Best Food for Dogs With Allergies

Food allergies in dogs are uncommon but when they do occur the symptoms can make your canine pal very uncomfortable. Today, our Thornton vets share the best foods to feed your dog if they are diagnosed with food allergies.

Food Allergies in Dogs

If you believe that your dog is suffering from food allergies or sensitivity to an ingredient in their usual food it's important to find out what the problematic ingredient is in order to remove it from their diet, but still maintain optimum nutrition.

Signs & Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

Food allergies and sensitivities often don't appear until the dog reaches their first birthday, although they can develop in dogs of any age.

If your dog is displaying any of the following symptoms they may be suffering from a food allergy and should be examined by your vet to determine the root cause of the symptom:

Common Causes of Food Allergies in Dogs

Often in dogs with food sensitivities, proteins from animal or plant-based ingredients in the diet are the cause. Beef, corn, dairy, and wheat are some of the most problematic ingredients.

It may seem counterintuitive, but it can take a long time for symptoms of food allergies to become apparent. Often dog's appear to 'suddenly' become allergic to a food that they have been eating for months. 

Diagnosing Your Dogs Food Allergies

After a thorough examination, if your vet believes that your dog may be suffering from the effects of a food allergy or food sensitivity they will likely recommend beginning your dog on an elimination diet.

Elimination Diet for Dogs With Food Allergies

If an elimination diet is recommended for your dog, a specially formulated hypoallergenic food will be prescribed. For 8-10 weeks you will only feed your dog the prescribed food, completely eliminating all other food sources from your pet's diet.

If one or more of the ingredients in your dog's regular food is the source of the symptoms, the elimination of the regular dog food should help to improve your dog's condition.

It's important to note that, for the elimination diet to work you must stop giving your dog treats during this period as well as their regular food. Only the hypoallergenic food should be fed to your dog while they are on the elimination diet.

Being on the elimination diet for 10 weeks will allow your dog's body to adjust to the new prescription food, and give your vet the opportunity to assess your dog's overall health.

If the allergy symptoms clear up while your dog is on the elimination diet, your vet may request that you return to feeding your dog their original diet to see if the allergy symptoms reappear.

While an elimination diet can be helpful in determining food allergies in dogs, other tests can also be useful, and provide quick results. Here at Caring Hands Veterinary Hospital our in-house lab allows our vets to test for the root of your pet’s problem and offer a customized treatment plan to start the healing process.

Best Foods for Dogs with Allergies

Following the diagnosis of food allergies, your vet will work with you to determine the best diet and treatment plan for your dog. There are a number of dry food options available, to help alleviate food allergy symptoms in dogs.

Prescription Dog Food

If your dog's food allergy symptoms are severe, your vet may recommend that you feed your dog a prescription dry food. While this option can be expensive, novel protein and hydrolyzed diets available by prescription are typically superior to those that can be purchased through pet supply stores.

Sticking to a prescribed diet may help your dog to stay healthy and comfortably free of allergy symptoms. Some of the prescription foods your vet may recommend for dogs with food sensitivities include:

• Canine Hydrolyzed Protein Small Dog Dry Dog Food 
• Hill's Prescription Diet® d/d Canine Potato & Venison Formula
• Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
• Hill's Prescription Diet® Dog i/d® Sensitive Dry

Limited Ingredient Dog Foods

Limited ingredient dog foods address the presence of allergens by including just a single protein source, (such as beef, lamb or chicken), often combined with just a single carbohydrate.

When you are shopping for limited ingredient dog foods it's important to check for a seal of approval from the Association of American Feed Control (AAFCO), as well as a "complete and balanced" claim from the manufacturer.

Limited ingredient foods that your vet may recommend include:

• Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed Formula Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food
• Hill's® Prescription Diet® d/d® Canine Skin Support Potato & Salmon Formula
• Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Dog Food - Natural, Salmon & Lentils, Grain Free, Non-GMO
• CANIDAE® PURE® Dog Food - Limited Ingredient, Natural, Grain Free, Chicken

Novel Ingredient Dog Food

Novel ingredient dry foods replace traditional dog food proteins such as beef and chicken with more unusual proteins such as venison, salmon, or duck.

Novel ingredient dog foods may also include unusual carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes to help balance out the diet. Your vet may recommend a novel ingredient dog food such as:

• Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula
• Hill's Prescription Diet® d/d Canine Potato & Venison Formula
• CANIDAE® PURE® Dog Food - Limited Ingredient, Natural, Grain Free, Duck
• Nutro Adult Dog Food - Natural, Limited Ingredient, Duck & Lentils, Grain Free, Non-GMO

Grain-Free Dog Food

If your dog is found to have a sensitivity to corn, wheat or other grains, a grain-free dog food may be recommended. These foods have the added benefit of also being gluten-free. Some of the grain-free foods that your vet may recommend include: 

• Hill's Science Diet® Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Grain Free dog food.
• Purina Pro Plan Savor Adult Dog Food - Turkey & Chicken, Grain Free
• Science Diet® Adult Grain Free Dog Food
• Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food - Natural, Lamb & Sweet Potato, Grain Free, Non-GMO

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet.