It is fairly common for dogs to have some kind of food allergies in their lifetime. Experts believe that about 20% of dogs will develop allergies as they grow up. 1 to 2 years of their growth years being the most prone ones to allergies.

If your dog is suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, itching, rashes or soreness, the chances are that he has a food allergy. In case of food allergies, you should not wait and immediately see your Vet for professional advice.

In such cases of food allergies, the best treatment is elimination of the cause from your Dog’s food bowl.

Causes of allergies in dogs

Causes of allergies in dogs could be many, just like how it is in humans. From dust, grass, pollen, mold or food, the causes could be many.

However, the most common cause of allergies in dogs is food. Dairy, proteins like chicken, beef, soy, corn, certain fruits, flea have all been found to cause allergies in dogs. For example, most dogs are allergic to gluten and that’s why any dairy product leads to an allergic reaction in them.

Allergies can be caused by homemade dog food or the specially designed kibbles for your dogs. Identifying the cause of allergy in dogs can be difficult and only a certified Vet can determine the cause after a detailed elimination analysis.

Symptoms of allergies in dogs

You would know that your dog has allergy if you see the following symptoms in your dogs:

  • Itchiness
  • Vomiting
  • Diarhhea
  • Stomach upset
  • Sneezing
  • Drooling
  • Constant licking
  • Inflammation of eyelids, lips, ears

If you notice such symptoms in your dogs, then there’s a possible allergic reaction to a food and you shouldn’t wait too long before your Vet.

What type of food should you choose?

  1. Food Solutions for Dogs with Allergies

What type of food should you choose for your dog if they have a problem of allergies? Broadly, this is what you should look for in such cases:

Limited Ingredient Food – Dog food formula with limited ingredients reduces your dog’s exposure to multiple food ingredients, therefore reducing the chance of allergy in them.

Having said this, limited ingredient food are carefully formulated to meet the dietary needs of your dogs. They are fully balanced meals despite made from limited ingredients.

Also, it comes in a wide variety of flavors, so your dog will not have a problem in eating a limited ingredient food.

  1. Hypoallergenic Food

Hypoallergenic dog food uses unique protein sources which are not recognized as antigens by your dog’s antibodies. This means, that there are lesser chances of a reaction to a food.  Hydrolyzed protein foods are a good example of hypoallergenic food.

Hypoallergenic dog food is all about elimination and it reduces the risk of allergies and intolerances. Your Vet may have to write you a prescription at times for you to buy hypoallergenic dog food.

Our recommendation of 3 Best Dog Food for Allergies

  1. Wellness Simple

The Wellness Simple dog food is a limited ingredient food and uses a single easily digestible protein source and carbohydrates in their dog food formulas. That being said, all their limited ingredient dog food formulas are well balanced and wholly nutritious for dogs. They have a variety of flavors and their food contains no fillers or additives. In addition, the formula has omega fatty acids that helps keep your dog’s skin & coat healthy and shiny.

  1. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets

Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets belongs to the Hypoallergic Food category.  It uses a single hydrolysed protein & purified carbohydrates to help avoid allergic reactions from the food source.

The omega-3 fatty acids present in the dog food formula strengthens the natural anti-inflammatory process thereby helping in defeating allergic reactions. It is a specially formulated dog food for dogs of all life stages to help manage the allergies and intolerances in dogs.

  1. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet

Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet is a Limited Ingredient Food that comes in a variety of flavors. The concept of the formula is same, keeping the ingredients to a bare minimum. They’ve got lesser than ten key ingredients coupled with vitamins and minerals to deliver a wholly nutritious and balanced meal. The ingredients are easily digestible by dogs, making it a perfect meal for allergic dogs.

To Wrap-Up

Allergies in dogs are quite common and the reasons could be multi-dimensional. Food allergies are the most common and the best way of treating is eliminating the food source that is causing the allergy.

Finding out the cause of allergy is very difficult and only a certified Vet can do it. If you notice any allergic symptoms in your dogs, you must take him to the Vet immediately. There’s no point in waiting and observing and giving the same allergens to worsen the situation.

Hey there! I'm Rodrigo, a passionate writer with a lifetime love for animals, especially dogs. Creating this blog is a dream come true for me so I hope you enjoy all our content!