What Is Hypoallergenic Dog Food? What Are The Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food Brands In The Market?
Every pet parent wants the best for his/her dog. Often, dogs are allergic to common ingredients found in dog food brands. To counter these, pet food manufacturers have started developing good quality hypoallergenic dog foods for such dogs. However, not all hypoallergenic dog foods are made the same. This leaves pet owners utterly confused about such products and most do not know the pros and cons of feeding these to their pets. In this guide, we are going to talk about everything you need to know to choose the best hypoallergenic dog food and the best brands for your beloved pet.
Food Allergies in Dogs
A dog’s digestive system is designed to only break down proteins and some vegetables and fruits. However, majority of the economical dog food brands contain large quantities of corn, rice, maize, wheat, dairy, soy and other grains. These grains are difficult to digest for the hypoallergenic dog’s gentle system. Feeding this to the pet regularly can cause the digestive system to turn against itself leading to allergic reactions like:
- Intense itchiness
- Diarrhea or loose watery stools
- Lethargy
- Gas, bloating and other signs of indigestion
- Paw licking
- Red eyes
- Poor, unhealthy coat
- Extreme patchy hair loss
- Hot spots on the skin
If your dog is displaying these symptoms from time to time, it is time you switch to hypoallergenic dog food.
What is hypoallergenic food for dogs?
Hypoallergenic dog food is designed to work gently on your dog’s digestive system. It contains different ingredients than those you would find in regular foods. For example, instead of chicken or lamb, you might see venison, duck, rabbit, turkey or salmon. Also, grains like wheat, corn and soy or dairy may be replaced with brown rice. Hypoallergenic food does not contain common allergens like soy, dairy and refined grains. The percentage of lean protein is also usually greater than carbohydrates. Good quality hypoallergenic dog foods are also fortified with Omega essential fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins and minerals.
Different categories of hypoallergenic dog food
When it comes to buying hypoallergenic dog foods, pet parents often get thrown off by terms like organic, natural, hypoallergenic etc. All three terms have different connotations and it would be beneficial for pet owners to learn the differences.
- Organic dog food The term organic has become a household craze now. If we humans choose organic for ourselves, why not feed organic to our pets as well? Organic dog food is toxin-free food. It contains no artificial fillers, dyes, preservatives or hormones. Research has shown that the most common reason for allergies in puppies is oxytetracycline, an antibiotic found in mass produced pet food. This harmful toxin gives rise to food intolerances and is found in farm raised pork, chicken, lamb and other meats that come from factory farms.
- Natural dog food Pet food can be natural but it might not be organic and vice a versa. When we use the term natural food for pets, we are talking about a feed that has not been processed. It is not subjected to any physical processing such as hydrolysis, fermentation, heat processing etc.
Hypoallergenic dog food is more about a diet rather than being about natural or organic. The best hypoallergenic dog food will consist of organic ingredients in their natural state which are not artificial or artificially preserved. When selecting the right hypoallergenic dog food for your pet, it is best to consult your vet first. Determine whether your dog is allergic to a specific allergen in which case, she/he may be fed a limited ingredient diet.
Such a diet contains fewer components so that you eliminate that particular allergen. Alternatively, your dog may be fed a novel hypoallergenic diet where the components or ingredients are the ones your pet has never been exposed to. This ensures that your pet won’t be allergic to the new components. A third category of hypoallergenic diet would be a prescription diet recommended specifically by the vet.
What to look for in hypoallergenic dog food?
When selecting the best hypoallergenic dog food brands, you must start by reading food labels. Here is how to make sense of a pet food label:
- Guaranteed analysis- The guaranteed analysis on pet food label will tell you the amount of protein, fat, fiber and moisture the food contains.
- Look at the source of each nutrient. Know that the combination of different ingredients is also important than the single nutrients
- Note that pet food can contain different forms of the same ingredient, so read the entire label and ensure the food contains a healthy balance of fat, proteins and carbohydrates
- The order of ingredients is important too and they are listed by their weight. But it is important to look beyond the first three ingredients since meats (which are usually listed first) contain more water and naturally weigh more. Learn to look at least 5-8 ingredients
- The age of your dog matters too; puppies need more protein, while adult dogs need more fiber.
Sometimes, meats like lambs or chicken can also cause allergies in dog. In such case, you may go in for hypoallergenic dog food that does not contain these ingredients. Thankfully, there are tons of choices for you when it comes to selecting good dog food brand for your allergenic pet. Pick the one that works best for your dog.
5 Best brands in hypoallergenic dog food
Following are some of the best brands in this category of dog food
1.Orijen
“My 9 year old dog is walking as if he is 9 months old!”
The above review states it all. Orijen is indeed one of the leading manufacturers of hypoallergenic dog foods. The company has consistently received rave reviews from breeders, vets and dog owners alike.
Pros
- The meat fish and poultry are raised on their own farms and they use organic whole eggs, omega 3- rich natural salmon and fish as well as organic vegetables and fruits to round the nutrition.
- There are no fillers you’d normally find in cheaper dog food brands.
- Many pet owners have seen remarkable health changes in the pets in just 3-4 weeks of starting their pets on Orijen Hypoallergenic Grain Free dog food.
Cons
• Expensive
2.Acana Dog Food
Acana is the sister company of Orijen and their products are a little cheaper than Orijen dog food. Picky eaters love this brand and pet owners are grateful that they do not have to mix any wet chicken, beef or lamb to make dry dog food palatable! Dogs fed on Acana have no problems digesting it easily-their coat is healthier and shinier and the stools are dry. There are tons of varieties to choose from in this hypoallergenic dog food brand: Merrick Adult Texas Beef and Sweet Potato, Merrick Backcountry Puppy, Salmon and Bison etc. All have been loved by pets and pet owners are pleased with them! The high protein content of Acana Heritage Meats Formula comes from grass fed lamb, Yorkshire pork and Angus beef. Do try their Acana Grasslands which has 0% grains, freshly caught Canadian fish, whole eggs and New Zealand lamb.
Pros
• Suitable for all breeds, especially for performance dogs
• Contains several different sources of high quality hypoallergenic proteins
Cons
• Expensive
3.Taste Of The Wild
“Stopped my Labrador from getting seizures!”
This brand of best hypoallergenic, grain free dog food comes in dry and canned varieties. Thousands of pet owners have loved this brand which consists of roasted meats (venison and bison) along with fresh fruits and vegetables for antioxidants.
Pros
• Economical
• Grain- free dog food for different stages
• Roasted meat offers great flavor.
Cons
• You need to source the food from reputed vendors as certain batches of this food were recalled due to mold-especially the ones sourced from online retailers. Make sure you talk to a vet before starting your pet on this brand.
4.PS for Dogs
“My fat dog is now at a normal weight!”
“My picky eater eats only 2 brands of hypoallergenic dog foods and this is one of them!”
“PS I Love You”!
PS for dogs is a well loved brand which advertises itself as “No more hotspots and paws licking. PS dog food solves allergies naturally without pills, steroids and harmful shots!”
Pros
• The company’s sole mission is to solve allergies in canines. Their products completely stop paw licking, chewing, watery stools, gas, red eyes and other allergy symptoms. Dogs on PS maintain dry stools and great coats.
• Dogs that have had the habit of licking paws so much that they were stained red were placed on this food and within weeks their paws color was restored.
Cons
• Expensive because of the small size of kibble.
5.Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach
“No more itchiness flakiness and our dog has a wonderful shinier coat!”
This wonderful brand of hypoallergenic dog food has salmon, rice and easy to digest antioxidants that will leave your pet with wonderful coat. It also contains zinc and omega essential fatty acids.
Pros
- 30 pound bag costs only $40 approximately.
- Recommended by vets for dogs with stomach issues
Cons
• Has a fishy smell which pets love nevertheless!
Conclusion
Having a dog with allergies is no fun. It can be confusing for a pet owner who may have to make numerous visits to the vet for shots, pills and other harmful stuff that leaves the dog tired and lethargic. Hypoallergenic dog food can be expensive but it is worth the price. When fed regularly to allergenic pets, it can prevent all these issues and leave your dog with a healthy, shiny coat. We hope these honest reviews of top hypoallergenic dog food brands help you make an informed choice.
This outstanding chair mat comes with the most incredible features for maximum protection. It assures high impact resistance on all types of carpets, either high pile or low pile. Additionally, this adorable chair mat never curls up and allows you to maintain stability and protective rolling movements over it. Along with these features, this chair mat is easy to clean within seconds. You won’t need to have any harsh chemicals to get the clear shiny surface but it offers chemical-free cleaning.
This incredible tempered glass chair mat is made up of clear tempered glass that brings more aesthetics to it. Along with its clear and sparkling shine, its long-lasting smoothness makes it more appealing to everyone. This smoothness is due to its ability to be scratch resistant over the course of years. Thus, no matter how heavily you use this chair mat, it would always give you a smooth ride over it. It’s clear and smooth surface won’t offer any resistance or jerky movements to your chair wheels. Due to this, your chair wheels can easily roll over it for the long run without any damage.
As compared to the other chair mats, it is one of the heaviest and the thickest one. Due to this feature, it won’t slip off from its place and you wouldn’t have to set it several times a day. The best thing about this chair mat is that it serves a dual purpose, i.e. equally good for hard floors, carpets, and rugs. Even if you use it on high piles carpet, this chair mat would give you the best results. The MuArts upgraded version used in this chair mat keeps it crystal clear and doesn’t hinder the pattern of rug/carpet.
Resilia chair mats are famous for offering high protection to your floor and high pile carpets. The most distinctive feature of this chair mat is that it comes in a great variety of colors and a number of sizes. In contrast to other types of mats that are available in just one color, you can bring a variety of hues with this chair mat to your place. The most fantastic feature of this chair mat is that it offers long-lasting durability and an extended lifetime. For daily and heavy use, this chair mat is the best choice as it doesn’t tear out or deform easily.
This OFM ESS collection chair mat is known as a highly durable chair mat with maximum carpet protection. With this chair mat, you won’t need to worry about your high pile carpet as it won’t let it damage from chair wheels. Furthermore, the ramped edges of this chair mat promote quick and easy roll-on/off movements. By choosing this chair mat, you would be amazed by seeing the enhanced ergonomics of your place.
This mat provides a smooth top surface to your chair wheels so that you can easily move here and there or to and fro over it. Not only this, but this mat is also odor resistant so won’t create any poor odor inside. Along with being odor resistant, it is also water-resistant and won’t let your carpet get the moisture if you accidentally spill water on the mat. Additionally, this mat assures a perfect fit for the large executive chairs due to its special design.
The Gorilla Grip Premium chair mat is made up of polycarbonate material that guarantees no wheels sinking over it. It is one of the thickest mats with about 3mm thickness and the highest strength. Due to being strong and tough, it goes in the long run even after heavy use on daily basis. To assure maximum hold, the downside of this mat contains small studs that go deep into the fibers of the carpet. These studs firmly stick with the microfibers of the carpet and prevent any shaking or sliding. In this way, they give you peace of mind and a hassle-free user experience without worrying about rearranging the mat again and again.
