Alternative Protein Dog Foods
How do you feel?
Unlike you and I, dogs can’t tell us why they aren’t feeling well. If you’re seeing excessive scratching, irritated skin, poor coat quality, hot spots or bald patches, chronic ear infections, vomiting or diarrhea, you’re likely observing the symptoms of a food allergy. In response to increasing cases of dog food allergies, manufacturers have expanded their protein sources from the typical chicken, beef, or lamb, to fish, pork, venison, bison, rabbit, vegetable, and even kangaroo, giving owners a wide selection to find an appropriate diet for your pet.A Process of Elimination
Less is More
Dogs require a few basic dietary components: Amino acids (from proteins), carbohydrates, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. The sources from which these components are derived, as well as their amount and ratio to one another within a dog food, are very important. You will find the protein, fat, and carbohydrate ratio of a given dog food stated in its guaranteed analysis panel. The ingredient list gives you further insight into the sources of protein, fat, and carbohydrates. A quality food will list a sourced protein as the primary ingredient, followed by a source of fat, then carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. High-quality foods will typically have a relatively short list of ingredients due to an absence of fillers, preservatives, antibiotics, and artificial flavors and dyes, and will steer clear of ambiguity by listing specific, sourced ingredients. Choosing a high quality, limited ingredient dog food is the first step to eliminating possible food allergies.
Filtering Proteins
If your dog is still experiencing food allergies after transitioning to a high-quality, limited ingredient diet, it may be time to begin the process of trial and elimination of alternative protein sources. Select a high-quality diet with a different protein source from your current food. To increase the validity of your test, make sure your selection does not include any form or byproduct of the current protein source and that you are not feeding any treats or supplements containing the current protein. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines in transitioning your pet from the current food to the new food. Allow a few weeks of being on the new diet to assess potential symptom alleviation. If no change is observed, you may want to move onto yet another protein source and continue the process until you find symptom alleviation.
Zamzows Offers You:
Fish
Chicken
Lamb
Pork
Beef
More Healthy Zamzows Alternatives
Plus: Taste of the Wild, Blue Buffalo, Canidae, Natural Balance, and other national brands to give you a wide variety of options to choose from.