Can a vegetarian dog food meet my allergic dog's needs?

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.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sorry to hear about Cooper’s allergies! Unfortunately, no, it is not safe to put a dog on a vegetarian diet, as they will not be able to absorb enough protein from non-meat sources and will be prone to malnourishment. The best option for dogs with severe food allergies is to be put on a hydrolyzed food such as z/d or Royal Canin HP. These diets break down the proteins into small enough molecules so that the body’s immune system doesn’t react to them. They are a bit expensive, but absolutely worth the cost for animals who need them! They are prescription only but most vets carry them, and many vets have an online pharmacy option where they can ship directly to you. Hope this helps!

I love Natural Balance and am really surprised that it caused an upset tummy. As far as flavor goes, most of my patients like the venison and sweet potato the best. If she has skin allergies you want to stay away from the chicken and beef as most dogs are allergic to these. You could try Fromm's which is a little more expensive but a good food. Another option is to do a hypoallergenic diet that is prescribed by your vet. Always slowly mix the old food with the new food to help transition. I hope this helps!

For an ideal diet trial for a suspected food allergy, it is typically recommended to feed a hydrolyzed protein diet (proteins are broken down to the point where they can't trigger the immune system) exclusively for 6-8 weeks. After that point, some dogs are rechallenged with their original diet to see if signs recur or started on a novel protein diet (one protein source/one carbohydrate source). If signs of a food allergy are still present, some dogs need to remain on the hydrolyzed diet indefinitely. The hydrolyzed diets are prescription based and include Royal Canin Ultimano, Royal Canin HP, Science Diet Z/D ultra, and Purina HA. There are many pet food companies online that can also dispense these diets with a prescription from your vet (chewy.com is one example). If the cost of a hydrolyzed diet is still not feasible for a diet trial, talk to your vet about starting Rico on a novel protein diet. Many of these are still prescription based, but I have also been impressed by the Dick van Patten Natural Balance limited ingredient line, which is available over the counter. With any diet trial, it can take 2-3 months to determine if it is effective and you need to be strict in that Rico would only receive his dog food with no other treats or table foods. I hope this helps! :-)

I'm not Dr. David, but I'm still happy to help recommend a few options for hypoallergenic diets for Jasper. :-) All truly hypoallergenic diets are prescription based and would need to be prescribed by Jasper's vet. Some of these options include Royal Canin Ultimano ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32052 ), Royal Canin HP ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32078 ), Purina HA, or Hill's Z/D ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31574 ). It can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to determine if a diet change is effective and these diets must be fed exclusively (i.e. no other treats or table foods). Novel protein diets (one protein source/one carbohydrate source) can be helpful for some cases of food allergies and are available over the counter. Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet is one example ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=30717 ). I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I would look into Nautral Balance Venison and Sweet Potato formula. This is a limited ingredient diet that isn't too high in protein. Foods that are too high in protein can actually cause issues with bladder crystals and bladder stones. I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear about Charlie. I would recommend a prescription diet manufactured specifically for this issue. There are several novel protein diets and also hydrolyzed protein diets available by Royal Canin, Purina Veterinary Diets, and Hills. These diets have gone through feeding trials and are balanced and healthy for your pet. Your vet can choose a diet they feel will best fit your needs. I will mention that while there are allergy tests for food, they are not considered truly accurate and the only way to tell for certain if a food allergy is present is by a diet trial. You can read more about food allergies at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951526 and diet trials at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600