Recommendations for hypoallergenic large breed puppy food?

[pethesedzao]

Our 5-month old Goldador is sadly allergic to Royal Canin and Carnilove. I don’t know what to feed him anymore! It’s hard to decided what constitutes “good quality” dog food. Our vet recommended hills but that’s just the one they sell there so am not sure how much I trust that. and they don’t have a hypoallergenic version for puppies anyway.

Any recommendations? Thanks a lot!

 

[sevilodorf]

@pethesedzao How did you determine allergies?

https://www.reddit.com/r/DogFood/wiki/index/allergies

 

[joyathome]

@pethesedzao The only real large breed puppy hypoallergenic foods would be through your vet or from a prescription they write that you get filled from a company that carries veterinary prescription diets.

When you say that you don't want to go with your vets recommendation because you're not sure how much you trust that, just a quick question, but if you don't trust your vet on this heath matter why go there and trust their professional opinion on other health matters? (That's not to rag on your vet, just pointing out the cognitive dissonance)

 

[pethesedzao]

@joyathome Yeah, I see the point but honestly my dogtor’s knowledge of medicine/anatomy is a different issue than the world of pet food marketing and different contracts they have with pet clinics. I’ve seen this in my family honestly, my mom is a paediatrician and I remember hearing from her how many representatives of different brands of baby food would show up at the clinic and some would get recommended for periods of time, then others… I’m not saying it’s malpractice or anything but there are better brands out there. The main ingredients in one we got recommended are egg powder and rice protein and I’d just be happier to know he gets some better nutrition. Hope that answers your question.

 

[joyathome]

@pethesedzao If you look it up some companies employ more veterinary nutritionists than others and do more feed trials than others, that's the main reason you'll see vets recommend those foods (which have a proven track record)

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2016/06/why-you-shouldnt-judge-a-pet-food-by-its-ingredient-list/

This is a good write up explaining some of the reasons why egg powder and rice aren't particularly concerning ingredients when taken into account the total formulation of the product.

https://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2022...minating-mistakes-in-elimination-diet-trials/

This one is a bit more in depth and all about food allergies

 

[bernard05]

@pethesedzao Hill’s Science Diet RX foods are excellent products.

My highly active, multiple title earning, national level competition dog was on K/D for years. It met her medical and nutritional needs and kept her in excellent condition.

If your vet is suggesting a prescription diet, talk with them about it.

 

[zeekmul]

@pethesedzao Did your vet give you other options? These subs will almost exclusively promote prescription kibble, but most modern vets will also work with you on a veterinary nutritionist (ACVN)-created fresh/homemade diet, if you’re open to that.

The “big 3” brand prescription diets are really fine, though. I wouldn’t worry about starting your dog on one unless he has already had a negative reaction to them.

 

[stryker4]

@pethesedzao There are no hypoallergenic large breed puppy foods. Why do you think your puppy has an allergy? Allergies usually pop up at maturity

 

[tunnelpalestine]

@pethesedzao Have you tried Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach? It’s rice and salmon and very clean. Lots of doberman owners feed this because the breed is prone to skin and allergy problems including my own dog who is allergic to chicken and beef.

 

[hiswaynotmine]

@tunnelpalestine I feed my dog Purina Pro large breed sensitive skin and it is very clean. We went through so many foods trying to find the right one and my large-breed dog loves this. I feed half raw and half this. It irks me a bit that people completely rule out an entire brand based on its name. The reality is that each brand has different recipes for different needs and a close examination of ingredients and nutrition might help us find the right food for our pets. I am just saying do your research and though I know we come here to help each other, don’t let people on the internet influence you too much!