Hypoallergenic Dog Food
July 5, 2010
Filed under Dog Health Tips
Canines, just like humans, can also suffer from food allergies in their diet and thus require to supplement their diet with hypoallergenic foods. If you are concerned about whether your dog has severe food allergies, it is recommended that you change their diet as soon as possible. High quality, hypoallergenic dog food, recommended by your vet or a professional, can assist you in trying particular food brands or formulations. Symptoms from food allergies include indigestion, skin irritation and gastrointestinal problems. The most common food allergies include beef, chicken, corn, dairy products, eggs, soy, wheat and yeast. In addition, lactose intolerance is also suffered by some dogs, however, is less common. This dog food is generally nutritionally balanced and made with recipes and ingredients designed specifically to promote vitality and wellness in pets.
Hypoallergenic dog foods are generally free from substances which are likely to trigger canine allergies. Dog food manufacturers have developed hypoallergenic formulas which do not aggravate intestinal distress or skin allergies. Hypoallergenic dog foods can be easily purchased from leading supermarkets as well as veterinary health care facilities and pet stores that specialize in pet care products. Ideally, determining exactly what ingredients and foods trigger allergies in your dog can be achieved successfully through a process of trial and error. You can determine which substances trigger allergic reactions easily by seeing if your dog reacts to certain foods or common allergen he or she digests. If your animal’s symptoms subside, you can be assured you have determined the food allergen in their diet. You can easily pinpoint which food allergen is causing the allergy by initially switching to a high quality hypoallergenic dog food. Thus, by working backwards, you can determine the cause of the symptoms. Food allergies are not only limited to the major ingredients evident in the foods, but also preservatives, colorings, flavourings and the plethora of chemicals used in the production of the food.
Hypoallergenic dog foods are now readily available from leading pet food manufacturers including Addiction pet Food, Health Pro, Hills Prescriptions, Holistic Blend and Purina. While they vary in price and ingredients, hypoallergenic dog foods generally contain ingredients which do not trigger food allergies. Food formulas are generally both holistic and hypoallergenic and free from all fillers, meat by-products, harmful additives and preservatives. Higher end hypoallergenic dog foods are full of nutritious vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and essential oils that are needed to keep your pet free of allergies. In addition, some products contain omega fatty acids for healthy skin and hair.
Nowadays, hypoallergenic dog foods can also treat clean teeth and freshen breath. These specifically formulated foods can avoid the triggering of many types of common canine allergic reactions. They often are served with a full line of supplements designed to promote optimal pet health. Honest Kitchen, a company which manufactures dehydrated raw organic pet food, produces hypoallergenic dog foods which are 100 percent human food grade. The entire product line is made from organic grains and meats that are free from hormones and antibiotics.
A recommended hypoallergenic dog food is the Flint River Ranch Lamb, Millet and Rice formula (or the Trout and Potatoes). As it does not contain wheat, corn, or chemical preservatives (all of which are common causes of allergies), you can be assured that it can be commonly used to determine food allergies. As it is only available by ordering online, its distribution process is quite stringent. It is promoted as a “fresh” food product with premium nutrition and no chemical preservatives, thus minimizing the vitamin losses that occur when food sits on the shop shelf. Ultimately, you must be sure to consult with your veterinarian if you suspect your dog has food allergies, particularly if the symptoms do not diminish significantly within a few weeks of making a change to their diet.
One company you mention doesn’t do or even claim what you write here they’d do:
“…a company which manufactures dehydrated raw organic pet food, produces hypoallergenic dog foods which are 100 percent human food grade. The entire product line is made from organic grains and meats that are free from hormones and antibiotics….”
This company’s food isn’t *certified organic* so any organic claims aren’t verified by an unbiased 3rd party. They claim to use ‘organic’ grains in *some* of their dog and cat foods. They don’t even claim to use organic meats.
Any antibiotic- and hormone-free claim describing non-certified organic pet foods is largely meaningless. Read why: http://onestaorganics.com/blog/?p=626
I forgot: in general, grains, organic or not, are allergens to many dogs and cats, maybe this should be made clearer in this article?
Just my 2 cents:
I have done some experimenting with foods–some that really weren’t the best….and I learned my lesson.
One of my dogs has had a lot of anal gland flare-ups. While on several months of foods like Chicken Soup and Diamond Naturals, or when I was cooking for them–the problem seemed almost nonexistent.
When we tried brands that contained corn, all 3 of our dogs had different problems: constant itching, anal gland problems, red belly and/or ears, gooey eyes, paw irritations. We got away from those products and went on the ones listed above–it made a huge difference.
I was very hesitant to try Pedigree, but ONLY did because they just came out with a corn-free Healthy Weight formula. I figured I would try a couple bags out seeing if I could get the weight down on a couple of my dogs. I switched them to this new Pedigree after the Diamond Naturals. They liked it and DID lose weight on it, BUT we have already been gradually switching them over to Kirkland Healthy Weight. This new Pedigree formula may not contain corn, but it contains WHEAT and it is OBVIOUS this is REALLY causing the anal gland problems. Seems like ALL the dogs are having bouts of this when normally just my smallest dog was.
The thing is, my vet didn’t tell me the anal gland problems could be food-related. She just said “allergies”. I had to do some reading/research to find out that this was most likely a FOOD allergy. The vet just told me to give him Benadryl or Claritin.
SO…anybody having health problems like this: Look at your dog’s food first. I’m hoping all goes well w/the Kirkland. Would like to try Costco’s Nature’s Domain eventually. I should have just kept my dogs on the better brands I was feeding them, but at least I was able to witness what the corn and wheat is capable of doing to them. Never again….
Sounds like good information for me to know. Was never interested in Pedigree due to the high prices, bha/bht, artificial colors, knowing I couldn’t live on wheat and cream munchies (they seemed ‘cheap’ and gross)and nobody ever spoke much about that brand as opposed to Purina. Pedigree came out to help with dogs needing ester C among some other things, but Purina had better intentions with vitamin E and closer to whole foods in the first place. Like-wise, Iams turned out to be trying harder, but not really. They put beet pulp in their food. Then when Natural Choice came out (Nutro), they did things better, but with only grains basically and cheap. So, everybody’s trying to trick you. I don’t like that.
Anna, you are talking about the worst dog foods made today. Pedigree came out because they could make money in lieing to people. purnia is absolute crap. Natural Choice is garbage. And beet pulp is put in dog food as a stool stiffener and I would rather see that, than wheat and corn like whats in Natural Choice.
No and beet pulp is worse than those grains. Especially corn.
Well, I disagree. Corn, wheat, soy and other ingredients cause allergies and other issues in dogs. Beet pulp doesn’t cause those kinds of issues in dogs. Some well say it is a filler and it is. But does preform one good service and if it wasn’t in the food it would have to be replaced with another ingredient that keeps the stools firm. All dog food has a stool hardener in it.
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=badingredients
Anna-I would like to know what you feed.Because you are talking about all of these low grade dog foods Pedigree,Purina,Nutro.I don’t know why your so freaked out about beet pulp when the foods that you mention have much worse ingredients.Like NO MEAT,ALL LOW GRADE GRAINS,BY-PRODUCTS,LOW GRADE FATS,ETHOXYQUIN, MENADIONE,Bentonite Clay-can clog the villae in the intestine.All of that crap is MUCH WORSE than beet pulp,which like Jess said is there to firm up stools.Did you know that dogs do not require any grain to sustain life? That should really make you wonder why all the low grade foods contain no real meat and all grain.
The Amazing Benefits of Dog Food Fiber (Part 2)This is why Beet Pulp,and other sources of dietary fiber are used in dog foods.
by Mike Sagman
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OK. In Part 1 we talked about what fiber really is… and why it’s only found in vegetables and grains. And never in meat.
We also talked about…
The Benefits of Fiber in Dog Food
* A simple way to reduce the risk of canine colon cancer
* How to use fiber to prevent both constipation and diarrhea
* A clever way to “dilute” a dog food’s caloric content… and achieve sure-fire weight loss
And then there’s that important difference between the two kinds of fiber… soluble and insoluble.
Now, here are still more amazing benefits of dog food fiber…
Helping Your Dog Avoid the Debilitating
Consequences of Uncontrolled Diabetes
In the intestine, water-holding fiber creates a barrier that can slow the absorption of nutrients1. And it can also delay the time it takes for the stomach to empty2.
That’s why fiber is so effective at managing the wild swings in blood sugar often associated with canine diabetes. This seems especially true for dog food recipes containing higher amounts of insoluble fiber3.
It’s easy to see why high fiber diets are a standard recommendation for dogs diagnosed with this debilitating disease.
Preventing the Agony of Inflamed Anal Glands
Many have watched in utter bewilderment as their dogs dragged their backsides curiously against the floor… in obvious distress.
This not-so-unusual practice is known to veterinarians as “scooting”. And it’s caused by a blocked glands found on either side of a dog’s anus.
Dog food fiber can provide a solution to this familiar problem.
As you know, fiber can absorb water and produce added bulk. These enlarged stools place pressure on the anal sacs during defecation… and can induce natural drainage of these swollen glands.
And welcome relief for your pet.
How to Take Advantage of
the Amazing Benefits of Dog Food Fiber
Sp, when choosing dog food it’s important to become keenly aware of the one thing most shoppers innocently overlook… dietary fiber.
Here’s what to look for…
The Guaranteed Analysis part of a dog food label lists crude fiber on its standard info panel. The word “crude” (as it’s used here) refers only to the method of measuring the fiber… not to its quality.
Today, the average dry dog food shows crude fiber at 2.5 to 4.5 percent. But its concentration in many reduced-calorie products may be as high as 9 or 10 percent 4.
And yes… it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. That’s because excess fiber can decrease the digestibility of other important nutrients.
Not to mention the fact that different fiber ingredients produce different results. Beet pulp, for example, has been shown to provide good stool characteristics… without compromising the digestibility of a dog food’s other nutrients5.
So, What’s the Bottom Line?
Even though fiber is not considered an essential nutrient, its remarkable benefits make dog foods containing a reasonable amount of it worthy of your consideration.
Likewise, products with fiber content anywhere near or below the lower end of this range… may not be as desirable.
And it’s probably a good idea to stay away from dog foods where crude fiber exceeds 10 percent.
Of course, be sure to check with your vet if there’s any question about specific health issues before trying to treat them yourself.
If you missed Part1 of this article… be sure to read The Amazing Benefits of Dog Food Fiber (Part 1).
1. Eastwood MA, The physiological effect of dietary fiber: An update, Annual Review of Nutrition 1992 12:19-35 ↩
2. Annison et al, Nutritional role of resistant starch: Chemical structure vs physiological function, Annual Review of Nutrition 1994 14:297-320 ↩
3. Kimmel et al, Effects of insoluble and soluble dietary fiber on glycemic control in dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000 Apr 1;216(7):1076-81 ↩
4. National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences, “Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats”, 2006 Edition, National Academies Press, Washington, DC, p. 72 ↩
5. Fahey GC, Practical considerations in feeding dietary fibers to companion animals, Petfood Forum Proceedings, 1995, Watt Publishing, Mount Morris, IL, pp 44-54 ↩
Beet pulp is an insoluble fiber source that is moderately fermentable. This means the fiber from beet pulp has the benefits of adding bulk and moisture to animal stools while providing an energy source that can improve the health of the colon. Slow to moderately fermentable fiber sources, like beet pulp, are often recommended as one of the best sources of fiber for dogs and cats.
In summary, beet pulp is considered to be an excellent fiber source in most commercial pet foods. The addition of beet pulp to commercial dog and cat food is widespread, but the actual amount eaten per day is quite small. Beet pulp is rarely the only available fiber source; as a rule, a variety of fiber sources that cross all ranges of fermentability and solubility are recommended. In addition to being a good fiber source, beet pulp may have a slight advantage over some other fiber sources because of its benefit to the intestinal bacteria that help maintain colon health. Beet pulp is often found in many quality foods, and when fed correctly, is an ingredient that can be beneficial to almost all pets.
Beet Pulp is bad. I can’t think of anything worse really.
Anna- you are misinformed. Beet pulp is an insoluble fiber source that is moderately fermentable. This means the fiber from beet pulp has the benefits of adding bulk and moisture to animal stools while providing an energy source that can improve the health of the colon. Slow to moderately fermentable fiber sources, like beet pulp, are often recommended as one of the best sources of fiber for dogs and cats.
In summary, beet pulp is considered to be an excellent fiber source in most commercial pet foods. The addition of beet pulp to commercial dog and cat food is widespread, but the actual amount eaten per day is quite small. Beet pulp is rarely the only available fiber source; as a rule, a variety of fiber sources that cross all ranges of fermentability and solubility are recommended. In addition to being a good fiber source, beet pulp may have a slight advantage over some other fiber sources because of its benefit to the intestinal bacteria that help maintain colon health. Beet pulp is often found in many quality foods, and when fed correctly, is an ingredient that can be beneficial to almost all pets.
well, after reading all this, i don’t know if my babies are on the right food or not. I feed them Innova Puppy, but Abbie has been scooting and we do have to get the anal glands expressed every 2-3wks. I would like something hypo-allergenic, but no names here of anything. Abbie and Emma both have irritation on their bellies. Abbie is 3.5 yrs. and Emma is 5mos.
any recommendations would be appreciated. They get bath every 2wks. or sooner, on flea and heartworm meds. I have to watch Abbie for ear infections, especially after a bath. thanks!!
The ONLY hypoallergenic foods are prescription food because they are made on hypoallergenic facilities and are made with hydrolyzed proteings, ie Hills Z/D and RC HP.