The best hypoallergenic dog foods: a review of 7 diets

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Review of hypoallergenic foods

Applaws

All English chicken-based food from Applaws can be classified as hypoallergenic. These are monorations: they are made from one type of meat - chicken. In addition, there are no grains in drying, and vegetables are sources of fiber: tomatoes, carrots, peas, potatoes. The compositions are enriched with salmon oil, medicinal herbs, vitamins and minerals.

Applaws Adult Dog Small & Medium Breed Chicken Grain Free food stands out separately. This is the only diet that the manufacturer has designated as “hypoallergenic”. But its composition is not much different from the company’s other menus.

Therefore, the “hypoallergenic” label is a marketing ploy. Although, I repeat once again, Applaws can be safely classified as an exclusion diet and mono-ration: it does not contain grains, which often cause allergies, and there is only one source of animal protein - chicken.

In total, Applaws has 4 types of monorations:

• for large breed puppies;
• for kittens of medium and small breeds;
• for adult dogs of large breeds;
• for small and medium breeds.

In addition to these feeds, Applaws also produces dry food with 2 sources of animal protein: chicken + lamb and chicken + duck. We do not classify them as hypoallergenic monorations.

Pros:

• high content of meat ingredients - from 64% and above;
• eat fresh and raw poultry;
• there are no grains and cereals;
• suitable for an elimination diet.

Minuses:

• Contraindicated for pets with chicken allergies;
• contain egg powder - a common allergen;
• there are vague formulations: poultry gravy, minced chicken, cellulose fibers - from these phrases it is impossible to determine exactly what types of animal or plant components were used.

Grandorf

Grandorf food is representative of the exclusion diet:

• contain hypoallergenic types of meat - lamb, duck, turkey, fish;
• include a small amount of grains (white or brown rice) or no grains at all;
• no common allergens - wheat, corn, soy;
• There are no artificial preservatives or other chemical additives.

If you know exactly what foods your dog is allergic to, take Grandorf anti-allergy food. You can choose the most suitable menu for your favorite from a large series:

1. 4 types “with lamb and rice”: for puppies of all breeds;
2. for juniors of all breeds;
3. for adult decorative dogs;
4. for medium-sized adult dogs.

Advantages:

• many lines with different tastes, for dogs of different breeds and ages;
• all varieties do not contain common allergens: wheat, corn, soy, chicken, eggs;
• There are grain-free series;
• Availability – food is easy to buy in pet stores and order through suppliers’ websites.

Flaws:

• the percentage of components is not indicated;
• not suitable for monorations: in any Grandorf dry product, in addition to the type of meat indicated on the package, there is at least one more source of animal protein.

Brit VDD Hypoallergenic

The Czech company Brit produces food with a unique composition - Veterinary Diet Dog Hypoallergenic. It is made from only one source of animal protein - salmon. Moreover, 30% of the fish is dehydrogenated, and the remaining 18% is hydrolyzed - split into small atoms.

The remaining components are presented:

• low-allergenic plant components - peas, buckwheat, apples;
• useful natural additives: seaweed, coconut oil, sea buckthorn, brewer's yeast;
• complexes to maintain health: vitamin and mineral supplements, probiotics, fatty acids, amino acids.

This approach allowed us to achieve a low allergic index. After 8 weeks of feeding Brit VDD Hypoallergenic, the pet’s condition improves. The diet is suitable for:

• nutritional allergies;
• allergic dermatitis and otitis media;
• food intolerance;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT).

Pros:

• one source of animal protein;
• no common allergens: chicken, soy, corn, wheat, eggs;
• low glycemic index due to the absence of grains;
• the protein is hydrolyzed, which reduces the risk of hypersensitivity and food intolerance;
• an abundance of useful supplements that normalize intestinal function, the general condition of the body, and strengthen the immune system;
• Suitable for daily feeding on an ongoing basis.

Minuses:

• prohibited for pregnant and lactating bitches;
• should not be given to pets with liver pathologies and inflammation of the pancreas;
• It is not clear why the manufacturer did not make the food exclusively from hydrolyzed fish - the presence of simply dried fillets (not treated with enzymes) increases the risk of hypersensitivity;
• meat content less than 50%.

Read more about Brit dog food.

Barking Heads

Drying Barking Heads is suitable as an elimination diet. They have an extensive line of hypoallergenic menus:

• “Fuss Around the Bowl” – grain-free for adult picky dogs with salmon (45%), potatoes and peas;
• “Luxurious hair for small-footed dogs” – for adult decorative and small dogs with lamb (50%), brown and white rice, enriched with trout and salmon;
• “Chicken for Big Foot” – for adults with chicken and trout (55%) and brown rice;
• “Luxurious hair” – for adults with skin diseases based on lamb (51%), brown and white rice;
• “Mallard for Small-footed” – grain-free dry food for small dogs with duck and trout (53%), potatoes, peas and lentils.

The British company Barking Heads claims to produce holistic food. In fact, it produces super-premium products. But her diets are worthy of attention: they relieve allergy symptoms and prevent the recurrence of the disease.

Advantages:

• no grains (corn, wheat), soy, artificial additives;
• there is fresh meat;
• Extensive range for dogs of different ages and sizes.

Flaws:

• small amount of meat;
• not suitable for a monoration - in all types of drying there are at least 2 different sources of animal protein;
• overpriced - about 900 rubles. per 1 kg, some grain-free holistic products with a meat content of 70% and higher are 100-300 rubles cheaper.

Interesting: Small dog breeds with photos

Bosch Sensitive Lamb & Rice

Bosch Sensitive Lamb & Rice is a hydrolyzed food. It contains:

• lamb meal (20%);
• rice (37.5%);
• vegetables - potatoes, beets, peas;
• useful additives: flax seeds, yeast, chicory, mussels, Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids, vitamins, minerals, prebiotics.

This ratio of components eliminates the symptoms of hypersensitivity: itching, redness, inflammation of the eyes and ears, alopecia. Bosch Sensitive Lamb & Rice also normalizes intestinal function, strengthens general immunity, and improves the condition of the coat.

For puppies with allergies, Bosch has Bio Puppy food. It does not contain hydrolyzed proteins. But its composition is 100% natural, organic, without harmful components and common allergens. The dryer contains:

• meat – fresh, poultry, varieties and percentages are not indicated;
• cereals – rice, barley;
• vegetables and fruits - tomatoes, apples, pears, carrots, peas;
• poultry fat;
• fish flour.

I recommend giving Bosch Bio Puppy to kittens and adolescents to prevent allergic reactions.

Pros:

• Sensitive Lamb & Rice contains hydrolyzed protein - this is the best option for dogs with nutritional allergies to animal ingredients;
• lightweight composition - plant components are easily absorbed and do not interfere with the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
• There is a variety to prevent hypersensitivity in puppies.

Minuses:

• small proportion of meat;
• the percentage of components is not indicated;
• vague wording - it is not clear what types of meat and parts of carcasses were used.

Ontario

Hypoallergenic food is more expensive than regular food. If you can’t afford expensive diets, take a look at the super-premium budget dryer from the Czech company Ontario. They have good compositions and an abundance of lines.

Ontario produces the following types of hypoallergenic menus:

1. For decorative breeds: for babies from 1 to 12 months with lamb (27%), rice (20%) and turkey (5%);
2. for adults from 1 year to 8 years with lamb (27%) and rice (20%);
3. for adults from 12 months with 7 types of fish (36%) and rice (24%);
4. for seniors from 8 years old with lamb (25%), turkey (5%) and rice (20%);
5. for dogs over 8 years old with fish (36%) and rice (20%).

Each menu is developed taking into account the weight, breed characteristics and age of pets: drying varieties contain components that are beneficial for a particular dog. Any diet contains vitamin and mineral supplements, extracts of medicinal herbs, and other useful ingredients (seaweed, brewer's yeast, etc.).

Advantages:

• wide range;
• the best division into varieties for small breed dogs;
• no grains, soybeans, eggs;
• natural composition;
• low price - about 400-450 rubles. per kg.

Flaws:

• not suitable as monorations for pets with allergies to animal protein;
• low meat content;
• no fresh meat ingredients.

1st Choice

Hypoallergenic diets from 1st Choice are good super-premium food. They are suitable as an exclusion diet. The food contains ingredients that rarely cause hypersensitivity. This:

• meat – herring, lamb, duck;
• cereals – brown rice, pearl barley, oatmeal and barley;
• vegetables – potatoes, beets, tomatoes;
• sources of Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids – chicken or fish oil;
• vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, healthy supplements (chondroitin, L-carnitine, L-cystine, etc.).

1st Choice produces several types of food for dogs with allergies:

• “Sensitive skin and coat” – for puppies of all breeds from 2 to 12 months;
• “For healthy skin and coat” – for decorative breeds up to one year old;
• “Hypoallergenic” – for adult dogs of all breeds, the only one grain-free;
• “Sensitive skin and coat” – for older dogs from 8 years of age of all breeds.

Pros:

• contains hypoallergenic animal and plant ingredients;
• enriched with numerous beneficial additives;
• helps fight allergies, and at the same time supports the health of joints, teeth, fur, skin, central nervous system, and digestive system;
• suitable for pets with sensitive gastrointestinal tract;
• no soy, wheat, corn;
• The lines are divided by breed and age.

Minuses:

• Not every ingredient has a specified percentage;
• a small amount of meat - approximately 30%, the exact volume cannot be determined, because the manufacturer does not designate it;
• a lot of grains and vegetables - potatoes, rice, pearl barley, oatmeal, barley.

Primary requirements

In order to choose the right food for allergic dogs, you need to know the requirements for them. Firstly, they cannot have a low price. Secondly, only natural and high-quality components are used in their production.

This is interesting: Feeding standards for large and small breed puppy

Manufacturers of cheap products save on this by using low-quality raw materials, as well as flavorings that make the dog enjoy eating. But such food only harms the pet’s body. Irritation begins to appear on the skin, hair falls out, and digestive upset occurs.

There is a strict list of what should and should not be included in hypoallergenic food. Gluten, corn, soy, and other hard-to-digest components are prohibited. Exotic fruits and vegetables, chicken, lamb and beef, grains, cabbage and tomatoes, and much more are highly allergenic.

Hypoallergenic dry dog ​​food necessarily includes all the necessary nutrients, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and prebiotics that have a beneficial effect on the animal’s gastrointestinal tract. Characterized by the absence of unsaturated fats, proteins, and gluten. Amino acids and medicinal herbs, on the contrary, will only benefit the dog.

Criterias of choice

If a dog has a food allergy, the owner must be especially careful about its nutrition. It is necessary to take into account all the criteria for selecting hypoallergenic food.

1. The diet should belong to the holistic or super premium class. Such food can provide the dog with all the necessary nutrients, and its owner will not have to worry that the pet is not getting enough.
2. When purchasing, you should carefully study the composition - it should not contain those components to which the animal is intolerant.
3. In addition to allergens specific to the dog, the composition should not include artificial components or ingredients to which the dog is likely to be allergic.
4. Food for small breeds will not be suitable for large dogs, and the puppy’s menu will differ from the diet of an adult. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the following characteristics of a pet when choosing: age, breed, size, other characteristics (sterilization, pregnancy, reduced activity and others).

Expert opinion

Anna Abramenko

An avid dog lover. Experience in veterinary medicine since 2009.

Ask a Question

You should pay close attention to the ratio of food ingredients. Meat should be at least 60%. It is indicated in the first places of the composition. The exception is food intended for dogs that cannot tolerate animal protein.

Feeding rules

To avoid problems, any new product or food should be introduced into the animal’s diet gradually. You shouldn’t pour a bowl full of food, worrying that your pet will remain hungry. High-quality food is quite filling and contains sufficient nutrients, so even a seemingly small portion will satisfy all the dog’s needs.

Each manufacturer indicates on the packaging all the necessary recommendations. The data on the front side tells you what breeds or sizes of dogs the food is intended for. The back contains information about the frequency of feeding per day and the size of one serving.

At first, for convenience, it is better for the owner to use scales so as not to make a mistake with the volume of food. In the future, the food can be easily measured by eye.

Some owners give their dogs hypoallergenic food as a preventative measure. When choosing food, you need to carefully study the information about whether it is suitable for constant nutrition. Some of them are recommended for use only to eliminate unpleasant symptoms.

Fish fat

Typically, fish oil is obtained from marine fatty cold-water fish such as menhaden, anchovies, herring and mackerel. And some manufacturers directly indicate the source of the ingredient - for example, “cod liver oil” (nutritional value according to the checkpoint service - 6 points out of 10) or “fresh salmon oil” (7 points out of 10). ⠀ The wording “fish oil” only indicates that a mixture of fats from different types of fish was probably added to the food. And this is a controversial point: it is unclear what products and preservatives were used in its production. The quality of fish oil and the degree of its purification directly affect its cost and, consequently, the cost of feed. ⠀ ❤️ However, regardless of the type of fish and production technology, fish oil is a source of energy and Omega-3 fatty acids, including DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). That’s why we give it to our animals and, if desired, take it ourselves!

Eukanuba for sensitive pets

It is not for nothing that the Eukanuba brand is included in the ranking of the best hypoallergenic foods. It is intended for pets prone to rashes and other allergic reactions. The products are based on lamb meat, so they are suitable for feeding animals of any size and age. However, the line also includes food for puppies, which also contains lamb, but with additional ingredients:

• rice;
• fish flour;
• flax-seed;
• sugar beet;
• fish fat;
• dry egg.

Veterinarians advise choosing food of this brand for feeding animals prone to intolerance to chicken, grains and potatoes. The diet is also excellent for pets with digestive system disorders and a history of frequent dermatitis.

The disadvantages of the feed include its too high price. In addition, the food is prohibited for consumption by dogs with a known intolerance to fish products.