My dog needs urinary food but has chicken allergy. Any alternatives?

Dogs are omnivores and can get enough nutrition from a balanced commercial vegetarian food. If you would like to try a meat diet, you could consider a novel protein diet. A novel protein is one that Buddy hasn't eaten before. You could consider venison, bison, fish or duck. Natural Balance makes a number of limited ingredient diets that you could consider. https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets Another option would be to try a hydrolyzed diet. Those would be prescription only and would be more expensive, but might be a good option as well. I am attaching a handout with more information about diet trials for food allergies below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

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!

Dogs with food allergies are difficult because of the balance between the best nutrition and the type of protein used in these food. The most ideal food would be a prescription kidney diet (i.e. science diet k/d) but most of these have chicken in them you could look at Purina NF the dry kibble as there isn't any chicken listed on the ingredients. I would call Purina or have your vet call and confirm that they don't have any chicken in the dry kibble. If you choose this food, your vet will likely have to order it for you and give you a written prescription for you to buy it. I would not put him on high protein diets like blue buffalo or wilderness. These diets put a lot of strain on the kidneys. I would look into Natural Balance venice and sweet potato. If he is really allergic then I would talk to your vet about whether he should be on a prescription hypoallergenic diet. I hope this helps!

I believe Royal Canin now makes a hypoallergenic diet that is also appropriate for crystals that has hydrolyzed proteins so the immune system does not recognize them and they do not trigger allergies. Even though the ingredient list might contain some things Dylan is allergic to, he should not develop allergy symptoms. This diet is called Multifunction Urinary and Hydrolyzed Protein. Talk to your veterinarian and see if this might be a good option for Dylan with his specific crystals. Otherwise you could discuss having a nutritionist formulate a home cooked diet, but it is very important that a veterinary nutritionist is involved so that the diet is balanced and appropriate to prevent crystal formation.

Since Cash is a small dog, you might consider one of the more expensive options such as a dehydrated or fresh food diet. They are able to control their ingredients much more easily than a large manufacturing plant does that makes dry food. I have been very pleased with The Honest Kitchen ( https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/ ) and Just Food For Dogs ( https://www.justfoodfordogs.com/ ). Both have foods that will not have chicken and both have options without any poultry. You do not have to worry about the potential addition of chicken fat which a number of dry food companies do as well. If those are not good options for Cash, then you may consider a canned food which again will generally be safer than a dry food at making sure there isn't any chicken contamination. I have been pleased with Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets ( https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/ ), but be sure to read the labels carefully. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.

In most animals with food allergies hydrolyzed protein sources are ok. However, if it is possible I usually recommend switching to a novel protein source instead of the hydrolyzed diet. This way you can ensure there is no reaction from the food. Additionally I would avoid other poultry proteins as well. Some animals that are allergic to chicken also have reactions to foods with duck as the primary protein.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common food protein allergen is chicken. I tell clients they can try 2 different over the counter novel protein diets for 2-3 months each before trying a prescription hydrolyzed diet. A novel protein diet means the protein or meat is one that the dog or cat has never eaten before. Only pick one at a time. Examples are Venison, duck, fish, rabbit with green pea, sweet potato, etc. The animals need to eat this diet exclusively, meaning no table scraps, treats or bones, rawhides, greenies or pig ears. The only treats you can give the pet are ones that contain the new protein. You need to give the diet 2-3 months before trying a different protein. There are prescription novel protein diets as well. Hydrolyzed diets are prescription only. The protein is broken down to a very small protein size that isn't recognized as as an allergen by the immune system. Examples are: Hill's z/d, Royal Canin HP and Purina HA. If you find the correct protein that your dog is allergic too then she should only give that diet. Some dogs have food allergies and environmental allergies or atopy. So sometimes food isn't always the perfect fix. But if it is then yes it can help prevent skin and ear infections as long as they don't get anything else to eat that they may be allergic too. I hope this helps! Good luck!