Why Feed Hypoallergenic Dog Food?

perroEditorial

Jan 7, 2022

6 min

Have you been changing brands frequently, but unable to find a suitable one for your dog? Does your dog seem to be reacting badly to any brand you feed? Well, we’ve got the solution for you! This post, we will be introducing your dog’s life saviour – hypoallergenic food! Hypo refers to “low” and allergenic means “to induce allergy”. When you combine the two words together, it suggests that hypoallergenic dog food are less likely to induce allergic reactions in dogs. Hypoallergenic food contains a limited number of components, and protein is usually high-quality ingredients such as venison and rabbit, instead of chicken or pork.

Does Your Dog Need Hypoallergenic Food?

If your dog suffers from food allergies and intolerance, you should definitely consider giving it hypoallergenic food. Watch the video to find out more about the difference between food allergies and intolerance.

Food allergies

Occurs when immune system identifies an ingredient as harmful
More likely to make a dog itch and suffer from ear or skin infections
Often develops after consumption of the same food for a long time without issue
Symptoms include skin rash, hives, itching, licking or paw biting

Food Intolerance

Occurs when digestive system is unable to digest an ingredient
May occur after one meal
Symptoms include diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, bloating, or gas

By limiting your dog’s diet, it will be easier to track which specific allergen your pet may be reacting to. Your vet would also be able to run tests to further determine the cause of your dog’s allergic reaction. Note: During the food elimination process, please remember to avoid giving snacks and chew toys to allow accuracy of results. Read more: Freeze-dried, Air-dried or Dehydrated?

Why Feed Hypoallergenic Food?

1. To Counter Allergies With a diet that has gone through the process of elimination, dogs will take approximately 12 weeks to fully recover. You can bid goodbye to itchy skin!

2. For A Natural Diet Ingredients used in hypoallergenic food are not artificial or artificially preserved. They are usually not genetically modified and are completely natural. Most importantly, ingredients that are likely to provoke an allergic reaction (i.e, yeast, wheat and corn) are avoided. In low-quality dog food, these ingredients are usually used as fillers, so you can be assured of a good quality diet when feeding your pup hypoallergenic food, even if it does not suffer from food allergy or intolerance. Some popular hypoallergenic brands are Zignature, Addiction, and Taste of the Wild.