Raw Diet For Dogs With Allergies [Any Good?]
Embarking on a journey to ease your furry friend’s allergies? Look no further than the transformative power of a Raw Diet for Dogs with Allergies. Uncover the benefits of this natural approach to enhance your pup’s well-being and bid farewell to those pesky allergens. Your dog’s health journey starts here!
Do you own a pet dog? If yes, I do not have to stress how much responsibility comes with all the fun and excitement. Paying attention to the overall upkeep is essential if you need your furry friend to stay healthy and happy.
Food plays a pivotal role in the health and well-being of your pet dog. You might have heard that dogs can be greedy eaters. However, not all dogs are the same; while some can be greedy, some can be picky eaters.
Moreover, some dogs are particularly allergic to certain foods. In that case, as a dog parent, you must identify what is good and what is not for your pet and feed them accordingly. If your dog is prone to allergies, a raw diet might help them to cope with the allergies. In this article, we discuss how raw food benefits dogs with allergies.
Dogs can get allergies for several reasons; food allergies are pretty common among them. Certain food items are allergic to dogs, and sometimes, specific dog breeds are more vulnerable to allergies than others. Either way, if your dog is showing allergy reactions to food, you should make changes in its diet plan.
Feeding your dog meals that contain raw food will be an ideal way to avoid possible allergies. Ready-made dog food is the most convenient to feed your pet dog, but not every dog reacts similarly to processed food.
Both wet and dry dog food contains preservatives, flavors, and by-products that might act as allergens for some dogs. If you provide your dog with meals that consist of raw food, you can significantly reduce the chances of allergies.
A raw diet consists of natural produce and meats. They might be somewhat expensive compared to dog food. However, they typically do not contain ingredients that trigger allergies in dogs.
Therefore, they suit best for dogs with allergies. With all the pros, raw diets can also have specific cons, which make their usage quite controversial. Therefore, it is always better to be aware of both aspects. To find out more comprehensive details about this concern, keep reading.
Is a raw diet good for dogs with allergies?
Before understanding whether a raw food diet is suitable for dogs with allergies, let’s figure out what a raw food diet means. As the name implies, a raw food diet is made with natural ingredients.
For instance, a raw diet for your dog includes selected meats, bones, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. If you are concerned about giving commercial dog food to your pet dog, you can make homemade raw meals using the abovementioned ingredients.
A raw diet contains more nutrients than processed food and gives multiple health benefits. Most importantly, raw food minimizes the risk of allergies that your dog might get.
As mentioned earlier, processed dog food is a convenient choice for pet owners, and it helps your dog meet its basic nutritional requirements. However, a lot of dogs indicate allergic reactions to processed food due to certain ingredients that they contain.
Notice if your dog shows symptoms such as itching, vomiting, swelling, hair loss, inflamed skin, and skin infections because they could be signs of food allergies.
If you feed your dog with store-bought pet food and if you suspect they are showing such signs due to an allergy, switch the meal plan. Feed raw food and see if you notice any change. A raw diet usually solves this problem for dogs vulnerable to allergies.
Unlike processed meals, raw meals do not contain preservatives, colorings, flavors, or other artificial ingredients. Moreover, you can ensure the quality of raw diets as you make them at home.
Remember, not all natural food will be suitable for dogs to eat regularly. Still, selecting the suitable ones and preparing meals with them will undoubtedly reduce the risk of allergies while contributing to the dog’s overall health.
Will raw food stop my dog from itching?
Itching is one of the most common symptoms that dogs indicate when they are experiencing an allergy. Different sorts of allergies, including food allergies, lead to itchiness, and you will notice dogs often itching their skin, limbs, and paws.
It is essential to clarify the root cause of itchiness because remedies differ from one context to the other. If itching results from a food allergy, this can be significantly eliminated by changing the dog’s dietary habits.
If you usually feed your dog processed food, transform it into raw food. Once you start to feed your dog a raw diet, you will see a reduction in the itching condition.
It has been scientifically proven that providing your puppy meals containing a minimum of 20% raw food will considerably avoid allergies and atrophy-related skin conditions as adults.
Why are vets against raw diet?
As mentioned at the beginning, there are controversial opinions regarding feeding dogs with raw food. It is evident that raw food gives multiple health benefits compared to ready-made processed food.
However, there are instances where professionals also only partially recommend raw meals. What is the negative side of giving your dog a raw diet?
A raw diet contains natural ingredients. Still, how a dog’s body responds to them differs from the human body. If you do a background check, you will find plenty of details about the health benefits of raw meals to minimize dogs’ allergies.
However, most veterinarians disapprove of sticking with an all-natural diet and cutting off commercial dog food. Raw food often contains bacteria, parasites, and pathogens, which could negatively impact the dog’s health as well as others who live under the same roof.
Veterinarians are not entirely against raw diet but do not fully approve of it either. The bottom line is that both raw and processed food have pros and cons. So what needs to be done is to be mindful of feeding the dog using both.
Raw food has several benefits, but you must know what to give, how to give, and how much to give. On the other hand, when you feed store-bought dog food, always pay attention to the brand and quality.
What is the best raw meat for dogs with allergies?
Some raw foods are safe for dogs to consume, yet some may create complications. Meats are rich in proteins and healthy fats, essential for your pet dog’s growth and health.
However, when you add raw meat to your dog’s diet, pay attention to whether it is safe for your dog to consume. While some raw meat can cause complications, some types are suitable for dogs with allergies.
Some of them are chicken, turkey, bison, rabbit, lamb, and duck. You must be careful about the quantity you provide and your dog’s requirements.
For instance, according to your dog’s health status, you should select whether you provide them with low sodium meats, low potassium meats, low magnesium meats, and so forth. In general, the given types of meat are healthy for dogs with allergies.
What is the best food for a dog with allergies?
If your dog is prone to food allergies, you might get concerned. However, there are plenty of options you can follow to address this concern. In this section, you can find some of the best food for dogs with allergies.
Processed dog food makes more room for allergies, mainly due to its ingredients, which is why raw food is better for dogs with allergies. However, raw food can also create certain health complications. So, how can you pick the right food if you have a dog sensitive to allergies?
When you prepare homemade meals using natural ingredients, ensure that you prioritize proteins, vitamins, and healthy fats. Dogs need carbs, yet do not make their meals heavy on carbs.
For regular raw diets, you can add proteins such as rabbit, duck, and salmon; vegetables including green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and spinach; fruits including pears, apples, watermelons, cantaloupes, and kiwis.
Keeping the meals raw and fresh helps your dog cope with allergies, benefiting the overall health. However, there is also quality commercial dog food that suits dogs with allergies.
Some of them are Nom Nom Fresh, Wellness Simple, Royal Canin Veterinary Diets, Hydrolyzed Protein, and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets.
Final thoughts about raw diet for dogs with allergies
Food allergies are a normal condition for dogs. Dog’s bodies respond differently to the food that they consume. Hence, some dogs can be more sensitive to allergies compared to others. If your dog shows symptoms of food allergies, you must pay attention to changing its regular meals.
Natural raw meals are considered healthy and suitable for dogs with allergies because raw diets do not contain artificial ingredients and by-products like processed food. Therefore, they reduce the risk of allergies.
However, raw food can also cause health complications, so veterinarians do not recommend fully relying on a raw diet. So, the best thing to do is to feed your pet with a combination of raw and quality store-bought food created explicitly for allergy-prone dogs.