Hypoallergenic Dog Food
Facts about Hypoallergenic Dog Food
When man’s best friend starts scratching incessantly, it could be time to consider changing the dog’s diet to a hypoallergenic dog food. Just like humans, there are ingredients and additives in pet food that could be aggravating the allergies of your pet.
Dog foods purchased in most households are typically commercial preparations. While it can be found in both dry and moist form, dry foods are often preferred by consumers; likely since they are generally less expensive, easier to store and convenient to dispense. Nutritionally speaking, either type can meet the dietary recommendations for the pet. Both will provide a list of ingredients in descending order on the packaging of the food to let the consumer know exactly what the composition of the food is. It can be just as judicious to closely examine the ingredients that are included as we do to our own food items to ensure that there are no harmful elements. Doing so can avoid the bothersome symptoms that arise when allergies kick in, causing hives, runny eyes, itchy skin, upset stomachs and hair loss.
If your dog has allergies, there are a couple of steps that can be taken to manage them. You can make your own dog food, finding recipes online that will include only natural and wholesome ingredients, and spending time each week whipping up fresh batches of homemade, nutritious food to feed your pet. It can contain ground beef, chicken, turkey, lamb or tuna, and generally includes a grain such as oats or rice. Dogs need adequate servings of vegetables just like humans, so combining a mixture of vegetables in with the meat and grains will provide these nutrients, but be sure to process these well since dogs are unable to completely digest them. Using a food processor to puree the vegetables or adding baby food vegetable preparations to the dog food will help in the digestive process. Dairy products can also be added if your pet does not have reactions to them. Dry milk or cottage cheese are both commonly used ingredients in homemade pet foods. While you have control over what goes into the food, there is a recommended ratio of ¾ carbohydrate content to¼ meat content. To keep the heart healthy and coat shiny, try adding just a few drops of flaxseed oil into the food preparation.
Preparing dog food at home can be a time consuming procedure that you may not have time to do. If that is the case, you can find a supplier that offers hypoallergenic dog food. There are several companies online that offer well balanced and nutritionally sound pet foods. It is important to research the ingredients used in the manufacture of these foods to ensure that they do not contain any ingredients that may provoke an allergic attack in your pet. You will also want to closely look at the list of ingredients to make sure that only the healthiest and most natural ingredients are included in the foods.
It is true that foods which are hypoallergenic will carry a higher cost than commercially prepared foods. The important factor about them to consider is their nutritional value. The dog food industry is a very lucrative one, and there are companies that use less than desirable ingredients in their preparations because they are very cheap to obtain. Things such as waste products from slaughterhouses and a larger percentage of grains than are nutritionally safe make up the foods and are not beneficial to your dog’s diet.
While hypoallergenic dog food may be more work to hand make than to buy, or more expensive to procure than commercially prepared foods, the benefit will be the improved health of man’s best friend; your dog.