.

The best way to help dogs with food allergies is to completely remove the allergen from their diet. But determining exactly which ingredient in your dogs food is causing the reaction can be tricky. Canine allergy testing is one way to do this, but not all veterinary clinics offer this special service. Most veterinarians diagnose allergies through the trial-and-error process of elimination diets.

Recommended Reading: Is Royal Canin Dog Food Made In China

Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food

Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food is a great food based around simplicity. It features a central protein with easily digestible carbohydrates and wholesome fiber. It never contains any by-product meal or artificial flavors or preservatives.

• Lamb is the first ingredient, along with brown rice, ground rice, and dried beet pulp.
• High quality ingredients like chicken, beef, and fish, along with real vegetables.
• A portion of each sales goes to the Rachael Ray Foundation for animals in need.

Tylees Human-Grade Beef Recipe Frozen Dog Food provides complete nutrition with real, whole ingredients. Real meat is combined with fruits and vegetables and then frozen, so mealtime is easy. It contains no filler or artificial flavors or colors.

• USDA beef, plus sweet potatoes, mango, plus fiber and nutrient rich broccoli, spinach, and zucchini.
• Flaxseed and sunflower oil provide omega-3 and 6.
• All natural ingredients are easy on sensitive stomachs.

Merrick Grain-Free Texas Beef & Sweet Potato Recipe Dry Dog Food is top quality, allergy-friendly nutrition. Grain-free recipe is centered around beef, sweet potatoes, and fruit. It is supplemented with glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health.

• High levels of omega 3 and 6 for healthy skin and a shiny coat.
• Poultry free formulation is ideal for sensitive stomachs.
• Made in the USA from locally-sourced ingredients.

Taste Of The Wild Prey Trout Formula Limited Ingredient Recipe Dry Dog Food

Top 5 Ingredients: 1. Trout, 2. Lentils, 3. Tomato Pomace, 4. Sunflower Oil, 5. Salmon Oil

Taste of the Wild has a reputation in the dog food market for incorporating some of the finest ingredients in their recipes. With the Prey Trout LID Dog Food, theyve followed the same strategy and have cut down on all unnecessary ingredients to ensure that your dog receives high-quality holistic nutrition without the risk of allergies or digestive upsets.

This recipe uses four main ingredients that deliver a certain nutrient: Real trout for proteins, Lentils for carbohydrates, Sunflower oil for essential fatty acids, and tomato pomace for antioxidant and vitamin support. Apart from that, it also includes proprietary probiotics that aid digestion and a savory seasoning that gives the kibbles an irresistible taste. For picky dogs that frequently suffer from allergies, Taste of the Wilds Prey Trout LID Dog Food is a solid competitor and highly recommended.

Recommended Reading: Is Pedigree Dog Food Made By Purina

American Journey Lid Salmon & Sweet Potato

Most Inexpensive Limited Ingredient Dog FoodAmerican Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet Potato is a very similar offering to Natural Balance’s sweet potato and fish recipe. It’s a grain-free formula packed to the brim with omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, sourced from a single animal protein source.

It also suffers from the same problem of providing below-average levels of fat and protein. The limited ingredient formula contains no corn, wheat, soy, or poultry by-products. It also contains no artificial colors, preservatives, and flavors.

This is what we have come to expect from limited ingredient dog foods, and should be sufficient to prevent your dog from having an allergic reaction to the formula. As the formula is grain-free, it contains higher levels of vegetables to make up for lost carbohydrates. This makes the formula more easily digestible.

The omega-3 and 6 fatty acids present in the recipe will help your dog maintain healthy skin and coat. It is perfect for dogs who suffer from itchy skin. It is, however, disappointing to see this formula contain only 25% protein and 12% fat.

These levels are below average for mid-priced dog food and it is something you should look into if you are considering switching to American Journey Limited ingredient formulas. This formula is suitable for all breeds and at all life stages.

Pros

Pros