Top 10 Best Dog Foods For Skin Allergies
Figuring out why your dog is so itchy and what to do about it can be complicated and frustrating.
Food allergies — and therefore, dog skin allergies — in dogs are becoming more common. The most frequently reported foods that cause allergic symptoms in dogs are beef, chicken, lamb, wheat, soy, walnuts and corn. However, dogs can be allergic to any foods containing small amounts of protein including fruits, vegetables and grains. Most food allergies can be successfully managed with a change in diet. Changing the meat source of your dog’s food, introducing a novel meat or feeding a hydrolyzed protein diet can help alleviate your pup’s symptoms.
How do I know if my dog is allergic to his food?
Food allergies and sensitivities can have many symptoms but often manifest as itchy skin. Environmental allergens can cause these same skin symptoms. Dogs with food allergies commonly have environmental allergies as well. Without treatment, these symptoms can become more severe over time.
Food allergy symptoms include:
- Repeated ear infections
- Rash around mouth and anus
- Anal gland infections and leakage
- Repeated skin infections (hot spots)
- Itchy skin
- Licking/chewing paws and legs
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Reflux
What’s causing my dog’s food allergies or intolerance?
A food allergy is a reaction that involves the immune system while a food intolerance does not involve the immune system. Both allergies and intolerances may cause severe symptoms but are physiologically different.The exact cause of food allergies and sensitivities is poorly understood. However, it is believed that genetics and the integrity of the intestines may play a role in the development of food allergies in dogs. Rotational diets have been thought to decrease the likelihood of developing food allergies. The rationale is that by rotating proteins daily, weekly, monthly or even seasonally, the body may not have time to become intolerant of any one protein. This theory has not been proven with any scientific evidence.
If I treat my dog’s food allergies, will it treat the skin allergies, too?
The best treatment for dogs with food allergies is to identify the offending foods and remove them from the diet. A small number of dogs will be able to resume eating those allergenic foods after several months of elimination. Dogs who are allergic to just one meat source may find immediate success in a diet change. However, dogs with several food allergies may require a more advanced diet strategy to diagnose and successfully treat their symptoms.
Work with your veterinarian to ensure that your dog’s skin allergy symptoms are not caused by other factors such as parasites, environmental allergies, stress or other diseases. Adding a veterinary dermatologist to your veterinary team can expand your pet’s treatment options. You can find a dermatologist near you.
Types of Dog Food For Skin Allergies
There are generally two types of dog food specially formulated to help with skin allergies. The first type has limited ingredients, which make it easier for owners to pin down a specific ingredient or allergen that their dogs might be allergic to – whilst still providing enough nutrients for their healthy growth and development.
The second type is hypoallergenic dog foods, which are usually prescribed by veterinarians and contain proteins that have been hydrolyzed into simple basic components amino acid building blocks which the dog’s immune system does not recognize as an allergen, thus reducing the chance of an allergic reaction.
Owners should know that dog food for skin allergies will help if the dog is allergic to a particular substance that can be eliminated from their diet through trial and error. It may also help to boost the immune system, giving them better protection against allergens. However, dog foods might not be able to resolve skin allergies associated with environmental or parasitic causes. Therefore, recognizing the root cause of the allergy is crucial to employing the best treatment plan for your pet’s relief.
Top 10 Best Dog Foods for Skin Allergies
Best Overall Wet: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Canned Food
Most dogs love wet food, and you can buy it either as a dense paté or as a thick stew. This recipe from Hill’s Science Diet comes as a rich stew that can be given alone for dinner or deliciously poured over dry food. This highly-palatable recipe is designed specifically with sensitive tummies in mind. Turkey is the lead protein instead of chicken, but there are still some chicken ingredients. It’s also supplemented with a number of key nutrients, including vitamin E, vitamin B12, and vitamin D3.
Best Overall Dry: Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Duck & Oatmeal Recipe
This single-protein dry food is formulated with allergy-prone dogs in mind to help give them complete nutrition with less of the ingredients that can upset their system. It’s also designed to be easily digestible, with fiber and probiotics.
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient dog food takes its animal protein from ducks, providing an alternative to common beef, chicken, and lamb allergies. After duck, its main ingredients are oatmeal, peas, ground rice, and potato protein, with no meat by-products, dairy, corn, soy, eggs, or artificial preservatives.
While it doesn’t contain wheat or gluten, Wellness Simple’s oatmeal and ground rice may make it inappropriate for dogs with grain allergies. Wellness also makes versions of this limited ingredient diet for small breeds and maintaining a healthy weight.
Best Budget: Taste of the Wild Sierra Mountain Grain-Free Dry Dog Food
There is a lot of great dog food available, but higher prices can sometimes be hard to swallow if you’re on a tighter budget. This food is not not only more affordable, but still uses ingredients that are suitable for many dogs with allergies. Taste of the Wild is a family-owned, U.S. brand that offers several different protein sources to choose from, like venison, bison, lamb, and salmon. So, there are plenty of alternatives in case your doggy shows a reaction to a certain type. However, the ingredient list does include egg and a number of fruits and vegetables, which means if your dog has a negative reaction to the food, it may more difficult to determine which ingredients are causing it.
Best for Grain Allergies: Blue Buffalo Wilderness High Protein Grain Free, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
It’s always a good idea to consult your veterinarian if you are concerned about your dog’s allergies. They may recommend changes to their diet that remove foods that could flare up their allergies, like grains or poultry. But being grain-free doesn’t mean that this recipe is all protein either, it also features sweet potatoes and peas to help give your active doggy that extra boost of energy. Blue Buffalo also offers similar grain-free recipes for all life stages, including puppies, adult, and senior dogs.
Best for Skin Allergies: Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food
If your dog is scratching themselves a lot more than usual or having other skin issues, may recommend making an adjustment to their food. Hill’s Science Diet has been one of the most trusted brands of dog food and has the recommendation of countless veterinarians behind it. This particular blend is made with chicken as the primary ingredient and doesn’t require a prescription. It also contains vitamin E, as well as omega 6 fatty acids that are good for your dog’s skin.1
Best for Chicken Allergies: Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet with Healthy Grains Real Salmon & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food
Some dog foods that don’t mention chicken on the front of the package may still contain chicken by-product hiding in the ingredient list. For dogs who are the most sensitive to chicken, even these by-products may cause an allergic reaction. Merrick’s limited ingredient diet is a good option for those dogs. This dry dog food is created using nine key ingredients including salmon, brown rice, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes—and most importantly no chicken or chicken by-product. It’s also free of soy, corn, wheat, and eggs.
Best for Senior Dogs: Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Natural Senior Dry Dog Food Turkey & Potato
We all want our pets to have a long, healthy life and a big part of that is changing their diet to match their needs as they get older. The older a dog gets, the important healthy digestion becomes, and this blend of Blue Buffalo turkey and potato is designed to do just that. Using turkey as the primary ingredient gives your senior doggy the protein boost that they need while avoiding the ingredients like chicken and beef that are common sources of allergies. This recipe also contains omega 3 and 6 fatty acids that help overall skin and coat health.
What to Look for in Dog Food for Allergies
Signs of an Allergic Reaction
When looking for the perfect dog food, it’s important to first know what an allergic reaction looks like.
“Symptoms of a food allergy can affect multiple organ systems in your dog, but the skin tends to be the most affected,” says Burch. “Skin symptoms include severe itching along the face, paws, rear, and underbelly. Other signs can include fur loss from around the eyes, repeated ear infections, and secondary skin infections.”
When you know the signs of an allergic reaction to look out for, you will be able to better pinpoint what’s causing their discomfort.
Ingredients
One of the first things you should do when buying a new dog food is to really look over the ingredients. Especially in dog foods that don’t advertise themselves as limited ingredients, it’s possible for all kinds of protein by-products to be present in your dog’s food—even if it’s not explicitly mentioned on the front of the bag. There may be more hiding in the ingredients list than you’d think.
Vet Consultation
A dog’s food allergies can be very hard to nail down sometimes and it may take more than just switching up their food to find out what they are allergic to eating. “Dogs diagnosed with a food allergy may need to be fed a prescription diet,” explains Burch. She explains that prescription dog foods follow a strict protocol to produce the dog food. If your dog is extra sensitive to a certain ingredient, prescription food may be your best bet to ensure there’s no cross-contamination with other proteins.
