Finding a healthy kibble for our pets isn’t always easy. Today, we have to worry about all of the different ingredients that brands put into their recipes that could be creating some serious health problems for our pets. Dogs with allergies have increased the demand for specialty foods across the globe. The reviews for the best options state that the most popular recipes are ones with limited ingredients. Instead, these foods only give your pets clean, simple ingredients that are crucial for their diet. Look over this list of some of the best dog foods for allergies to give to your sensitive fur babies.
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Best Overall
Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food Subscription
Free from common allergens
Transparent ingredient list
Fully balanced diet
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Best Value
Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet Food
Fewer than 10 ingredients
Affordable
Grain-free
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Blue Buffalo Basics Grain-Free Adult Dog Food
Trusted brand
Clean, limited ingredients
Protein from duck meat
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Best for Puppies
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach
Limited ingredients
Dozens of recipes to choose from
Top trusted dog food brand
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Natural Balance LID Limited Ingredient Diets
Clean ingredients
Good for all breed sizes
Single protein source
Check Price
The 11 Best Dog Foods for Allergies
1. Nom Nom Fresh Dog Food Subscription — Best Overall
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Sizes: 150 grams
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Fresh
If you’ve got a dog with allergies, switching to a fresh diet is a great way to eliminate potential allergens. Our best overall recommendation for dog food for allergies is Nom Nom food. All of Nom Nom’s recipes are cooked with high-quality, human-grade ingredients, with no artificial fillers or by-products. The complete ingredient list is available for every recipe, so you can easily avoid any ingredients that your dog is allergic to.
If you’re still determining what ingredients are causing allergy symptoms in your dog, we recommend starting with Nom Nom’s Pork Potluck recipe. It is free from the most common allergy-causing ingredients, while providing your dog with balanced nutrition.
Many owners report that their dogs experienced total relief from allergy symptoms after switching to Nom Nom.
However, switching to fresh food takes a bit of an adjustment if you’ve only been feeding your dog kibble up to this point. As it contains fresh ingredients that will spoil, you have to freeze extras and refrigerate any leftovers. Most owners find this to be worth the extra work to keep their dogs free from allergy symptoms, though.
Free from common allergens
Transparent ingredient list
Fully balanced diet
- Free from common allergens
- Transparent ingredient list
- Fully balanced diet
Requires storage in refrigerator or freezer
- Requires storage in refrigerator or freezer
The time it takes to find the best dog foods for allergies for the money is something that drives a lot of pet owners crazy. With Nutro limited ingredient dog food, you can stay on your budget while still being confident that you’re feeding your dog clean ingredients. This is another dry formula with the first three ingredients being venison meal, dried potatoes, and lentils. For a low price, you are able to effectively strip away any possible triggers for allergies. They also supplement their recipes with natural flavors, vitamins, and minerals to make them delicious and well-balanced. They are also completely grain-free. All ingredients are non-GMO and organic as well. Because they use venison, some picky dogs might take longer to adjust to the change.
Sizes: 22 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Check Price on Chewy
Fewer than 10 ingredients
Affordable
Grain-free
Non-GMO and organic
- Fewer than 10 ingredients
- Affordable
- Grain-free
- Non-GMO and organic
Some dogs will prefer other flavors
- Some dogs will prefer other flavors
This limited-ingredient dog food recipe comes from Blue Buffalo. They use protein from duck and supplement the rest with ingredients like peas, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. There are no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors. You also won’t find corn, wheat, or soy in the kibble. While this food is for all life stages, the kibble is hard and large and might not be ideal for younger dogs. They also have a higher price tag than a lot of the other brands on this list.
Sizes: 4 lbs., 22 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Trusted brand
Protein from duck meat
Clean, limited ingredients
- Trusted brand
- Protein from duck meat
- Clean, limited ingredients
Expensive
Might not be suitable for puppies
- Expensive
- Might not be suitable for puppies
Purina is one of the most trusted dog food brands in the country. They have dozens of recipes to choose from and even include sensitive skin and stomach kibble for young dogs. Their protein comes from real salmon and uses barley and rice for smooth digestion. They do not use any corn, wheat, soy, artificial colorings, flavors, or preservatives. While the ingredients list is minimal, there are some dogs who develop hot spots from the barley and rice, so you may want to double-check the recipe before purchasing if your dog is extra sensitive to anything in the kibble.
Sizes: 4 lbs., 16 lbs., 24 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds, puppies
Food Form: Dry
Real salmon is first ingredient
Top trusted dog food brand
Dozens of recipes to choose from
Specific for young dogs
- Real salmon is first ingredient
- Top trusted dog food brand
- Dozens of recipes to choose from
- Specific for young dogs
Pricey
Could cause itching for some dogs
- Pricey
- Could cause itching for some dogs
Natural Balance is another company that makes dog foods for allergies. Their recipes have limited ingredients made with real meat and vegetables to create clean yet tasty food for your pets. The protein comes from a single source, and the antioxidants support a healthy immune system. The use of brown rice also helps to aid in digestion. While most dog love is, it does have a strong smell that could make some pets refuse to eat it. Either way, this is an excellent choice sold for a moderate price.
Sizes: 4 lbs., 12 lbs., 24 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Fair price
Limited ingredients
Single protein source
Good for all breed sizes
- Fair price
- Limited ingredients
- Single protein source
- Good for all breed sizes
Strong smell
- Strong smell
This dog food by Wellness is one of six different recipes included in their limited-ingredient product line. While this food is for adult dogs only, they use only a few simple ingredients with over 29% protein in each meal. This brand is more expensive. However, they are the first company on the list that sells this special diet food in large, 40-pound bags. Most dogs also have minimal issues transitioning over the 5 – 7-day transition period.
Sizes: 26 lbs., 40 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Clean ingredients
High protein
Six recipes
Short transition period.
- Clean ingredients
- High protein
- Six recipes
- Short transition period.
Expensive
Not for puppies
- Expensive
- Not for puppies
This company makes its food with over eight real food ingredients while remaining grain, soy, wheat, and corn-free. This kibble is moderately priced and a good option for anyone on some sort of budget. Unfortunately, their formula is for adults only. It is also hard for some dogs to adjust because of the amount of fish used to make the product. Either way, some dogs love this food, and it has helped hundreds of dogs with allergies to live a more comfortable life.
Eight real food ingredients
Moderately priced
Grain, soy, wheat, and corn free
- Eight real food ingredients
- Moderately priced
- Grain, soy, wheat, and corn free
Adult dogs only
Strong fish flavor
- Adult dogs only
- Strong fish flavor
Merrick is a smart choice if you want to give your pets something delicious to eat without making their allergies flare-up. This dry food is made with real lamb and sweet potatoes and keeps its ingredients list at a minimum. All their food is also made right here in the United States. However, some of the food is sourced from China. The food doesn’t have a strong odor, but the fat content is a little high. Some reports also say that customers with large breeds go through food too quickly and have to purchase multiple bags at a time because they go through it so fast.
Sizes: 4 lbs., 12 lbs., 22 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Real lamb protein source
Made in USA
No bad odor
- Real lamb protein source
- Made in USA
- No bad odor
Some ingredients sourced from China
High fat content
Go through small food bags quickly
- Some ingredients sourced from China
- High fat content
- Go through small food bags quickly
9. Earthborn Holistic Venture Limited Dry Dog Food
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Sizes: 4 lbs., 12.5 lbs., 25 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
If you can afford the higher price range, this food from Venture Limited is an amazing grain-free option. Instead of using chicken like a lot of other recipes, the protein content comes directly from turkey. In fact, over 95% of the protein comes from only three ingredients. This company also has no secrets about where its ingredients come from. The turkey is sourced in the United States, and the squash comes from central America. Unfortunately, this company has had its product recalled before, which is a big turnoff to some pet owners.
95% of protein from only 3 ingredients
Sourced from the United States and Central America
- 95% of protein from only 3 ingredients
- Sourced from the United States and Central America
Expensive
History of a product recall
- Expensive
- History of a product recall
Those with sensitive dogs know what a pain it is to haul your pets back and forth from the vet because of issues with their food. This is one of the top-recommended brands by vets and created by veterinarians themselves. You will need a prescription for this food. The first ingredient is also corn starch, which isn’t always a settling ingredient for some dogs with allergies. On top of that, this is one of the most expensive options to make the list, even with fewer clean ingredients.
Sizes: 8 lbs., 17.6 lbs., 25 lbs.
Breed Size: All breeds
Food Form: Dry
Trusted brand by vets
- Trusted brand by vets
Requires prescription
First ingredient is corn starch
Very expensive
- Requires prescription
- First ingredient is corn starch
- Very expensive
This food by Solid Gold is a fair price and very tasty, according to many customers. What stands out most is that this company uses over 20 superfoods to give your dog the most well-balanced diet possible. It is for large adult breeds only, so smaller and younger dogs will have to find another option. Even though many dogs seem to love it, there are also reviews stating that pickier dogs won’t go near it. So, you may be spending some money for your pup to not even be interested in their new, healthy food.
Sizes: 12 lbs., 24 lbs.
Breed Size: Large breeds
Food Form: Dry
20 superfoods
- 20 superfoods
Large, adult dogs only
Some picky dogs won’t eat it
- Large, adult dogs only
- Some picky dogs won’t eat it
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Dog Foods for Allergies
The one thing to know about buying dog food for certain food allergies is that they almost always come labeled two different ways: Limited ingredient diet (LID) or Hypoallergenic. If you’re unsure about the type to choose, it is always best to consult with your veterinarian and ask for a recommendation. In most cases, LID foods contain fewer ingredients and are less likely to trigger a reaction in your dog. These are also a lot easier to buy, as some hypoallergenic foods might require you to get a prescription.
What are the Causes of Food Allergies in Dogs?
Chicken, beef, dairy, and eggs are some of the most common culprits for food allergies in dogs. A lot of people assume that the protein source isn’t the issue, but they can also be wrong. Those who truly want to know specific triggers should rule out all environmental triggers first before making an appointment with a vet to figure out possible food triggers. You’d be surprised just how many pet owners can’t believe that chicken is responsible for causing health issues.
What Are the Symptoms of Allergies in Dogs?
There are a handful of things for you to look out for if you suspect your dog has food allergies. These include:
Hives
Skin rash
Itching
Biting paws
Vomiting
Nausea
Licking Obsessively
Gas
Diarrhea
Patchy coat
- Hives
- Skin rash
- Itching
- Biting paws
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Licking Obsessively
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Patchy coat
Food Allergy vs. Food Intolerance
An allergy and an intolerance are not the same thing. With food allergies, your dog suffers because of its immune system. These problems can be severe and sometimes life-threatening. On the other hand, food intolerance is contained in the digestive system. The same type of response will not happen with an allergy. Intolerances are easier to remedy because you can eliminate one specific ingredient.
The Benefits of a Hypoallergenic Diet
Hypoallergenic dog diets are most effective for dogs who have multiple different allergies or intolerances. Breeds like Poodles, Chihuahuas, and Pomeranians are more prone to these issues and hypoallergenic diets help to relieve a lot of the symptoms, such as itching and bloating.
Hypoallergenic diets are also crucial for some dogs in order to avoid anaphylactic shock. Dogs who eat these types of foods can continue eating a tasty and nutritious diet without any of the discomfort that comes from eating traditional kibble recipes.
Conclusion
If you’ve come across this article while in distress about your pet’s food allergies, then we hope this list of today’s top-reviewed products has helped you make an informed decision. While you may encounter some brands and products that we haven’t reviewed, it helps to know that you’re somewhat prepared for what to look for in these foods. Our research of these reviews has shown that the best overall dog food for allergies comes from Nom Nom Dog Food, the best for your money comes from the Nutro LID food, and the premium choice comes from Blue Buffalo Basics dog food. Now that you’ve read about some of the healthiest choices out there, you can bring home a kibble that your dog will love the taste of and feel better eating.
Featured Image Credit: Anastasiya Tsiasemnikava, Shutterstock
