With the increased number of dogs out there with food allergies and sensitivities, hypoallergenic dog food is becoming a big thing. That stuff isn’t cheap, and that has many owners wondering if they can make hypoallergenic dog food at home. My personal recommendation is not to do it.
Homemade Hypoallergenic dog Food – Why you Shouldn’t do It
I get it. Hypoallergenic dog food is really expensive. I have two dogs with food sensitivities, so I have to buy the stuff all the time. You may be wondering why I advise against making hypoallergenic dog food at home if I know how expensive it is. The short answer is health.
Any quality dog food is more than just protein and carbs. That goes for hypoallergenic dog food as well. There are standards in place to protect your dog against consuming food that doesn’t have the proper nutrient standards. Of course, those are minimum standards, but a high quality hypoallergenic food generally provides an even higher standard of vitamins, nutrients, and phytonutrients.
Strictly speaking, you CAN make hypoallergenic dog food at home if you know your dog’s allergies. You’ll simply use protein and carb sources that you know your dog isn’t allergic to. That’s strictly speaking. The problem isn’t with keeping the allergies and sensitivities in check. The problem is keeping them in check without sacrificing all of the other key nutrients that your dog needs.
Making hypoallergenic dog food at home can be done, but it requires intense research, the highest quality protein, carbohydrate, and phytonutrient sources as well as a multivitamin supplement to ensure your dog’s overall health. It’s a very time consuming, money consuming, intensely detailed process, and I’ve seen first hand what can happen when it’s done incorrectly.
I worked at a vet for years, and I’ll never forget the worst case of dog malnutrition I’ve ever seen. Ironically, it was due to the owner trying so hard to MAKE him feel better. They had been frustrated with the cost of their hypoallergenic food, so they decided to make their own. Because they bag said salmon and pea, they simply started feeding their dog a diet of strictly salmon and pea. Well, salmon and pea was only a general name of the food to show which protein and carb sources were used, not a complete list of everything else that the dog needed.
They brought in their dog, and he was a mess. He was at a decent weight, but they said he hadn’t been himself. I could see a dullness to his coat and in his eyes, and he was generally very sluggish and not the happy go lucky guy I’d come to know. When we found out what had been going on, we knew what the problem was right away.
Homemade Hypoallergenic Dog Food is not a Good Idea
It can be extremely tempting to make your own hypoallergenic dog food at home, but I strongly urge you not to do it. It’s much better for your dog’s health to shell out the cash for a high quality hypoallergenic dog food than to risk your pooch’s overall health. If you want to save money on your dog’s food, read this article for some tips on how to cut the cost of hypoallergenic dog food. That’s really the safest route for your pet.
Do you have any other questions about hypoallergenic dog food? Ask in the comments!
