The last thing you want for your pug is to suffer from an allergic reaction. What many people do not realize is food allergies cause most allergic reactions. You should find the best dog food for pugs with allergies to decrease the severity of the allergies. Signs of an allergic reaction often include excessive itching and a rash on the skin.
Before you go to your local pet store, be sure you are informed about the top brands of dog food and the best ingredients you want in your dog food. Keep reading to find the best dog food for pugs with skin allergies, as well as dog food brands and ingredients you will want to avoid.
Best Dog Food For Pugs With Allergies
The quality of the dog food you are buying starts with the ingredients. What should your pug eat? What goes into your dog food? Are these ingredients causing your pug to undergo an allergic reaction?
Owners know some ingredients to be better for sensitive dogs than others – and many pug owners swear by raw food diets to keep their pug’s allergies under control.
Salmon
Salmon is a protein that dogs can easily digest. Thus, it is an option to put in dog food for sensitive canines. It provides the dog food with omega-3 fatty acids that support the immune system, decrease inflammation, and keep your dog’s coat looking healthy and shiny.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin has a high soluble fiber content, which aids your dog’s digestion. It contains vitamins A, C and E. It also contains minerals such as iron and potassium. Providing your dog with pumpkin gives a boost to their nutrition.
Lamb
Not only will your pug love the taste of lamb, but they will also enjoy the protein it provides. Protein is one of the crucial macronutrients for your dog. Lamb also contains the right amount of dietary fats for your dog’s nutrition.
Chickpeas
Chickpeas provide a good amount of fiber to your dog’s diet. This fiber aids in your dog’s digestion, but too much can lead to excess gas. So be sure the chickpea content is not too high in your dog food.
Chickpeas also provide vitamin A to help support eye health, as well as vitamins B and C to aid the immune system. Chickpeas also help regulate blood sugar in your pug.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes have so much to offer your dog when it is in their food. Sweet potatoes provide disease-fighting antioxidants, keeping dogs healthy. They also reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer in your dog. Sweet potatoes provide an excellent source of vitamins, are great for digestive health, and make fantastic low-fat treats.
Spinach
Spinach boasts a large amount of vitamins A, B, C, and K. All of these vitamins increase the nutrition and health of your dog. Spinach also contains iron, antioxidants, beta-carotene, and roughage. The roughage helps stimulate the digestive tract.
Turkey
Rich in protein and low in fat, turkey meat is a great addition to your dog’s diet. Turkey also contains riboflavin and phosphorus. Riboflavin is the vitamin responsible for fats and carbohydrates getting metabolized into energy.
Top Brands Of Dog Food For Pugs With Allergies
Since you know the best ingredients to look for for your pug with allergies, the next thing is to know what brands of dog food contain these ingredients and others that are good for sensitive dogs.
Below we have provided the names of some of the best dog food for pugs with allergies.
Blue Buffalo
Blue Buffalo is known for being a top-shelf dog food brand because it provides the necessary ingredients for your dog’s nutrition without filler products. BLUE Basics Limited-Ingredient Dog Food is a good option for pugs with itchy skin.
Blue Buffalo Basics Limited-Ingredient Dog Food promotes gentle digestion while helping your dog thrive. Every recipe in this line is free of chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy and eggs.
Wild Earth
Making its appearance on “Shark Tank,” Wild Earth is for dogs with skin allergies. Because meat allergies trigger many dogs, Wild Earth uses plant proteins to provide an adequate amount of protein in their formula.
It contains chickpeas, sweet potatoes, spinach, pumpkin, and oats. Veterinarians developed it to ensure complete canine nutrition without fillers. Prebiotics and fiber for optimal digestion, healthy fats and oils for skin and coat health, and amino acids added for heart health make Wild Earth a great option for your pug.
Taste of the Wild
Taste of the Wild focuses on providing your pet with the proteins and nutrition their ancestors ate. It includes bison, salmon, venison, lamb, wild boar and roasted fowl as protein. Ancient grains in their formula are better for digestion than modern grains. Vegetables and fruits such as sweet potatoes, peas, tomatoes, blueberries and raspberries provide your dog with all of the necessary nutrients for their diet.
Natural Balance
Natural Balance provides a limited-ingredient, simple food crafted to reduce the number of ingredients your dog is exposed to. The fewer fillers, the better for your dog’s nutrition. Natural Balance offers a robust variety of limited protein sources that include bison, duck and salmon. Their formula helps support healthy skin and coat, healthy digestion and overall health and well-being.
The Farmer’s Dog
The Farmer’s Dog takes a fresh approach to feeding your dog. They do not believe your dog’s bowl should look like a burnt brown ball. Board-certified veterinary nutritionists review their food. They use human-grade ingredients, which they gently steam to help retain their maximum nutritional value.
Ingredients to Avoid If Your Pug Has Allergies
While there are acceptable ingredients for your dog’s food, there are also some ingredients you should avoid. Some of these ingredients are prevalent in dog food, but many dogs are sensitive to them.
Corn
A dog’s body cannot process corn, which in turn can cause multiple health issues. Corn can attack the sugar-controlling functions of both the liver and pancreas. This leads to medical conditions like dog obesity, pancreatitis, diabetes and liver disease.
Soy
Soybean meal is a common plant protein in dog food because of its high nutritional value and consistent supply. Unfortunately, soy is a big factor when it comes to allergies. Most dogs that eat soy undergo some kind of allergic reaction. Most soy is genetically modified and contains toxic glyphosate that may cause cancer and leaky gut.
Beef
The main issue with beef is when people use it as the main source of calories and protein in dog food. Diets based on muscle meat can be deadly to carnivores. Wild carnivores ate all of their prey: organs, bones, skin and meat. So when you exclusively give meat to your dog, it can cause health issues.
Wheat
Most wheat in dog food is genetically modified, which causes the wheat to be hard to digest. Wheat also causes inflammation. Wheat allergies develop over time with continued exposure to wheat. This means that dog food that contains wheat may not cause issues at first, but the longer you use the dog food, your dog may develop the allergy after time.
Dairy
Many dogs are allergic to dairy products. This causes itching and other food-related allergy symptoms. Milk and milk-based products can also cause diarrhea and other digestive problems for your dog.
Dog Food Brands To Avoid If Your Pug Has Allergies
You do not want to break your bank on dog food, but there are specific cheaper brands to watch out for when buying dog food. You may not be spending as much money if you buy these brands, but veterinary bills in the future will add up.
Purina
Purina has been around for over a hundred years. Unfortunately, Purina utilizes filler products such as corn, wheat and soy. You will also find an array of artificial ingredients. Artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives are all in Purina. If you are wanting to give your dog the best food, all of these things should be avoided.
Gravy Train
The main problem with Gravy Train is their meat by-products. They come from unknown sources and are not identified, raising some concerns.
Kibbles ’N Bits
Even though they have great marketing campaigns, Kibbles ’N Bits’ ingredients are not as promising. Their formula relies heavily on corn fillers rather than wholesome proteins.
Pedigree
While not as bad as some others on the list, Pedigree’s first ingredient is whole grain corn. With so many dogs allergic to corn, this is not a good option for long-term maintenance. Pedigree also uses artificial flavors in its formula.
Picking the Best Food for Pugs with Allergies
Picking dog food is not as easy as one might think. There are many factors when it comes to your dog’s health. If you are struggling with allergies with your pugs, try to avoid ingredients that commonly cause itchy skin.
Put your pug first and get them a good dog food brand that will help them live their most comfortable, allergy-free life!
