Recently I spent an entire evening online researching hypoallergenic dog food, and I'd like to share what I learned. Hopefully this will save you time and energy.What you'll find below is a summary of what I learned from reading everything I could find about recommendations for hypoallergenic dog foods. I've relied most heavily from real-life reports from dog owners who have dealt with dog food allergy, rather than manufacturer claims.
From my research, it's clear that there is a large community of pet owners whose beloved dogs suffer from at least one form of dog food allergy.
When your dog suffers from any type of food allergy, common sense dictates changing the diet to exclude the allergic food. Until you are able to pinpoint which food is causing the allergy or if your pet has multiple sensitivities, switching to a high-quality hypoallergenic dog food is a good first step.
Since your dog can be allergic to any of the ingredients in the normal packaged dog food – any of the major ingredients, preservatives, colorings, flavorings, or any of the multitudes of chemicals (even natural chemicals) - that go into the preparation of the dog food, you would definitely need to start giving your pet a diet prepared to exclude allergy-causing foods and chemicals.Dog food ingredients can be difficult to understand. It may look healthy at first glance but a closer review might reveal a different story. I am giving you a list of dog foods that have stood up to not just closer inspection of the ingredient list but also have passed the pet owner tests. The food brands below are in random order (not ranked) and highly recommended by dog owners.
There is a very useful website called AskSusanPeters that provides ratings of many pet foods. You'd be shocked to learn how badly some of the well-known "premium" brands such as IAMs and Science Diet actually rate. I've included the AskSusanPeters rating for each of the hypoallergenic dog foods recommended below.
9 Brands of HypoAllergenic Dog Food Your Vet Might Not Tell You About
1. Flint River Ranch Lamb, Millet and Rice Dog formula and Flint River Ranch Trout and Sweet Potato Dog Formula are excellent hypoallergenic dog foods. They don't contain wheat, corn, or chemical preservatives, all of which are common causes of allergies. If you know or suspect that your dog is allergic to lamb or rice, go for the Trout and Sweet Potato formula. Flint River Ranch pet food is not sold in retail stores - it is only available by ordering online
.AskSusanPeters rating: 10/10
2. Avoderm 
hypoallergenic dog food is manufactured by Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods. It is reportedly good for skin and stomach allergies. Avoderm’s main health factor is the avocado fruit which is one of the most nutritious fruit in nature. It is full of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and essential oils that are needed to keep your pet free of allergies. Avoderm hypoallergenic dog food is commonly available everywhere from retail stores to online shops.AskSusanPeters rating: 10/10
3. Acana hypoallergenic dog food is manufactured by Champion Pet Foods. It's a Canadian company specializing in hypoallergenic dog food of all varieties and for all dogs. Acana food is organic and free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, chemicals and binders. It is also free of the usual allergy-causing foods like wheat and gluten. The manufacturer claims the food is prepared with human grade foods. Acana hypoallergenic dog food is available at pet specialty shops.AskSusanPeters rating: 10/10
4. Orijen
is another high quality hypoallergenic dog food prepared by Champion Pet Foods. It's rated highly by users and recommended for healthy skin and hair. Customer reviews praise Orijen for helping their dog keep their food allergies away. Orijen is available at pet specialty shops and online shopping stores, including Amazon. AskSusanPeters rating: 10/10
5. Pinnacle hypoallergenic dog food is 100% allergen free, according to the manufacturer, Breeder’s Choice Pet Foods. It also contains essential probiotics, vitamins and minerals to keep your dog’s food allergies at bay. You can select any of their variety of dry dog foods. It is available in pet stores, online shopping stores, including Amazon, and sometimes even grocery stores. Pinnacle rates highly with users. According to people who used it, the only problems they had were resolved on changing the flavor to suit the dog’s needs. AskSusanPeters rating: not yet rated6. Nature’s Variety has 3 different varieties of dog food, of which Instinct Grain-Free dog food is best suited for a dog with allergies to grains. If the dog is allergic to a particular type of meat or poultry, Instinct offers variants with other ingredients and flavors. It also contains omega fatty acids for healthy skin and hair. Instinct is available as both dry and canned food.Nature’s Variety has another brand for hypoallergenic dog food - Raw Frozen Diets. Raw Frozen Diets fall in the BARF (bones and raw food) category for dogs with dermatitis and allergies due to preservatives and colorants. You can decide which type of meat you want to give your dog and try out trial packs. Nature’s Variety dog food is available in specialty pet stores and you can also purchase it online.
AskSusanPeters rating: not yet rated
7. Canidae dog food is also made of natural ingredients. Many pet owners recommend it for healthy skin and hair, although some pet owners saw their dogs develop stomach upsets. The best choices for a dog with food allergies would be the lamb and rice or the chicken and rice varieties. If your dog does well on Canidae dog food it could be a good choice because Canidae is more economical than Nature’s Variety or Avoderm.AskSusanPeters rating: 9/10
8. Evanger’s Specialty has long been recommended as an excellent source of single meat for dogs who are allergic to one kind of meat. Evanger’s Game Meats has 100% natural meat cans for you to select from for your pet. You can buy Evanger’s at specialty pet stores, order through your vet or order online. Evanger’s dry food is also good. It's a hypoallergenic dog food for sensitive dogs and available in 4.4 lb and 16.5 resealable bags priced at $7 to $27 from their online store.Important notice: The FDA has posted a consumer alert on April 24, 2008 warning consumers that Evanger's Dog and Cat Food company is producing under-processed pet food which can cause botulism. For this reason, we suspend the recommendation for Evangers until further notice.
AskSusanPeters rating: 10/10 (rating posted prior to the FDA consumer alert. Susan Peters has now withdrawn her support of Evangers).
9. Go! Natural hypoallergenic dog food is available in different types for you to choose from depending on your dog’s allergies. Now! variety is not only grain-free but also free of meat by-products and contains additional enzymes and probiotics for a healthy dog. Manufactured in Canada.AskSusanPeters rating: not yet rated
Concluding thoughts
Remember, when we talk of food allergy, the dog can be allergic to a whole food item or just a part of that food item (a particular element of that food item). If one type of food does not suit your dog, try another flavor before you decide to change the brand itself.
Whichever hypoallergenic dog food you choose, make sure it is one that does not contain chemical preservatives and uses quality protein and carbohydrate sources, making it less likely for your pet to react to the food. You may find that simply changing your pet's protein and carbohydrate sources will alleviate allergic reactions.
A final thing to keep in mind is that every dog is as individual as a human being. The recommendations above are based on first-hand reports from other dog owners. But what benefits the majority of pets may not have a positive effect on your dog. So, always purchase a trial pack first and see how well your pet tolerates it.
Good luck with finding the hypoallergenic dog food that works for your dog! And keep the faith - it can be done.
