Can I switch my dog from Hills Derm Defense to Purina Proplan DRM?

It definitely is a balanced diet that is safe for long-term use. It is most commonly used in dogs with skin issues or food allergies, so if this is a problem that Kira experiences, it would be a great choice. There are also lots of great foods that are available to you. I have fed my dog Purina Pro-Plan since she was a puppy. She is now 14 and has no health issues! I would discuss the best option with your vet.

And thank you for your question! Hills Z/D is a great allergy diet. The way it works is that it is a hydrolyzed protein diet meaning that the proteins that normally cause allergies are too small to trigger the allergy with the hydrolyzed formula. Hill's Derm defense is a great food as well. The way that Derm defense works is that it strengthens the Skin Barrier and it has multiple antioxidants and phytonutrients period before switching to Derm defense I would suggest speaking with your veterinarian who previously placed Louie on Z/D to see if this would be a good switch. Some other things that help with allergies would include omega-3 fish oil supplements and essential 6 Spot On by dermoscent. Help this guide you in the right direction. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have

Theoretically Trixie could do any of the hydrolyzed diets. Royal Canin carries a hydrolyzed protein diet very similar to the Hill’s diet. Purina also carries a formula as well called HA. Most likely Trixie would do fine on any of these. Make sure any diet transition is slow over the course of 5 to 7 days. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!

If you have been feeding the Hills prescription food, you can always talk to your doctor about continuing this food. Yes, there is a difference between the prescription diets and regular food, but the regular Science Diet food is high quality. It will be less expensive to feed Science Diet sensitive stomach formula than to continue on the prescription food. You could always try a small bag of the regular food, and if Spartacus does not do as well, you could switch back to the prescription diet. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

ProPlan is a great food! If Chloe is doing well on it, I don't recommend changing it. Other brands I recommend are Royal Canin, Hill's Science Diet, and Iams. I do not recommend alternating foods, it causes GI upset.

Without a full diet history it is impossible to prescribe a diet. Hills z/d is a hydrolyzed formula where all the proteins have been broken down (akin to being pre-digested) into small pieces so the immune system should not react to them and so should resolve the food intolerance symptoms, it is easily digested and highly absorbable by even the most sensitive bowel. A similar, hydrolyzed option is royal canin hypoallergenic or anallergenic and many pets find these extremely palatable. Some cases can do well on a 'novel protein diet' of home prepared food based on a protein source which she has never eaten before. This should be formulated only by a specialist nutritionist - tufts university clinical nutrition team are available by phone or appointment to help with this but it can be extremely expensive and time consuming to feed such a specific and strict diet and commercial brands are often more successful in resolving symptoms in the long term

I would consider a food that has an alternative source of protein from chicken since protein is the most common type of food allergy in dogs. Purina ProPlan has a lamb and rice dog food, so I recommend trying that food. I hope this helps!