When you know or suspect that your dog has food allergies, trying to find a food that doesn’t make their symptoms worse can be frustrating. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best hypoallergenic dog food along with some information about common dog allergens and how to handle dog allergies. We want to help your dog live their best life possible because we know you want that, too.
Hypoallergenic Dog Food Vs. Limited Ingredient Diet
What’s the difference between hypoallergenic dog food and a limited ingredient diet? Dogs with severe or unknown food allergies often require hypoallergenic food. Actual hypoallergenic dog food uses hydrolyzed protein because it’s been broken down into such small molecular units that the dog’s body won’t have an immune response. Hypoallergenic dog food typically requires a vet’s prescription and is often extraordinarily expensive.
Limited ingredient diets can be considered hypoallergenic for dogs with known food allergies. If you know or suspect what ingredients your dog is allergic to, you can find limited ingredient diets that avoid your dog’s triggers. These diets aren’t hypoallergenic for all dogs but are often a good choice for dogs with food allergies.
Most of the foods we’ve included here are limited ingredient diets rather than truly hypoallergenic dog foods that usually require a prescription from a veterinarian. If your dog’s allergies are so severe or unknown that they need a genuinely hypoallergenic food, that’s a discussion you should have with your pup’s vet.
Important Features to Consider
When you’re trying to find the best hypoallergenic pet food for your dog, here are some features you need to keep in mind to pick the best food for your pooch.
Meat Vs. Meal
Meat meal is highly processed and less nutritious than whole meats. Many pet foods contain meat meal because it’s cheaper than whole meat. While meal isn’t inherently “bad,” whole meat provides more natural nutrition than meal. It’s best to find pet food with whole meat as the first ingredient.
Grain-Free or Whole Grain
Grains are a common dog allergen, so many dogs with allergies do best on grain-free diets. For dogs who don’t need grain-free diets, look for foods made with whole grains rather than grain meal, grit, or by-product.
Limited Ingredient
The more ingredients a food has, the more chance there is that it contains something your dog is sensitive to. Dogs who struggle with allergies often do best on food with limited ingredients.
Novel Protein
Most of the common dog allergens are the usual proteins in dog food. If you aren’t sure what your dog is allergic to, try giving them a diet with a novel protein that they haven’t had before. Some interesting options include bison, venison, or kangaroo.
Additives like Antioxidants, Probiotics, And Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids. Dog food must contain a minimum amount of vitamins and minerals. However, good pet food should also include antioxidants, probiotics, amino acids, and fatty acids for optimal nutrition.
Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food
1. Zignature Turkey Dry Dog Food
When it comes to limited ingredient diets with high-quality ingredients, Zignature is one of the best. The grain-free food is low in saturated fat and rich in phosphorous, selenium, riboflavin, and antioxidants with no chicken ingredients.
First 5 Ingredients: Turkey, turkey meal, peas, pea flour, chickpeas
Customer Reviews: This is one of the most highly rated pet foods you’ll find. If your dog doesn’t like turkey or is allergic to it, Zignature has several other limited ingredient flavors to choose from that are just as good.
Our Take: This is one of the most highly rated pet foods you’ll find. If your dog doesn’t like turkey or is allergic to it, Zignature has several other limited ingredient flavors to choose from that are just as good.
2. Earthborn Holistic Venture Grain Free Dry Dog Food
Earthborn Holistic Venture Alaska Pollock & Pumpkin is a food that cares about the environment as much as it cares about your dog’s well-being. The Alaska Pollock Fishery is widely considered to be one of the best-managed fisheries in the world, and the food bags, which are made of up to 30% plant-based plastic, are recyclable through the company.
First 5 Ingredients: Alaska pollock meal, pumpkin, tapioca, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), flaxseed
Customer Reviews: There are few complaints about this food. Most dogs love it, and several people were happy that it doesn’t include controversial ingredients like peas and potatoes.
Our Take: This is an excellent grain-free limited ingredient diet. It’s an especially good choice if you care about the environment as much as you care about your dog.
3. Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets High Protein Dry Dog Food
Nearly half the ingredients in the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient High Protein food come from fish and healthy fats, providing plenty of fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat. This food has no grains, fillers, potatoes, or chicken ingredients.
First 5 Ingredients: Pollock, garbanzo beans, peas, whitefish meal, pea protein
Customer Reviews: While some dogs didn’t like the taste, and some humans don’t like the fishy smell, most dogs thrive on this food and enjoy it.
Our Take: This is a great limited ingredient grain-free food that many dogs will do well on.
4. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
Available in both grain-inclusive (which we’ve listed here) and grain-free versions, Blue Buffalo Limited Ingredient has no chicken by-product meals, wheat, corn, soy, or artificial flavors or preservatives.
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned salmon, oatmeal, brown rice, salmon meal (source of glucosamine), peas
Customer Reviews: There are a fair amount of quality control complaints about this food, along with the usual smattering of complaints about dogs reacting poorly to it. By and large, though, most dogs do well on this food.
Our Take: Since this food is available in both grain-inclusive and grain-free varieties and comes at a more affordable price point than similar foods, this one is worth a try. It doesn’t work for every dog, but many dogs do well on it.
5. Purina Beyond Simply, Natural Adult Dry Dog Food
If your dog is sensitive to something other than chicken or grains, Purina Beyond Simply may be a good limited ingredient option that’s more affordable than other limited ingredient diets.
First 5 Ingredients: Chicken, rice, whole barley, canola meal, chicken meal
Customer Reviews: Since this is a popular food, there are quite a few complaints ranging from shipping problems to intestinal problems to allergies. However, those complaints are more than balanced out by hundreds of positive reviews from people whose dogs love this food.
Our Take: With chicken and grains, this food isn’t right for all dogs. However, it is a good budget option for some dogs who aren’t sensitive to chicken or grains.
6. Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient Dry Dog Food Salmon & Potato
Wellness Simple Natural is made in the USA and contains lots of good things, like omega fatty acids, glucosamine for joint health, antioxidants, probiotics, and taurine, while leaving out GMO ingredients and grains.
First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, salmon meal, potatoes, peas, dried ground potatoes
Customer Reviews: Complaints vary from the high price to bad bags to dogs getting sick. Those complaints are outnumbered by dogs whose symptoms cleared up after switching to this food from something else.
Our Take: While there is a chance you could get a bad bag, many dogs do very well on this food.
7. ACANA with Wholesome Grains Limited Ingredient Diet
Acana with Wholesome Grains Limited Ingredient provides a high-quality, high-protein grain-inclusive formula that’s excellent for dogs who aren’t sensitive to grains. It’s free of legumes, potatoes, and gluten while also containing supplemental taurine.
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned duck, duck meal, oatmeal, whole sorghum, duck liver
Customer Reviews: As with any food, some dogs don’t like the taste of this food, and a few had digestive issues after eating it. Mostly, though, dogs enjoy it and do well on it.
Our Take: If you’re looking for a high-quality grain-inclusive formula, this is an excellent option that many dogs do well on.
8. CANIDAE PURE Real Salmon, Limited Ingredient, Grain Free Premium Dry Dog Food
With several different proteins to choose from, the Canidae Pure Limited Ingredient line has a variety of grain-free foods that are excellent for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities. Made in the USA, this food includes probiotics, antioxidants, and fatty acids.
First 5 Ingredients: Salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas
Customer Reviews: There seem to be some quality control concerns when ordering online rather than from a store. Otherwise, most dogs love this food and thrive on it.
Our Take: While there is a chance you could get a bad bag, most dogs do well on this food and enjoy the taste.
9. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Dry Dog Food with Vitamins & Minerals for All Breeds
Merrick Limited Ingredient offers both grain-free and grain-inclusive foods in several flavors, all of which are free of corn, wheat, soy, dairy, eggs, and artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors.
First 5 Ingredients: Deboned lamb, lamb meal, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes
Customer Reviews: Most of the complaints are from times when Merrick changed the recipe of a food the dog had been on. Mostly, dogs do really well on this food and experience firmer stool and less itchy skin.
Our Take: With several flavors available in grain-free and grain-inclusive formulas, Merrick is sure to have a recipe your dog will thrive on. It is on the pricy side, however.
10 - Purina Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolyzed Canine
This prescription dog food is made with hydrolyzed protein for dogs with severe allergies. It’s extremely expensive, and the first ingredient is corn starch, but if you aren’t sure what your dog is allergic to, and your vet recommends it, this could be an excellent food to clear up your pup’s severe allergies.
First 5 Ingredients: Corn starch, hydrolyzed soy protein isolate, partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with TBHO, coconut oil, dicalcium phosphate
Customer Reviews: There are only a couple of complaints about this food so far. One dog didn’t like it, and one customer received the wrong product. For dogs with inflammatory bowel disease or extreme food allergies or sensitivities, this food could be a literal lifesaver.
Our Take: While we wouldn’t recommend this food for most dogs, it can be just the right food when nothing else clears up your dog’s severe allergies or intestinal issues.
Most Common Dog Food Allergens
The most common allergens for dogs include:
Food Allergy Vs. Food Intolerance
Dogs can be sensitive to ingredients without being allergic to them. A true food allergy involves an immune response and usually involves skin symptoms like itching, yeast infections, hives, hot spots, and chronic ear infections. What happens is that your dog’s immune system thinks that a specific ingredient is harmful and attacks your dog’s body. Think of people with nut or seafood allergies. They might itch or get hives or even stop breathing due to anaphylactic shock.
Food intolerance doesn’t involve the immune system. Instead, the dog’s digestive tract has trouble digesting certain ingredients, and it causes sensitive stomach symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, and gas. Think of a person who is lactose intolerant.
Whether your dog’s food sensitivity is a true allergy or just an intolerance, their quality of life can be significantly improved by avoiding the triggers. Remember to check the ingredients on treats, too, and not only your dog’s food.
Food Allergy Testing
While veterinarians can do some allergy testing, an elimination diet is usually the best way to determine a food allergy. The vet will recommend that you put your dog on a protein source they’ve never tried before, preferably one that also only has a single carbohydrate source, as well.
Hopefully, that will clear up your dog’s allergy or intolerance symptoms. Then, you can gradually start adding ingredients back into your dog’s diet to see what they react to.
Food Allergy Testing
While veterinarians can do some allergy testing, an elimination diet is usually the best way to determine a food allergy. The vet will recommend that you put your dog on a protein source they’ve never tried before, preferably one that also only has a single carbohydrate source, as well.
Hopefully, that will clear up your dog’s allergy or intolerance symptoms. Then, you can gradually start adding ingredients back into your dog’s diet to see what they react to.
Who Should Buy Hypoallergenic Dog Food?
Anybody who knows or suspects that their dog has a food allergy or intolerance should buy hypoallergenic food. It isn’t necessary for dogs who don’t have any problem eating regular dog food.
What Is the Difference Between Hypoallergenic Dog Food and Regular Dog Food?
Hypoallergenic food contains a single source of protein that has been hydrolyzed, which means it’s been broken down into smaller molecules that your dog’s immune system won’t react to. That type of food is hypoallergenic for most, if not all, dogs and typically requires a prescription from a dog’s vet.
Limited ingredient diets are not the same thing as hypoallergenic diets. They contain fewer ingredients than traditional dog food, in the hopes that it’s less likely to trigger an allergic reaction or intolerance. These diets usually contain fewer than ten food ingredients, plus vitamins and minerals.
Regular dog food can have any number and type of ingredients.
What Can I Give My Dog for Allergy Relief?
If your dog has allergies, you should always talk to your veterinarian before giving your dog anything. However, if you choose to reach for Benadryl, here’s a little more information.
Benadryl is the brand name for diphenhydramine HCL, an antihistamine sold over the counter for people. It’s used to treat allergy symptoms like itching, swelling, and hives. However, it’s also the main ingredient in some over-the-counter sleep remedies, which should give you an idea of some of the potential side effects. Apart from drowsiness, other side effects of giving your dog Benadryl may include:
Usually, you will want to give your dog about 2-4 mg of Benadryl per kg of your dog’s body weight two to three times per day. (One kg equals 2.2 pounds, so divide your dog’s weight in pounds by 2.2 to get their weight in kg.) Again, you should always talk to your vet before giving your dog any medication and verify dosage before giving them something like Benadryl.
The best way to relieve your dog’s allergies is to avoid their allergy triggers as much as possible. Enter your text here...
How Can I Tell if My Dog Has a Food Allergy?
Symptoms of a food allergy include things like:
What Is the Best Protein for Dogs with Allergies?
The best protein for dogs with allergies is one they haven’t tried before. If your dog has only ever had food with chicken or beef as the primary protein, you might try something like lamb or salmon. If your dog has tried all the “typical” proteins, try something less typical like kangaroo or bison. You may need to try several different proteins to find one that doesn’t aggravate your dog’s allergies.
The key is to try foods with only one animal protein source. You need to read the entire ingredient list because dog food companies tend to hide ingredients like chicken meal far down the ingredient list of foods that don’t mention chicken as a main ingredient.
Which Dog Breeds Are More Prone to Allergies?
While any dog could develop allergies, some breeds are just more prone to allergies than others. Susceptible dog breeds include:
Wrapping Up
We’ve provided you with nine limited ingredient food brands and one hypoallergenic food. Hopefully, you can find the best hypoallergenic diet for your pup. There is no one best hypoallergenic food that will work for all dogs, but most dogs should be able to find something that works for them, no matter how many allergies they have.
Food allergies in dogs can be frustrating, but it isn’t impossible to find a food that your dog will thrive on.
