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How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job.

Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision.

What is a sensitive stomach?

Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

How to handle a sensitive stomach

Whatever may be the cause, dogs with a sensitive stomach should be given food very carefully. This would mainly be to ensure that the problem does not persist. You should always talk to your vet regarding potential issues with your dog’s stomach. There are also various signs that you can look for.

Symptoms to look out for

Most of the symptoms in a dog with sensitive stomach are visible, uncomfortable, and uneasy. These can include vomiting, nausea, rashes, diarrhea, restlessness, and fever. A key to understanding the cause and effect of a sensitive stomach is the period in which the symptoms occur. If it occurs 24 hours within consumption of the meal, then you can be assured where the reaction is coming from.

Once you have narrowed down that your food formula is the reason your dog is unwell, you need to pick the best dog food for a sensitive stomach. Well, there are quite a few ways by which you can do so. An elimination diet can prove to be the easiest.

Elimination diet for a dog with a sensitive stomach

As the name suggests, the diet involves cutting down one food item at a time until all the symptoms disappear. This is also a methodology that most vets might prescribe. It works in most cases. It has proven to show positive results for most dog owners. The most common advice that vets give is to cut down known allergens first.

Here is a short list of the common allergens found in canines.

-Beef

-Dairy

-Eggs

-Wheat

-Soy

-Chicken

-Corn

-Lamb

After you have narrowed down the ingredient that is the cause of the problem, you will be ready to pick from the below list of stomach sensitive dog foods.

Best dog foods for a sensitive stomach

The following are some of the best dog foods for a sensitive stomach.

-Taste of the wild child, canine formula

-Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food

-Natural Balance Vegetarian Dry Dog Food

-Wellness Simple Natural Wet Canned Limited Ingredient Dog Food

-BLUE Basics Limited-Ingredient Formula Adult Dry Dog Food

-Nature’s Variety Instinct Raw Boost Grain Free Recipe Natural Dry Dog Food

-Solid Gold Holistic Dog Food for Small & Toy Breeds, Dry and Wet with Superfoods

-Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Focus Adult Sensitive Skin & Stomach Salmon & Rice Formula

If the above list is not up to your satisfaction, you could always consult your vet regarding the same.

Does your dog need the best food for a sensitive stomach?

This is a question that only your vet can give a true answer to. This mostly depends on how far your dog can bear with the conditions and how far along you are willing to push it. If an allergy is confirmed, shifting your dog to a formula or the best dog food for a sensitive stomach may be the best solution to cure the discomfort your dog is facing.