What is the best dog food for allergies? Chances are that by the time you ask that question your beloved pet is suffering from common allergy symptoms like itchy or inflamed skin, eyes, back or tail; sneezing, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea or constant licking and scratching.
The truth is that just like human beings, dogs can be allergic to a variety of substances: shampoo, perfumes, cleaning or flea-control products or dust; however, when it comes to diagnosing allergies, it is best to start with the ingredients in your pet's diet.
Dog Food
Common irritants in your dog's food can include, corn, soy, wheat, dairy and even beef or chicken. Low grade quality meat (usually classified as "by-product" in pet food) or grains as well as artificial flavorings, colorings and preservatives can also be allergy culprits.
As I have stated on many occasions, a diet of natural, fresh, healthy homemade recipes puts you in complete control of the ingredients that you feed your pet. Here you can choose a diet that is rich in animal protein and not plant protein which is found in many lower rated commercial pet foods (and to which many dogs are allergic).
In addition, you need not worry about any additional chemicals, preservatives or additives which may be irritating your dog's health.
If you cannot go the natural homemade recipe route, your best bet is to choose what is known as a limited ingredient dog food. Sometimes, these are also called hypoallergenic dog foods. Again, rather than give you specific brands (since there are as many brands as there are opinions about which is best), allow me to provide some rough principles to help you choose a good food for allergies.
Hypoallergenic dog foods use alternative animal protein sources. In other words, many replace beef or chicken, with duck, venison, elk, rabbit or salmon. Grains such as corn, soy or wheat found in various commercial pet foods are replaced with barley, oatmeal, brown rice or potatoes.
You will not find anything artificial in these limited ingredient dog foods, and many go so far as to provide you with organic animal sources. This means, using free-range animals and grains, fruits and vegetables that do not use pesticides.
If you will using commercial dog food in feeding your pet, brands like Wysong, Sojo's Complete or Raw Addiction fit the above criteria. However, as mentioned earlier, a diet of homemade recipes allows you to control each and every ingredient in your dog's diet. This allows you to test for certain foods and add or subtract depending on how your dog reacts to each one. In the end, you want to begin feeding a small and limited number of fresh ingredients if you suspect your dog has a food allergy.
Dog Food For Allergies: What Is Best for Your Dog? Dog Food
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