How to Choose a High Protein Dog Food for Dogs With Food Allergies
You want to feed your dog a premium high-protein dog food because your dog is active. But your dog also has food allergies. Most high-protein dog foods are based on chicken, poultry or other meat that is usually not acceptable for dogs with food allergies. Dogs that have food allergies must eat a food with a novel protein source, that is, a protein source which isn't usually fed to dogs such as certain types of fish, venison or even kangaroo meat. Dogs are often allergic to corn and wheat, which requires a different carbohydrate source such as potatoes, barley or rice.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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1
Put your dog on a hypoallergenic diet. There are many prescription diets available through your veterinarian.
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Look for a high-protein pet food with the same protein and carbohydrate sources if your dog does not show sensitivity to the food after several weeks.
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Add a small amount of the new food to your dog's current food. Ninety percent of your dog's food should be the old hypoallergenic food and 10 percent should be the new food.
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Feed the new ratio for two weeks, watching for any signs of sensitivity such as hot spots on the skin, itchy coat or digestive problems.
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5
Increase the amount of the new food by 10 percent and decrease the old food by 10 percent, if no health problems appear.
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6
Decrease the old food by 10 percent and increase the new food by 10 percent each day until you have completely switched your dog over to its new food.
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Tips & Warnings
Your veterinarian can suggest proper hypoallergenic foods and can even help you select a high-protein dog food.
Talk with your veterinarian before switching your dog to another diet.
Lamb is no longer hypoallergenic due to the increase of lamb and rice dog foods.
If at any time your dog shows allergy symptoms, stop feeding the new food and consult with your veterinarian.
