Top 10 Best Dog Food for Pyoderma
Pyoderma is a serious skin condition in dogs. Often, it involves small pustules developing on the surface of the dog’s skin. However, there are many different symptoms, including hair loss, itching, and dry skin. Different breeds are more prone to this condition than others.
The cause of this condition varies but it can sometimes be controlled with food. Sometimes, allergies are the underlying condition, which means that treatment of these allergies can help reduce the symptoms of this skin condition. Therefore, novel protein diets and limited ingredient diets are highly recommended.
There are a lot of options out there when treating allergies that lead to pyoderma. We reviewed some of the best options below, which should help you choose the best option for your dog.
The 10 Best Dog Foods for Pyoderma
Iams Advanced Health Healthy Digestion – Best Value
| Main ingredients: | Chicken |
| Protein content: | 25% |
| Fat content: | 10% |
| Calories: | 380 kcal/cup |
The Iams Advanced Health Healthy Digestion food is the best dog food for pyoderma for the money. This food contains whole grains for high fiber content, as well as prebiotic fiber to better support digestive health, which also supports immune and skin health. It’s a good source of protein to support dogs with an active lifestyle and build or maintain muscle mass. It contains plenty of antioxidants to support better immune health as well. Many users have reported their dogs not having difficulty transitioning to this food, and it’s a non-prescription food.
This food contains chicken, so it’s not suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken protein.
- Contains chicken
- Good source of protein for muscle mass
- Best value
- Supports digestive and immune health
- Most dogs transition smoothly
- Non-prescription food
Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin – Best Overall
| Main ingredients: | Chicken |
| Protein content: | 20% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
| Calories: | 394 kcal/cup |
The Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin food is the best overall dog food for pyoderma. This food contains healthy grains, like pearled barley and brown rice, that can help support your dog’s digestive system. It also contains beet bulbs, which is a prebiotic fiber source, to help better support digestive health. It also supports a healthy digestive microbiome. A healthy digestive system supports immunity and skin health.
This food is a good source of vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids to support your dog’s skin and coat health and to help soothe pyoderma. This is a non-prescription food that is widely available online and at most vet clinics.
This food does contain chicken, which is a common allergen for dogs, so this is not the best option for dogs with sensitivity to chicken proteins.
- Contains chicken
- Supports healthy skin, digestion, and immunity
- Good source of vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids
- High in fiber
- Contains prebiotics to support digestive health
- Non-prescription food
Acana Wholesome Grains Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Beef |
| Protein content: | 27% |
| Fat content: | 17% |
| Calories: | 371 kcal/cup |
The Acana Wholesome Grains Red Meat & Grains is free of chicken and other poultry proteins, instead containing beef, pork, and lamb. This food is a good source of whole grains and is high in fiber to support digestive health. It’s a good source of omega fatty acids and vitamin E to support skin health, and it contains nutrient-dense ingredients like pumpkin and butternut squash that keep the digestive system healthy, which also supports immune and skin health.
Although this food is designed to be palatable, some people report their picky eaters turning their noses up at this food.
- May not be suitable for picky eaters
- High in fiber
- Good source of omega fatty acids and vitamin E
- Free of chicken
- Contains whole grains
- Nutrient-dense ingredients support digestive and skin health
Royal Canin Veterinary Skin Support – Premium Choice
| Main ingredients: | Brewers rice, fish meal |
| Protein content: | 22.5% |
| Fat content: | 13.5% |
| Calories: | 322 kcal/cup |
The premium pick for food to support your dog’s skin is the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Skin Support. This prescription-only diet is designed for dogs and growing puppies with skin conditions related to environmental irritants. It contains a specialized nutrient complex, including vitamin C and taurine, that supports skin cell regeneration and healing. It’s also a good source of B vitamins and amino acids to repair the skin barrier.
This food is a good source of omega fatty acids to support overall skin and coat health. While this food contains chicken fat, it is free of chicken proteins, which are likely to cause irritation for dogs with chicken sensitivity.
Since this is a prescription-only food, you’ll need to get a prescription from your vet to purchase this food. It does retail for a premium price, which may put it out of some budgets.
- Prescription only
- Premium price
- B vitamins and amino acids help with skin barrier repair
- Good source of omega fatty acids for skin and coat health
- Appropriate for adult dogs and puppies
- Specialized nutrient complex to support skin cell regeneration
- Free of chicken proteins
Hill’s Prescription Diet Derm Complete Dry Food
| Main ingredients: | Corn starch, hydrolyzed chicken liver |
| Protein content: | 13.5% |
| Fat content: | 13% |
| Calories: | 373 kcal/cup |
The Hill’s Prescription Diet Derm Complete food is a prescription-only dog food that is made with hydrolyzed protein. Hydrolyzed protein means the protein has been broken down to a point that the body won’t recognize it as an allergen anymore, making this food suitable for dogs with sensitivity to chicken. It contains nutrients that support a healthy skin barrier, and this food is formulated to reduce skin itchiness and likelihood of developing skin infections caused by environmental and nutritional causes.
It’s much lower in protein than most foods, so it may not be suitable for all dogs, and this is a prescription-only food.
- Low in protein
- Prescription-only food
- Supports a healthy skin barrier
- Reduces skin itchiness
- Made with hydrolyzed protein
- Suitable for dogs with sensitivity to chicken protein
- Formulated to reduce skin issues associated with environmental and nutritional causes
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach – Vet’s Choice
| Main ingredients: | Salmon |
| Protein content: | 26% |
| Fat content: | 16% |
| Calories: | 467 kcal/cup |
The Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach food is our vet’s choice food for dogs with pyoderma, and it’s available without a prescription. This food is high in omega fatty acids and is formulated for dogs with sensitive skin. It’s a good source of prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive and immune health. This is a chicken-free dog food, making it suitable for dogs with sensitivities to chicken. It contains B vitamins for energy and metabolic health, and it’s a nutrient-dense food that supports a healthy weight.
Some people report this food having a strong smell due to the fish content, and it may cause gas and bad breath in dogs.
- Strong smell
- High in omega fatty acids for skin health
- Good source of prebiotics and probiotics
- Vet recommended
- Non-prescription food
- Free of chicken
- Nutrient-dense food
JustFoodForDogs Joint & Skin Support Recipe
| Main ingredients: | Pork tenderloin |
| Protein content: | 40.9% |
| Fat content: | 11.4% |
| Calories: | 32 kcal/oz |
The JustFoodForDogs Joint & Skin Support Recipe is a good option for fresh food that is formulated by veterinary nutritionists. This is a non-prescription food that uses pork tenderloin as a healthy protein source, and it’s free of chicken proteins. It ships frozen and can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 year. This food contains collagen and omega fatty acids to support skin and musculoskeletal health. It’s a high-protein food, making this a good option for active dogs and dogs that need extra muscle support.
This food retails for a premium price since most dogs need more than one pouch per day. It does need to be used within 4 days after thawing for safety and freshness.
- Premium price
- Use within 4 days of thawing
- Free of chicken
- Can be kept frozen up to 1 year
- Formulated by veterinary nutritionists
- Non-prescription food
- Good source of omega fatty acids, collagen, and protein
Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Whole mackerel |
| Protein content: | 38% |
| Fat content: | 18% |
| Calories: | 488 kcal/cup |
The Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe food is a nutrient-dense food that is high in protein. It’s a great source of omega fatty acids, thanks to containing multiple fish protein sources. This food contains healthy levels of vitamin E and taurine, which also support skin health. It’s a good source of prebiotics and probiotics to support digestive and immune health. It contains glucosamine, which supports musculoskeletal health, and due to its calorie and protein content, this food is suitable for muscle building and maintaining a healthy weight, and it’s free of chicken.
This is one of the more expensive foods we reviewed. It also may have a strong smell due to the amount of fish in this food.
- Premium price
- May have a strong smell
- Probiotics and prebiotics support digestive and immune health
- Glucosamine supports musculoskeletal health
- High in protein
- Good source of omega fatty acids, vitamin E, and taurine
- Can support muscle mass
Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d Food Sensitivities
| Main ingredients: | Water, hydrolyzed chicken liver |
| Protein content: | 13.6% |
| Fat content: | 10.5% |
| Calories: | 352 kcal/can |
The Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d Food Sensitivities food is made with hydrolyzed proteins, reducing the body’s ability to react to allergy symptoms. It supports a healthy skin barrier, and it’s a good source of vitamin C and B vitamins to support metabolic and skin health. This food is a good option for dogs with itchy and irritated ears as well. It contains a single carbohydrate source, lowering the likelihood of it causing issues for dogs with carbohydrate allergies.
This is a prescription-only food that is lower in protein than most foods, so it may not be suitable for most dogs.
- Prescription-only food
- Low in protein
- Good source of vitamin C and B vitamins
- Made with hydrolyzed protein
- Supports a healthy skin barrier
- Good option for dogs with pyoderma and itchy ears
- Single carbohydrate source
Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet NP Dry Dog Food
| Main ingredients: | Deboned alligator |
| Protein content: | 22% |
| Fat content: | 14% |
| Calories: | 372 kcal/cup |
The Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet NP Novel Protein Alligator food is a prescription-only food that has a low likelihood of causing skin irritation in dogs with pyoderma due to containing a novel protein with alligator. Novel proteins are proteins that most dogs do not have allergies to and that they are unlikely to have encountered before, and this food is free of chicken proteins. It’s a good source of omega-3 fatty acids to support skin and coat health, and it’s high in antioxidants to support immune health. This is a highly palatable food, making it suitable for picky eaters.
This food is free of grains and contains peas. Grain-free diets and foods containing legumes have shown a link to heart disease in dogs, so make sure to discuss the risks and benefits of this food with your vet before transitioning.
- Prescription-only food
- Grain-free food
- Contains legumes
- Good source of omega-3 fatty acids
- High in antioxidants
- Novel protein is unlikely to be an allergen
- Free of chicken
- Suitable for picky eaters
Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Dog Food for Pyoderma
Finding dog food can be complicated. There are so many options out there that it can be challenging to determine which one is best for your canine. When your dog has a health problem, it complicates things even more.
Luckily, there are only a few things you need to consider when selecting a food. Therefore, once you understand these concepts, picking food for a dog with pyoderma becomes much easier.
The Cause of the Disease
Not all pyoderma requires or even needs a change in diet. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with diet. However, pyoderma is often caused by food allergies and the itching that comes with it. Therefore, treating food allergies will often heal the pyoderma, though some antibiotics and other treatments may be needed as well.
Speaking to your vet will help you figure out if this is the cause of your dog’s pyoderma.
The Cause of Allergies
- Now that you know the cause of pyoderma, you need to determine the cause of the food allergies. Your vet can help you with this. However, you’ll usually need to do an elimination diet. Dogs become allergic to things over time so if your canine is currently eating food containing mostly chicken, they are probably allergic to the chicken. (If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be having the allergy symptoms!)
- This is pretty easy to do if your canine’s food only has one source of protein in it. However, if there are multiple sources, it can be hard to figure out which one is the culprit. The only way to do this is to stop feeding one of the ingredients and see if the symptoms improve.
- If they do, that’s what your dog was allergic to. If they don’t, then you’ll have to try another one.
- Alternatively, you can simply pick a food that doesn’t include any of the ingredients contained in your dog’s old food. While this won’t help you figure out exactly what they’re allergic to, it often provides a fast solution.
- After you figure out what protein your dog is allergic to, simply avoid foods with those proteins. Limited ingredient diets are best, as they include very few ingredients. It’s easier to find a food your dog can actually eat, in this case.
Macronutrients
With that said, you can’t just pay attention to the proteins and allergens in the food. You also have to pay attention to the overall nutrient content. Dogs with underlying conditions often need great nutrition.
Despite some modern advertisements, dogs often benefit from a protein content of between 20% and 25%. This amount of protein is typically enough for moderately active dogs. If your dog is super active, they may need more. Too much protein is associated with some negative health problems, especially when fed long-term. Therefore, you shouldn’t necessarily choose a food with lots of protein.
If a food contains above 25%, you should think about purchasing it carefully.
Dogs also need fat and carbohydrates to survive. Carbs provide a fast energy source and are necessary for a dog’s diet. Of course, carb-rich ingredients are often very cheap. Therefore, some foods may have too many carbs. Be sure your dog is getting enough protein and fat, as well.
Final Thoughts
These reviews should serve as a solid starting point in helping you find the perfect food for your dog with pyoderma. Pyoderma can be difficult to manage, so make sure to discuss treatment options with your vet. Food can be a great way to help manage some of the symptoms of pyoderma, though!
The best overall pick is the Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin food, which is a prescription-only food that supports overall skin and coat health. The budget-friendly pick is the Iams Advanced Health Healthy Digestion, which may help boost your dog’s digestive system, improving their immunity. For a premium product, the top pick is the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Skin Support, which is a prescription-only food formulated to boost skin health. Our top vet recommended pick is the Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach food, which is free of chicken and formulated to support healthy skin.
