Hypoallregenic dog food??

Question
Hi,

my dog is currently on SD Ultra Z/d hypoallergenic dog fod. But it is getting way to expensive. 70dollars a bag for my 50lb basset hound, way to pricy. So, i was wondering if you have any good recommendations on any other hypoallergic dog food that you can buy at the store?

Thanks.

mary.

Answer
Hi Mary,

Unfortunately, I can't. The sad truth is, that I can't recommend those foods at all, much less to a special-needs dog.  They are so full of undesirable ingredients and low quality foods - waste products - that they are bound to aggravate your dog's condition.
However, if you are willing to look to another specialty line, there are some excellent limited ingredient foods available now - California Natural makes a Herring and Sweet Potato food, Wellness has it's Simple Solutions Line - any food developed for the sensitive dog and manufactured by a reliable company like Natura or Wellness is worth a try.

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/products/default.asp?id=1326

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/dog_wellness_simple_food_solutions_index.html

I cannot vouch for the price as it will vary from one area to another. A good supplier will also offer regular buyers some sort of discount, such as buy 12 bags get one free. Something to check into when trying to stick to budget.

I personally have found the best reuslts for the sensitive dog from home made diet. When you are spending a lot of money on commercial food, the home made may not add up to any more, especially if your dog can tolerate foods like liver, sardines etc that are not expensive. The reality is a lot of allergic dogs cannot eat beef, chicken, or rice, so we end up using costlier ingredients. It's worth investigating, and if you need suggestions about how to start I'm happy to help. But in terms of a lower cost "hypo-allergenic" food, I would do some shopping in your area and look at the local prices on the above-mentioned foods. Others you might consider include Natural Balance Duck and Potato:

http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dogformulas/PandD.html

Pinnacle Trout and Sweet Potato:
http://www.breeders-choice.com/dog_products/pinnacled.htm

Orijen 6 Fresh Fish
http://www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/products/ORIJEN6fish.aspx

Again, I can only make suggestions and I cannot say that these foods will suit your dog, or cost less than the Science Diet. I can state for certain they all contain much higher quality ingredients than Science Diet - so, if you end up paying the same amount, but your dog is actually healthier in the long run, I think of that as a savings in terms of vet bills down the road.

Let me know if I can help more, and good luck. Allergy can be so challenging to manage.
Catherine