If your dog has a food allergy, you’ll have to find a diet that works so your dog can live a happy and healthy life without any symptoms related to food. Our tips are summarized in a list of 11 best dog food for allergies, in alphabetical order:
- Blue Buffalo Basics Grain Free Adult
- Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet
- Canidae Grain Free PURE Elements
- Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Adult
- Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet
- Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets
- Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Adult
- Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural
- Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet
- Taste Of The Wild Grain Free Prey Limited Ingredient
- Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient
Our tips include both best dry dog foods and best wet dog food for dogs with allergies and are all different limited ingredient recipes that suit adult dogs of both small breeds and large breeds. We do not include senior dogs in this test. If you want to know more about the best dog food for senior dogs, click on the link.
Most common to cause allergies for dogs
There are some foods that are more common than others. Some of them are, in alphabetic order:
- Beef.
- Chicken.
- Corn.
- Dairy.
- Eggs.
- Lamb.
- Pork.
- Soy.
- Wheat.
If your dog should eat something it is allergic to, their immune system will respond with a reaction. That can be for example itchy skin, skin rashes, vomiting and/or hives. The symptoms can vary and if you suspect a food allergy with your dog, consult a veterinarian and test your dog for allergies so you can know exactly what causes the problem.
Difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance
When talking about food allergies, you refer to when the immune system responds to a certain food with a reaction that is harmful for the dog. The immune system then creates defensive antibodies to be able to handle what is harmful, in this case the food.
A food intolerance on the other hand often shows as a digestive problem with symptoms such as bloating, gassing, vomiting and/or diarrhea. An intolerance is, easily explained, when your dog’s digestive system has problems with digesting a specific ingredient such as for example dairy.
Read more: Do you want to know more about the best dog food brands? Click on the link to read the article.
Types of allergies
Just as humans, dogs can be allergic to many things and not just specific types of foods. Food can cause allergies, however, there are also flea-allergies and environmental allergies. That is why it is important that you consult your veterinarian to find out exactly what is the source of the problem so you can treat it right as soon as possible.
Benefits of feeding your dog a food with limited ingredients
So, what dog food is best for dogs with allergies? If you are looking for the best food for a dog with allergies it can be hard to know where to start. If you know exactly what causes the allergy, you will benefit from choosing a food with limited ingredients. This makes it so much easier for you to look at the ingredient-list and quickly be able to see if it contains the specific food your dog is allergic to, and if it does, you’ll just continue looking. Foods that have limited ingredients often avoid ingredients that are common for dogs to be allergic to and do not have any unnecessary ingredients. The recipes are almost always carefully crafted so all the ingredients fulfill its purpose so your dog can thrive and live a healthy life with all the nutrients it needs.
Our tips in closer detail
1. Blue Buffalo Basics Grain Free Adult
Information: This dry dog food has limited ingredients and is formulated for dogs with food sensitivities. It contains easily digestible carbohydrates, high-quality protein from deboned duck and omega-fatty acids to help your dog’s coat and skin.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Deboned Duck, Potatoes, Pea Starch, Peas, Pea Protein & Duck Meal.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
2. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet
Information: This is our tip on the best wet dog food for allergies. If you want to feed your dog canned dog food with limited ingredients, this is one of the best options. This recipe contains a chicken free formula and has added pumpkin for a gentler digestion and has only one source of protein, which is lamb. It also has no by-products and is free of soy, corn, and dairy.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Lamb, Lamb Broth, Lamb Liver, Potatoes, Peas & Sunflower Oil.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
3. Canidae Grain Free PURE Elements
Information: Canidae PURE is made with a minimal amount of ingredients which are all pure and high-quality. The fact that it contains only 10 key-ingredients makes it a perfect food for a dog with one or more food sensitivities.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Lamb, Chicken Meal, Turkey Meal, Sweet Potato, Peas & Garbanzo Beans.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
4. Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Adult
Information: Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet is a dry dog food that was created specifically for dogs with a food allergy. With only one source of animal protein and one vegetable it is easy to make sure your dog can eat this food without having to read through a long ingredient list. According to us, it is one of the absolute best dog food for dogs with allergies.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Salmon Meal, Salmon, Peas, Tapioca, Canola Oil & Montmorillonite Clay.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
5. Merrick Grain Free Limited Ingredient Diet
Information: This recipe contains leading levels of omega fatty acids and has 10 key ingredients to make sure it’s a good food with balanced nutrition for dogs with food allergies. Salmon provides amino acids, vitamins, and minerals your dog needs for good overall health and is the only source of animal protein in this food.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Potatoes, Peas & Sunflower Oil.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
6. Natural Balance L.I.D. Limited Ingredient Diets
Information: With one single source of animal protein and grain-free sources of easy digestible carbohydrates filled with good fiber is Natural Balance L.I.D Limited Ingredient one of the best dry dog food for allergies. This food provides a balanced and nourishing diet for your furry best friend and contains omega fatty acids. This is one of the best salmon dog food for allergies.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Salmon, Menhaden Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Tapioca Starch, Potatoes & Canola Oil.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
7. Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Adult
Information: Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Adult always contains 10 key ingredients or less and has all natural flavors with no artificial preservatives or colors. It has no chicken, soy or dairy products and gives your dog all the nutrients it needs.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Deboned Lamb, Lamb Meal, Chickpeas, Dried Potatoes, Dried Sweet Potato & Lentils.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
8. Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural
Information: Purina Beyond Grain Free Natural contains natural probiotics to support your dog’s gut-health and immune system. It has limited ingredients with added vitamins and minerals and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Pea Starch, Cassava Root Flour, Canola Meal & Dried Egg Product.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Adult dogs.
9. Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet
Information: This food has a recipe with only six ingredients and has added vitamins and minerals plus other important nutrients your dog needs. It contains no wheat, soy or artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. If you are looking for an option that includes grains, this is a good option. One negative factor is that it has turkey meal as the first ingredient.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Turkey Meal, Dried Peas, Pea Starch, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat & Natural Flavor.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive.
Suits: Adult dogs.
10. Taste Of The Wild Grain Free Prey Limited Ingredient
Information: Your dog won’t be missing either taste or nutrients in this food, even though it only has four key-ingredients. It contains guaranteed probiotics for the gut-health, an optimal level of vitamins and minerals together with omega fatty acids and antioxidants. If you ask us, this is definitely one of the best dog food for allergies and also the best limited ingredient dog food with its four key-ingredient recipe.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Beef, Lentils, Tomato Pomace & Chicken Fat. Note that this recipe only has four key-ingredients so we will only list them here.
Type of food: Grain-free.
Suits: Puppies and adult dogs.
11. Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient
Information: We have already mentioned this food in our guide for food for dogs with a sensitive stomach, but it’s worth mentioning again. Every ingredient in this recipe is carefully chosen to fulfill a purpose in your dog’s diet and has only one source of animal protein and oatmeal which is easy digestible carbohydrates. It also contains fiber, probiotics, and omega fatty acids.
First 6 ingredients on the list: Duck, Oatmeal, Peas, Ground Rice, Potato Protein & Tomato Pomace.
Type of food: Grain-inclusive.
Suits: Adult dogs.
Read more: Read this article if you want to know more about the best cheap dog food.
Frequently asked questions
Which are the most common food allergens in dogs?
The most common food allergy with dogs is some kind of allergy to protein. That could for example be chicken, beef, lamb, wheat-gluten, soy, or eggs. Another common food allergy is to complex carbohydrates such as peas, whole grains, or beans. Of course, there can be other foods, for example dairy.
How do I know if my dog has a food allergy?
If your dog shows symptoms that its immune system has reacted it can be a food allergy. Common symptoms are skin rashes, itchy skin, ears, or paws and/or signs that also show digestive problems such as diarrhea or vomiting. To be sure, consult your veterinarian and do an allergy test of your dog to see what causes the symptoms.
What is the best dog food for dogs with allergies?
This is very individual since there are many different foods that can cause allergies and every dog is unique. We recommend that you, when you know what kind of food your dog is allergic to, look after a food with limited ingredients so you easily can see exactly what ingredients it contains and if it fits your dog, try it out!
Get involved!
Comments