hypoallergenic vs limited ingredient dog food

What Is a Limited Ingredient Dog Food?

Limited ingredient dog food is formulated to reduce the number of ingredients that your dog is exposed to within their diet. These diets are used in hypoallergenic dog food trials to diagnose and treat food allergies (adverse food reactions).

Theres conflicting evidence about how common food allergies are in dogs. In a dog with allergic symptoms, about 15-20% of those are related to food allergies. The principle with food allergies and limited ingredient dog food is that a dog cannot be allergic to an ingredient that it has not been exposed to before.

Beef, dairy, chicken, and wheat account for 79% of food allergies in dogs. It is uncommon for a dog to have a food allergy to a grain other than wheat.

Heres what you need to know about limited ingredient dog foods and what they can do to help dogs.

What Does Limited Ingredient Dog Food Mean?

Limited ingredient dog food is not a regulated term. The term limited ingredient or limited ingredient diet (LID) is used loosely, and although there may be fewer ingredients in the food, those ingredients may or may not be appropriate for your dog.

If you are looking for a dog food with limited ingredients, you should still always check the ingredient label to see whats in it. There can be surprising hidden ingredients in these diets that are potential problems for dogs with food allergies.

LID dog food should have been evaluated for contamination with unwanted ingredients. Studies show that prescription versions of limited ingredient dog food diets are less likely to have contamination with unwanted ingredients. A recent review of several studies showed that 33%-83% of nonprescription limited ingredient pet food diets had ingredients in them that were not listed on the label.

To determine if a particular diet is right for your dog, consult with your regular veterinarian.

How Many Ingredients Is Limited?

There are no set regulations for how many ingredients are in a limited ingredient dog food. This term indicates that the number of ingredients in the food is reduced from the number in your average dog food formula, but the important consideration is what the ingredients are, not the actual number of ingredients.

Whats Usually in a Limited Ingredient Dog Food?

Generally, a limited ingredient dog food diet has a novel protein (one thats not common in other dog foods), and sometimes, a carbohydrate source that is out of the ordinary. LID dog foods may contain a carbohydrate source that is an unlikely cause for food allergies, such as rice.

Protein in Limited-Ingredient Dog Food

Limited ingredient diets list proteins such as:

It is important to note that just because a nonprescription dog food is labeled as limited ingredient, it does not mean that it is appropriate for a hypoallergenic food trial to diagnose food allergies in dogs.

Many of these ingredients, like lamb, turkey, and chicken, are very commonly used in regular dog foods, and therefore, most dogs have been exposed to them.

Carbohydrates in Limited-Ingredient Dog Food

Common carbohydrate sources used in limited ingredient dog foods are:

• Potatoes

• Rice

• Sweet potatoes

• Peas

• Brown rice

• Lentils

• Oatmeal

Whats the Difference Between Grain-Free and LID Dog Food?

A grain-free diet is not the same as a limited ingredient diet.

A grain-free diet does not contain any of the grains that are commonly used in dog foods:

• Wheat

• Rice

• Barley

• Oats

• Rye

• Corn

• Quinoa

But some limited ingredient dog foods do contain certain grains, although you might not find grains like corn and wheat.

A limited ingredient diet typically contains one or two protein sources and one or two carbohydrate sources. Grain-free diets may contain many other food sources, so they are not necessarily what you would call a limited ingredient food.

Does My Dog Need an LID Dog Food?

A limited ingredient diet is not necessary for healthy dogs with no medical issues.

The most common reason to feed a limited ingredient dog food is to diagnose a food allergy (adverse food reaction). This is currently the only way to diagnose a food allergy in dogs. Skin tests, hair or saliva tests, and blood tests are not accurate for diagnosing food allergies.

Food-allergic dogs can have symptoms involving the ears, feet, inner thighs, armpits, face, and area around the anus. Itchy ears, with or without infection, may be the only symptom in up to 25% of dogs with food allergy.

Some dogs may only have recurrent skin infections, with or without itching. Some dogs with chronic diarrhea may have an underlying food allergy, as 10-15% of dogs with a food allergy have GI symptoms.

Using LID Dog Food to Diagnose Allergies

The principle with a hypoallergenic food trial to diagnose a food allergy is to feed foods that a dog has not been exposed to before. Limited ingredient diets are often the first choice of veterinary dermatologists for diagnosing food allergies.

Another type of diet that is commonly used is a hydrolyzed diet. These are diets in which the protein is broken down into very small particle sizes, with the goal being that the body cannot recognize it as an allergy causing substance.

Food trials are conducted for 8-12 weeks and require strict adherence. Flavored medications, flavored chews and toys, human foods and treats must be discontinued and/or substituted with acceptable alternatives.

Any infections that are present in the skin or ears must be treated at the same time to be able to tell if the food trial is successful.

Is Limited Ingredient Dog Food Better?

You may think that just having fewer ingredients makes LID dog food better than other dog food, even if you dont suspect that your dog has allergies.

But having fewer ingredients doesnt mean much on its own, unless those ingredients are high-quality ingredients. You could have a human food that only has three ingredients, but those might be corn syrup, food coloring, and an artificial preservative.

If you suspect that your dog might have food allergies, you might be wondering which dog food is best out of limited ingredient, grain-free, and gluten-free dog food. Veterinarians do use limited ingredient diets for food trials to diagnose allergies, so you should talk to your vet about starting a food trial and determining which formula is best for this.

While grain-free and gluten-free diets may be beneficial to some dogs, the reported percentage of dogs that have adverse reactions to grains is low, relative to proteins. A diet that is labeled grain-free or gluten-free may or may not be a limited-ingredient diet.

Your veterinarian is the best person to help you choose which type of diet is the best choice for your particular dog, whether or not you are worried about dog food allergies.

Featured image: iStock.com/Edafoto

The 4 best hypoallergenic dog foods in 2023

What we love: With just a single source of animal protein and a balance of high-quality carbohydrates and fats, Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet will help soothe your pups upset tummy. We love that its made from a blend of whole foods, has natural probiotics, and is suitable for all breeds and sizes.

What customers say: Reviewers note how well this hypoallergenic option cleared up ear infections and itchy skin. They consistently write that this dog food is a great novel protein source for allergy-prone dogs. However, some users mentioned the foods strong smell so keep that in mind before you buy.

Ingredients: Duck, oatmeal, peas, ground rice, potato protein, tomato pomace, canola oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), ground flaxseed, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, natural duck flavor, chicory root extract, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, taurine, mixed tocopherols added to preserve freshness, zinc proteinate, zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, niacin, ferrous sulfate, iron proteinate, beta-carotene, vitamin A supplement, copper sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, manganese sulfate, d-calcium pantothenate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, vitamin D3 supplement, biotin, calcium Iodate, vitamin B12 supplement, folic Acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), dried lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, rosemary extract, green tea extract, and spearmint extract.

8 Best Limited-Ingredient Dog Foods For Allergies: Wet, Dry, Grain-Free & More

If your furry friend is suffering from chronic skin or digestive issues, limited-ingredient dog food may help resolve your pups symptoms. In some cases, veterinarians recommend trying limited-ingredient diet (LID) for food allergy symptoms. But if you cant afford a vet visit, you may want to consider commercial LID dog foods on your own.

Our team has researched hundreds of different dog foods for all kinds of diets and health concerns, and weve determined that The Farmers Dog, Ollie, and Zignature are among the best limited-ingredient dog foods. However, we give you even more options to suit other dietary needs.

At A Glance: Best Dog Food With Limited Ingredients

Why Switch To Limited-Ingredient Dog Food?

Like humans, dogs can be particularly sensitive or even allergic to certain ingredients in their diet. And unfortunately, our furry friends can develop intolerances to food ingredients at any point in their lifetime. In these cases, veterinarians may recommend a diet change to a commercial dog food containing limited ingredients.

These diets are rightly or wrongly thought to be of better quality, and theyre often used in pets who have skin allergies or digestive issues, says Dr. Rebecca MacMillan, BVetMed BSAVA PGCertSAM MRCVS, a companion animal veterinarian in Gloucester, United Kingdom. I usually suggest that an owner try a limited-ingredient dog food (LID) as part of a dietary trial to help diagnose food-related skin allergies.

If the dogs itchiness resolves after a period on this new diet, I would then recommend challenging it to see if their itchiness reoccurs when they eat chicken or beef again, explains Dr. MacMillan. First of all, this proves that there is an allergy but also confirms what the dog flares up to. In my experience though, many owners skip this step in the process and just choose to continue feeding their pet its new limited-ingredient diet long term if they are doing well on it. I have several patients that have responded well to their change in diet, where other treatments have failed.

Common Dog Food Allergens

Themost commonculprits include beef, chicken, dairy products, and wheat. Many dogs also dont toleratesoy, corn, eggs, and various preservatives.But every dog is different, so theres a long list of ingredients that could be causing problems. Dont forget to take into account any treats or table scraps your pup may be eating regularly, as these could be the source of allergies.

Many limited ingredient diets contain novel proteins, shares Dr. MacMillan. These are protein sources that arent commonly found in other pet foods, such as venison, duck, or salmon. This is because most dogs with allergies react to ingredients like chicken, beef, and pork, which they would encounter frequently in pet foods and treats. Care needs to be taken to read the ingredients when selecting one of these diets to ensure there is nothing hidden in this list that might contribute to your dogs suspected allergies.

If youre unsure which ingredients are causing your dogs symptoms, you can also give your pup anat-home dog allergy test.These kits test forsensitivity or intolerance to many foods(and environmental allergens)that develop over time. You send a saliva or hair sample to the companys lab and get results within a few weeks. You can thenshare these results with your vet to help further narrow down possible causes.

Best Limited-Ingredient Dog Food

Weve chosen our top picks based on the overall quality of ingredients, special ingredients for skin allergies or digestive issues, customer feedback, pricing, and other factors.

Note: All of the companies we review here useall-natural ingredients with no fillers, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat, or soyandmeet theAssociation of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO)requirementsfor a complete and balanced diet. Theyre also all made in the USA.

Best Grain-Free Limited-Ingredient Dog Food: The Farmers Dog Review

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The Farmers Dog is our favorite brand that offersfresh, human-grade dog fooddelivered right to your door. Every recipe features whole-food USDA animal protein, vegetables, and fruits, all fortified with an ideal blend of vitamins and minerals and personalized for your pups life stage, size, breed, activity level, and specific needs.

All of The Farmers Dog recipes contain limited ingredients and are grain-free, so theyre an excellent option if your pup suffers from grain sensitivities. For dogs with protein allergies, we recommend their turkey formula (your other options are beef, chicken, and pork). All recipes are developed by board-certified American College of Veterinary Nutrition (ACVN) nutritionists andflash-frozen to preserve nutrientsand freshness.They even pre-portion your dogs personalized meals for convenient feeding.

Food Ingredients In The Farmers Dog Turkey Recipe

USDA turkey, chickpeas, carrot, broccoli, parsnip, spinach, and salmon oil

Price

Our readers have access to50% off your first box.No code is needed;just usethis link,and the discount will be applied! You can also visit ourdedicated The Farmers Dog coupons page.

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Best Limited-Ingredient Dog Food With Grain: Ollie Review

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Another of our favoritefresh-frozen dog food deliveryservices, Ollie is similar to The Farmers Dog in that it uses onlyhuman-grade, whole-food ingredientscarefully chosen by animal nutritionists for optimal health in all life stages. Ollie alsopersonalizes your pups foodbased on his profile (age, gender, breed, weight, body shape, activity level, allergies, and other health issues).

For dogs with allergies,we recommend Ollies lamb recipe, particularly if their other protein options (chicken, beef, turkey, and pork) dont sit well with your pup. All recipes but beef include easy-to-digest grains. Thelimited ingredients and fresh whole foodsin all their recipes could be the answer to your furry friends allergy problems.

Food Ingredients In Ollies Lamb Dish Recipe

Lamb, butternut squash, lamb liver, chickpeas, kale, rice, cranberries, green beans, potatoes,chia seeds, and salmon oil

Price

• Full Freshplans start at $3.14/day
• Half Fresh plansstart at $1/meal

Our readers can get50% off their first box.Usethis linkto take advantage of this offer(no discount code needed).

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Best Limited-Ingredient Dry Dog Food: Zignature Limited Ingredient Review

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Gluten and grain-free, Zignatures limited ingredient formulas feature an excellent selection of novel proteins for pups who are allergic to common pet food proteins. This whitefish formula gets the best customer reviews for dogs with skin allergies. Whitefish is high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce skin inflammation and boost your pups immune system.

In addition to whitefish, Zignature offers duck, goat, kangaroo, venison, and several other formulas that each feature single novel proteins. All recipes are also fortified with probiotics for gut health and allergy support and taurine for heart health. Although this brand is pricey for commercial kibble, we think its worth the cost for such a high-quality dog food with ideal ingredients for allergies.

Food Ingredients In Zignatures Whitefish Formula

Whitefish, whitefish meal, peas, pea flour, chickpeas, sunflower oil, flaxseed, and dehydrated alfalfa meal

Price

Best Limited-Ingredient Wet Dog Food: Natural Balance Reserve Review

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Natural Balance carries a wide variety of limited-ingredient dog chow, including kibble, shreds, and wet (canned) food. We recommend this grain and pea-free formula that features bison as the only animal protein ingredient. It also includes fiber-rich sweet potatoes to help with digestive health, fish oil and flaxseed for skin allergy relief, and taurine for heart health.

This Natural Balance Reserve limited-ingredient, single-animal-protein line is also available in fish, duck, venison, and chicken formulas. They make excellent stand-alone meals or as a food topper that you can pair with Natural Balances Reserve LID kibble.

Food Ingredients In Natural Balance Reserve Bison Wet Recipe

Bison, vegetable broth, potatoes, sweet potatoes, potato protein, canola oil, ground flaxseed, and menhaden fish oil

Price

Best With A Novel Protein: JustFoodForDogs Venison & Squash Review

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One of the first fresh dog food companies, JustFoodForDogs (JFFD) offers 11 fresh-frozen recipes (and several variety packs) that contain whole, human-grade foods and locally sourced produce. Their grain and gluten-free venison and squash formula is an ideal choice if your pup has sensitivities to the usual animal protein suspects. But JFFD also has fish, lamb, turkey, and tofu options (as well as beef and chicken).

JFFD delivers right to your door and has a feeding calculator (similar to a profile on other sites) to help you figure out how much food to order. It asks you about your dogs breed, age, weight, body shape, and activity level.However, JFFD doesnt personalize the food for your dogs life stage or specific health concerns (unless you pay a hefty $250 formulation fee). You can make aone-time purchase or sign up for auto-shippingand save 5%.

Food Ingredients In JFFDs Venison & Squash Recipe

Venison, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cranberries, safflower oil, and fish oil

Price

• Plans start at $1.36/day
• Free shipping for auto-shipping

Looking for a JustFoodForDogs promo code?Click herefor the best deal we could find.

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What About Canidae Pure, Wellness Simple & Ziwi Peak?

Although the following products didnt make our top picks, theyre popular, high-quality options you may want to consider if your pup needs dog food with limited ingredients.

Canidae Pure Goodness Salmon & Sweet Potato Review

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Another good choice to find a novel protein in a LID is Canidaes Pure Goodness Limited Ingredient line of recipes. You can choose fromduck, bison, wild boar, lamb, goat & venison, and more.However, we recommend this salmon formula because it doesnt contain any other animal products, like chicken fat or turkey meal (many of the other recipes do). Each formula is grain-free with no corn, wheat, soy, or fillers and contains only 7-10 whole-food ingredients.

They also include an excellentblend of probiotics, antioxidants, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acidsas well as glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health and taurine for heart health. Canidae Pure also comes in grain-inclusive kibble and wet dog food. Its more affordable than many other premium dog chow and is made in the USA.

Food Ingredients In Canidae Pure Salmon Recipe

Salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, lentils, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, canola oil, potatoes, and flaxseed

Price

Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Review

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Another reasonably priced premium kibble, Wellness Simple is a fantastic choice if youre wary of grain-free dog food. This LID formula comes in a single-source protein (either duck or lamb) thats balanced with easily digestible grains. These two recipes also feature natural probiotics, antioxidants, omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and taurine. We love the Wellness brand, which formulates all of its pet food with carefully chosen nutrients to support whole-body health, including digestive function and skin and coat health, which are so important for dogs with allergies.

Food Ingredients In Wellness Simple Duck Formula

Duck, oatmeal, peas, ground rice, potato protein, tomato pomace, canola oil, and ground flaxseed

Price

Ziwi Peak Grain-Free Air-Dried Review

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Ziwi Peaks grain-free, air-dried formulas pack a high-protein punch with limited but nutrient-dense ingredients. At first glance, the food ingredient list for the venison formula looks much longer than other brands we review here, but youll see that the majority of ingredients are meat, organs, and bones all from a single-source animal protein. If venison isnt your thing, they also offer lamb, mackerel and lamb, beef, and chicken recipes.

In addition to natural sources of glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health, this formula also includes New Zealand green mussels, organic kelp, vitamins, and minerals to promote mobility, vitality, and overall well-being. All of Ziwi Peaks formulas contain free-range meats or wild-caught fish, which are ethically and sustainably sourced without added hormones or antibiotics.

Food Ingredients In Ziwi Peaks Venison Recipe

Venison, venison tripe, venison heart, venison lung, venison liver, venison kidney, New Zealand green mussel, venison bone, lecithin, parsley, dried apple pomace, venison cartilage, and dried organic kelp

Price

What Do Elimination Diets Involve? (Video)

In this brief video by JustFoodForDogs, Dr. Laura Wilson, DVM, DACVD, discusses food elimination diets for dogs with food allergies.For a $250 formulation fee, you can have JustFoodForDogs vet specialists personalize your pups food for allergies or other health problems.

Has Your Vet Recommended Allergy Medicine?

Finding the right dog food isnt always enough to relieve allergy symptoms in some cases, especially if your dog has severe allergies. If this is the case, your vet may recommend giving your dogallergy medicationor administeringallergy shotsto help reduce symptoms.