Does your dog need a grain free or hypoallergenic diet?

In some of our earlier articles we’ve talked about Grain free and Hypoallergenic diets and how they can help dogs with digestive sensitivities, food intolerances or with specific allergies. The huge benefits of these diets are that they are still complete foods, often with higher levels of specific animal proteins which make them very tasty and suit a large range of dogs.

The downside is if you are not really sure if your dog has an allergy, intolerance, digestive sensitivity or is simply a bit more prone to digestive upsets. Then by just moving onto these types of diets, you begin to restrict what you feel happy feeding your dog. Overtime the situation will often change as well, some dogs will become more tolerant of the allergens that caused the reactions beforehand, and some will develop new dietary allergies. So unfortunately, simply finding a food that suits for now often isn’t enough to solve the issue. Ideally with dogs with allergies or digestive upsets, you need a plan of action, here are some key points to consider. 

• Find a diet that doesn’t cause any reaction, perhaps this is something you’ve fed before or a homemade diet, but getting your dog symptom-free is a good starting point.
• Consider either blood-allergen testing or a food re-introduction phase (best under advice from your vet) if the symptoms are severe.
• Research to find and buy the best option and transition over gradually.
• Be patient, digestive upsets and allergies all take time to clear through the system and for the beneficial microflora to re-establish and start improving digestion and absorption.
• Expect changes as time moves on. Your dog’s digestion may dramatically improve and he/she becomes more tolerant of different foods, or it may reverse and become more sensitive to new ingredients.

At Gilbertson and Page Ltd, all the ingredients we use in our diets are chosen for optimal taste, digestion, nutrition and your dog’s enjoyment, but we also understand with digestive issues and food intolerances, some ingredients have to be ruled out, which is why we have several diets to help; Dr. John Hypoallergenic Chicken with Oats, Dr. John Hypoallergenic Lamb with Rice and Dr. John Grain Free Chicken and Potato. All of our sensitive range still has the complete nutrition and distinctive meaty tastes you would expect from us, whilst also catering for the more complex needs that dogs with sensitive digestion or food intolerances have.

https://www.gilpa.co.uk/2018/04/grain-free-diet-choice-dog/

https://www.gilpa.co.uk/2017/08/specialist-dog-food-whats-new/