If you have a dog with food allergies, you know it can be tough to waddle through all the different types of hypoallergenic dog food out there! It seems like there will never be a shortage of brands and flavors, right? The thing is, this is really quite deceptive. Honestly, while there are many companies making different varieties of hypoallergenic dog foods, there are still only a few basic types.
Related: Hypoallergenic Dog Food Ratings – The Five Best for Your Buddy
Types of Hypoallergenic Dog Food
The term hypoallergenic dog food covers a variety of formulations from grain free to hydrolized protein sources. It’s a good idea to do a little homework and ask your vet about the different types of hypoallergenic dog food. I can help you with the homework part. =D
Hydrolized Protein
This is mainly found in some types of prescription hypoallergenic dog foods. Although they still tend to use less allergenic carbohydrate sources, the main selling point of a hydrolized protein diet is its easy digestibility. This type of food is geared mainly towards dogs with food sensitivities and not allergies, because the main focus is digestion and not allergen reduction.
Grain Free
As the name implies, grain free hypoallergenic dog food focuses mainly on removing allergy causing grain. Although these formulations say grain free, they encompass other ingredients such as corn and soy. These hypoallergenic dog foods can still use normal protein sources such as beef and chicken, so be aware of that when choosing a food.
Related: Hypoallergenic Grain Free Dog Food
Limited Ingredient
In my opinion, limited ingredient hypoallergenic dog foods are the best choice for the owner who has a dog with food allergies. Limited ingredient diets address both protein and carbohydrate sources which can cause allergic reactions. These foods generally use one to two protein and carb sources, and they are all free of grain, gluten, soy, dairy, meat by-products, corn, and corn meal.
Some examples of limited ingredient hypoallergenic dog food formulations are duck and potato, salmon and sweet potato, and kangaroo and duck. This is the real beauty of limited ingredient diets. They do away with all of the common causes of your dog’s food allergies.
That about covers it for the types of hypoallergenic dog foods. While there are any number of hypoallergenic dog food companies and formulations, the foundation is still the same. Any hypoallergenic dog food you find will fall into one of these three categories. Your best bet is research and talking to your vet. If you do that, you should have no problem finding the right hypoallergenic dog food for your dog.
Do you have any other questions about hypoallergenic dog foods? Ask away!
