Chicken and rice: These two ingredients are very easy for dogs to digest, and are the prime ingredients in many commercial dog foods. This mixture will give your dog the protein and carbs needed for recovery. Sweet Potato: Full of healthy fiber and vitamins that dogs need, most pets consider sweet potatoes a treat.
Overall, Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin is the best dog food for sensitive stomachs. This vet-recommended brand uses chicken as the first ingredient, along with an easily digestible blend of prebiotic fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, and other gentle ingredients for a balanced microbiome.
"The most common food allergens in dogs are proteins..." The most common food allergens in dogs are proteins, especially those from dairy, beef, chicken, chicken eggs, soy, or wheat gluten. Each time a pet eats food containing these substances, the antibodies react with the antigens, and symptoms occur.
Fish-based diets are often the first recommendation for itchy dogs, as they are at the same time a novel protein diet and contain high levels of natural fish oil, making them similar to a 'skin care diet'. This means they are likely to help with any type of skin allergy.
Dogs are most commonly allergic to the following foods (in descending order): beef, dairy, wheat, egg, chicken, lamb/mutton, soy, pork, rabbit, and fish. Rabbit and fish are by far less common food allergens than the others.
Beef, dairy, wheat, and chicken are the most common culprits of food allergies in dogs.
Quality Proteins
Lamb is a great choice when it comes to dog food for sensitive stomachs. Lamb isn't a common protein, meaning that most dogs haven't had the chance to develop an allergy or food sensitivity to it. It's also an easily-digestible protein which is great for avoiding stomach upsets.
Lean, Boiled Chicken or Turkey Breast
This is the most popular choice for dogs with upset tummies. Not only will your pup love the taste of fresh meat, but lean boiled chicken or turkey breast is great for his upset stomach because it provides a great source of protein without much fat, fiber, or seasoning.
A simple dinner of cooked chicken and rice, without any seasoning, might help settle an upset stomach and diarrhea. These days, an increasing number of dog owners are turning to homemade diets for all of their dog's meals.
Beef is the single animal protein, making it great for dogs who don't digest chicken or other animal proteins easily. Includes 52% beef ingredients. Short ingredient list means fewer ingredients likely to upset your dog's stomach.
Better for sensitive stomachs
Dogs with sensitive stomachs and those prone to constipation often do better on wet food diets made from all-natural ingredients.
A RAST test, or radioallergosorbent test, is a blood test that can be used to determine whether a dog is allergic to certain antigens. This test is often performed as part of the workup for atopy (a skin manifestation of inhalant allergy) in dogs.
The most common canine skin allergy is allergic dermatitis or atopic dermatitis—atopy for short. Allergic dermatitis is an inflammatory, persistent skin condition that occurs when a dog's immune system overreacts to a particular allergen. Allergens can be anything from plant pollen to mold spores to food to pests.
Flea allergy dermatitis, seasonal allergies or atopy, food allergies, contact dermatitis (e.g., soaps and perfumes), and sarcoptic mange (mites) are some of the most common causes of pruritus in dogs. "Pruritus due to skin disease is one of the most common reasons dog owners seek veterinary care."
Beef, corn, dairy, and wheat are some of the most problematic ingredients. It may seem counterintuitive, but it can take a long time for symptoms of food allergies to become apparent. Often dog's appear to 'suddenly' become allergic to a food that they have been eating for months.
Symptoms of Chicken Allergy in Dogs
Symptoms could include red or itchy skin (especially on the paws, abdomen, groin, face, and ears), rashes, fur loss, or hives. Skin and ear infections commonly occur. And wounds or “hot spots” may develop due to trauma from a dog repeatedly licking or chewing their skin.
If the pet has a food allergy, we expect to see at least a 50% reduction in licking, scratching, chewing or other dermatologic signs. This may occur within the first four weeks for some animals; in others the response may take up to 12 weeks.
The best foods for dogs with allergies include proteins like rabbit and duck, veggies like green beans and broccoli, and fruits like apples, watermelon, and pears.