Dog allergies can be tricky, and most don’t have a true one. True food allergies result from an immune response, which can range in symptoms from skin conditions (hives, facial swelling, itchiness), gastrointestinal signs (vomiting and/or diarrhea), or a combination of both. In some rare cases, a severe reaction resulting in anaphylaxis can occur—similar to severe peanut allergies in humans. But when it comes to a hypoallergenic dog food diet, it usually means that the dog has a less intense sensitivity to certain foods.

What is a Dog Food Sensitivity?

Instead of an immune response, dogs will have a gradual reaction to the offending ingredient in their food, such as beef, chicken, eggs, corn, wheat, soy, or milk. Signs of this include vomiting and diarrhea or dermatologic signs like itchiness, poor skin and coat, and chronic ear or foot infections. The best way to determine the culprit is to use dog food with limited ingredients, so you can eliminate and pinpoint what could be causing the problem.

What is the Best Hypoallergenic Dog Food?

Working with your vet is the best way to help determine what foods are irritating your dog. Once you’re able to pinpoint the problem make sure to not feed them said ingredient. From there you can either make your own dog food or use limited-ingredient dog food (often abbreviated as L.I.D.) to both determine and remove triggering food. These are some of the best ones to choose from.