What is Hypoallergenic Dog Food?
Food time is the best time for your furry friend as they wait in excitement, eyes wide and tails wagging, ready to chomp down their tasty meal. As well as walks, eating is your dog’s favourite activity to do in their day and it’s vital to provide them with the right food too. This is because food gives your pooch the energy, nutrients and proteins they need to fuel them for their day, so you need high-quality foods that give this to them. Plus, their food needs to be lip-licking tasty for them to enjoy it, guzzling every last crumb up.
You will find that your dog will rarely turn their snout up at their food. However, there are occasions when the food disagrees with their stomachs, or they lose interest. Your furry friend can start to show signs, such as scratching or having a sensitive stomach. This is what you need to look out for and figure out if your dog needs alternative food, as every dog deserves the best food for them.
But, how do you know when your dog needs a change of food? What food is needed for them instead? Many issues dogs experience with their food can lead you to hypoallergenic dog foods. Explore what is hypoallergenic dog food and determine if your pooch needs this to be happy, healthy and thriving.
What does hypoallergenic dog food mean?
Many owners are unaware of what hypoallergenic dog food means. It can be difficult to understand and can cause confusion as to whether your furry friend needs this alternative or not.
Hypoallergenic food basically means a meal that is unlikely to cause a reaction for your dog. It is created to eliminate the risk of allergies and intolerances your dog may have. This means that many foods can technically be hypoallergenic. As long as your dog isn’t allergic or intolerant to the ingredients. However, if your pooch is showing signs of an allergy or intolerance, then they will need the specially formulated hypoallergenic dog foods.
Your dog could be allergic or intolerant to certain proteins used in dog foods, such as beef. This means that if you feed them beef, you will trigger their allergy or intolerance, so the food won’t be hypoallergenic. It is all dependent on your dog and their needs. This means that certain hypoallergenic foods will still cause an issue if they include ingredients that flare up their issues.
Hypoallergenic food is made with unusual proteins to prevent upsetting your pooch. Ingredients like lamb, duck and venison are used instead and one form of protein, meaning only one type of meat is used to prevent reactions. It also usually excludes the use of grains as this is a common allergen.
Does hypoallergenic dog food work?
So, does hypoallergenic dog food work? If you switch your dog’s diet to a hypoallergenic one, you can prevent most or all of their allergy or intolerance symptoms. However, it can take time. You may even have to go through trial and error before you see improvements. Hypoallergenic food only works if the ingredients exclude your dog’s allergen or intolerance. This means that you still need to pay attention to the ingredients list to see if that food is hypoallergenic for your pooch.
Signs to look for to see if your dog needs hypoallergenic food
There are common signs to look for in your dog to show if they need hypoallergenic dog foods. Closely monitor their reactions after feeding time and get veterinary advice if you notice:
- Flatulence
- Vomiting, diarrhoea or mucus in stool
- Frequent scratching or hair loss
- Chronic ear problems
- Red and inflamed skin
- Poor coat condition
- Not much growth if young
- Dandruff, dry skin or a flat coat
- Loss of appetite or not interested in food.
If you notice any of these signs, book your dog in with your local vet. Work with them to determine if your pooch has a food allergy or intolerance. Your vet can help you find out what is going on with your dog. They can help you see what ingredient they are allergic or intolerant to. The vet will also guide you with an exclusion diet to follow. This will exclude typical allergens from your dog’s diet. You will then slowly reintroduce them to find what foods or ingredients are causing the issues.
What’s the difference between allergies and intolerances?
Allergies and intolerances get mixed up a lot. Due to this, it can be hard to find out which one your dog is suffering from.
An allergy is usually an immune response to a protein. This is when the protein triggers an immune system reaction. It can cause minor itching or more severe, and occasionally, life-threatening reactions. However, these are quite rare for dogs and your pooch is more likely to suffer from an intolerance.
So, what’s an intolerance? Being intolerant to something means that food or ingredients upset your dog’s stomach. It triggers their digestive system without affecting their immune system. This leads to loose stools or even mucus in their stool frequently.
Is hypoallergenic dog food grain free?
Another common question among many dog owners is “Is hypoallergenic dog food grain free?” Hypoallergenic food tries to exclude grains, aiming to have none. Grains are a common trigger for allergies or intolerances. This type of food chooses grain-free alternatives instead. You should still take a look at the ingredients just in case as some can still have grains. Doing this makes sure there are no grains to trigger your dog.
Grain-free dog food has absolutely no grains in it. But, this food could still have other ingredients that cause discomfort for your dog. Hypoallergenic may be the best choice if your dog is allergic or intolerant to grains and other ingredients. If not and it’s just grains, then grain-free could be best.
What foods are hypoallergenic for dogs?
It is hard to know what foods are hypoallergenic for dogs. It is vital to understand what you need to look for. Hypoallergenic dog foods can include:
- Novel proteins: These are proteins your dog hasn’t had before, so are less likely to cause a negative reaction. This can be lamb, duck, venison and even insect protein. Duck is more digestible, which is rich in amino acids. Venison provides high protein and rich minerals and vitamins. Insect protein is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. All of these help to reduce allergic reactions and gut inflammation.
- Grain-free carbohydrates: Grains like wheat and corn can trigger allergies or intolerances in your pooch. Hypoallergenic food uses alternatives for carbohydrates and fats to reduce symptoms. You can find sweet potatoes, peas and pumpkin in them. These help to regulate bowel movements and reduce allergies.
- Healthy fat sources: Fats provide energy to your pooch and help their skin and coat health. Healthy fat sources reduce triggering allergies and intolerances. You can find fish oil, flaxseed and coconut oil in hypoallergenic food instead.
- Vitamins and minerals: Vitamins and minerals are used to keep your dog healthy. Vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium and zinc are included keep your dog in good health.
- Probiotics and prebiotics: Hypoallergenic dog foods have probiotic and prebiotics in them. These are beneficial additives to improve the digestive system. They provide a healthy balance of gut bacteria. This improves nutrient absorption and immune function.
How long does it take for hypoallergenic dog foods to work?
Changing your pooch’s diet to hypoallergenic dog foods requires patience. This is because the positive effects won’t begin straight away. Your furry friend may continue to experience symptoms for a while. You need to give it time to work, which is typically a minimum of six to eight weeks as long as there’s no worsening symptoms.
Giving this time allows your pooch’s body to flush out any toxins that are built up. Over this time, try to keep a food diary to monitor the progress and see their reaction to different types of food.
The best hypoallergenic dog food for your pooch
At Pero, we have the best hypoallergenic dog food collection to protect your pooch and reduce the nasty symptoms of their allergy or intolerance. We are committed to providing your furry friend with the tastiest and healthiest food to have the best possible quality of life. We select on the finest ingredients that are sourced locally here at our farm in Wales. Our collection gives a wide range of taste and flavour to ensure your dog still gets a wide and varied diet while feeling the happiest and healthiest ever, stopping their nasty reactions.