+116 votes
by (6.7k points)
My bulldog has terrible allergies and I cannot find a food that doesn’t make him itch. We’ve tried no grains, rare proteins, etc. I know our dogs aren’t the same but has anyone found a good dog food for a dog with allergies? Looking for suggestions. Thanks
My bulldog has terrible allergies and I cannot find a food that doesn’t make him itch.

102 Answers

+73 votes
by (1.1k points)
 
Best answer
Our dog is doing well with Zignature dog food. Only venison or duck.  
+16 votes
by (3.5k points)
Do you have an instant pot? A friend’s dog had bad allergies and she found a recipe on the internet to make dog food in the instant pot. It helped her dog a lot!  
+102 votes
by (750 points)
We’ve had good luck with Victor high protein.  
+77 votes
by (2.8k points)
I would suggest allergy test. Our do elimination diet of hot and cold foods for dogs. Our wheaten can only have instinct lamb and rice we do raw bites and kibble
+13 votes
by (2.8k points)
Im a dog trainer and have owned many dogs over the years, the most consistent food I have fed my dogs is Victor. I have a white pitbull that did well on RAW food diet but does just as well on Victor. Chewy. com carried it
+6 votes
by (1.5k points)
Our Shih Tzu had/has itchy allergies for the longest time. We ended up doing a test and found out he is allergic to a lot of random things like apples and chicken etc. So we have him on Tucker’s Raw Frozen food. They have limited ingredients and high quality! He has been eating the beef and pork with pumpkin recipe. He loves it so much and he barely itches now! We are absolutely so glad we found food that works for him!  
+50 votes
by (2.8k points)
Fresh pet. It is a fresh pet food
+61 votes
by (750 points)
We use blue buffalo salmon
+85 votes
by (2.8k points)
I always say if you can buy it at Petco or PetSmart it is not a good quality food. Now victor is sold at Pets Supplies plus as well
+18 votes
by (1.9k points)
We have an 8 year old bulldog and he was the same. We feed him Fromm salmon tunalini grain free and haven’t had any issues since. We also use Dr Paul Navin at all pets hospital in Lockport and he’s amazing with bulldogs. My dog is allergic to chicken.  
by (3.3k points)
@damiendamietta63 agreed! Dr. Navin is the ONLY vet for bulldogs!  
by (1.9k points)
@swale that’s who recommended the food when he was a puppy.  
by (3.3k points)
@damiendamietta63 I was going to suggest asking Dr. Navin! He’s the bulldog guru!  
by (1.1k points)
Dr. Navin is awesome with bullies!  
+53 votes
by (840 points)
Zignature. Helped our YorkiePoo plus his ears stopped smelling. Two Boston’s gave us samples to try first.  
+11 votes
by (970 points)
I did a allergy test on my cat . Found out she was allergic to tapioca , rabbit and moose . Got rid of those things from her food and her skin cleared up!  
+21 votes
by (4.9k points)
Addison said zignature is the best. lol
by (6.7k points)
@whimsey handsome dog!  
+27 votes
by (1.4k points)
My shar pei also have allergies. I give them Open Farm turkey and an allergy pill-apoquel.  
+70 votes
by (790 points)
I’ve started cooking for my dogs. No allergies but one has cancer and it appears to make a difference as she’s looking great. Just simple ingredients and a crockpot.  
+70 votes
by (980 points)
We did allergy testing and learned our dog was allergic to beef, venison, oats, peanuts, flax, soybeans, white potatoes and sweet potatoes. It was eye opening to say the least and upsetting when you think you're giving them good food, but it turns out there's an allergy. It's important to find out where the allergy is stemming from if you can.  
+37 votes
by (1.6k points)
My boxer has horrible allergies. We feed him blue buffalo and he gets a miracle drug called apoquel. Ask your vet about it. It’s a bit pricey but it’s for your furbaby!  
+26 votes
by (3k points)
My sister makes her dogs food. He had kidney issues and can’t handle regular dog food. It’s saved her a ton of money
+45 votes
by (1.7k points)
Ours is allergic to chicken so we use I and Love and you White fish and sweet potato.  
+98 votes
by (1.7k points)
I have 2 pugs, both with separate allergies (barley and rice are top ones). They both could eat this with no issues!  
+85 votes
by (860 points)
My dog has seasonal allergies so switching food doesn’t seem to help.  
+98 votes
by (2.1k points)
I used to have a severely allergic bully, we ended up having to give him raw ground beef (per the vets instructions) and plain white rice (no salt or garlic or onions). The ground beef had to be rolled into little balls (that would fit in your palm) and then frozen for at least 24 hours. and then we’d have to defrost the balls we were going to feed him the next day in the fridge. It was a ton of work but it worked really really well for him. He had no issues after we started doing that.  
+77 votes
by (3k points)
My bulldog does really well with honest kitchen it’s a human grade food! But my mom makes home made food for her little shitzu and she is doing great skin wise too! We also are using probiotics and such!  has amazing products, pricey but has also helped my girl tremendously, the allergy one!  
https://shop.mercola.com/pages/pets-home
by (3k points)
Nala says hello ❤️
+32 votes
by (910 points)
For those of you who have your dog on Apoquel and are tired of the mark-up at your vet, see if the vet will allow you to order from Allivet. com. It is cheaper as I priced them out after my husband complained about the vet bill (especially with the charges for the RXs). Our primary vet is so understanding about how expensive it can be caring for our fur babies and didn't mind one bit (and he's one of the owners of the large, multi-location practice)!  
by (1.6k points)
@fag694 yes this! This is what I do for my dog. Her allergies and itching did not get better until she started this medicine and her vet actually recommended this website to us.  
by (910 points)
@outwit sounds like you've got a good vet, too! Our senior guy presented allergy symptoms (licking) a couple years ago. It did work initially as well as switching food so we didn't have to have him tested but now it seems like it is seasonal allergies and he needs a higher dosage (which I don't believe they make).  
by (6.7k points)
@fag694 I know. It’s super expensive. Thanks!  
+11 votes
by (2.9k points)
We use limited ingredient salmon and sweet potato from Redford Naturals sold at Pet Supplies Plus for our dog who has allergies
+21 votes
by (780 points)
Our dog has bad skin allergies also. Most common skin allergies for dogs are chicken, eggs and beef. We found that giving her apoquel and making her own food (which is rather quite cheap) has helped a lot.  
+99 votes
by (3.5k points)
Zignature for us too. Everything else my dog has diarrhea
+80 votes
by (840 points)
I opted to feed my dogs fresh food or commercial raw. I will never go back to a commercial dog food.  
+87 votes
by (1.5k points)
When we switched to Zignature my dogs skin, allergies, etc. improved greatly. It took us years to find the right food too.  
+29 votes
by (12.6k points)
@oleander11034 feeds her dogs raw. might be worth a try.  
+10 votes
by (1.1k points)
It could be environment allergies too. Might want to look into a dermatologist
+6 votes
by (1.1k points)
My dog takes apoquel. It helps sooo much. There is also a rebate off through the drug company that lets you get gift cards after buying so many of the pills. If you have any question feel free to ask me!  
by (1.2k points)
@appleby can you pm me the rebate info? I didn't know that and my dog takes this med, too
by (1.1k points)
@lightless Kotlarz sure!  
by (1.1k points)
@lightless Kotlarz sent you the PM.  
by (1.2k points)
@appleby thank you!  
by (1.1k points)
@lightless Kotlarz youre welcome!  
+78 votes
by (850 points)
Have you considered making his food yourself in the instant pot? I dont personally make my dogs, but a lot of people on the instant pot community do.  
+13 votes
by (1.5k points)
My dog is on apaquel
+9 votes
by (770 points)
Your bully might be suffering from environmental allergens. It helps to wipe down his paws every time he comes in from outside. We have an English bulldog and she has bad allergies too. We get her bathed every other week and wipe her down every time she comes in. We also give her apoquel which helps with high allergy season.  
+22 votes
by (1.4k points)
My dog has really bad allergies and we did the same. I could not find a dog food that made a difference. We ended up getting prescribed allergy medicine called apoquel and as long as I give it to her everyday, she is soooo much better!  
+94 votes
by (9.5k points)
Alot of dog a have allergies towards chicken based products so I would stay away from chicken based. Call and make appointment with your vet and see if they can prescribe Apoquel for the allergies.  
+42 votes
by (1.7k points)
There is a brand called Primal- its frozen raw food. It has really helped our French bulldog!  
+42 votes
by (2.6k points)
I used to have a bulldog and had to give him Zyrtec everyday 2 in a 24 hour period. Vet told us to do that.  
+43 votes
by (1.7k points)
I tried so many different food for my golden. He had such bad allergies. We ended up with V-Dog. He really did well on that. I also second the medication Apoquel. It changed my golden boy’s life. Good luck! It’s so hard to watch our pets struggling.  
+81 votes
by (730 points)
Our pit bull has allergies too.  
+41 votes
by (1.6k points)
We use blue wilderness salmon and my dog can’t live without Apoquel!  
+49 votes
by (1.7k points)
Fromm has been good for our pups! I have one who is allergic to grass, so you can imagine how fun that is ‍♀️
+59 votes
by (2.8k points)
I’ve got my golden on royal canin he has stopped chewing his feet
+87 votes
by (1.4k points)
We had a shelty with allergies and we ended up making him food. We would do a great big batch at once and it wasn’t that big of a hassle. We did boiled ground turkey, rice, frozen peas & carrot mix, and mixed in canned sweet potatoes or pumpkin when we served it. It ended up being cheaper than buying special food. Apoquel helped a lot too.  
+32 votes
by (1.5k points)
The salmon and trout has worked well for my dogs with allergies. I get the from Dog Patch in Naperville.  
https://www.bornfreepetfood.com/cut...reek/
+64 votes
by (1.4k points)
Talk with your vet again . I had a dog that had seasonal allergies and she found an over the counter med My current lab takes Zertec as needed and also their a supplements she can take for her dry skin that causes some of the itching Food change was not helping when it’s grass pollen etc just like people Just my experience
+4 votes
by (3.5k points)
Prescription food ZD by scientific diet. Plus we gave her diphadramine pill, aka doggie benadryl.  
+22 votes
by (1.1k points)
Give Tammi at Blackbird’s Bowl a call. She’s amazing.  
http://www.blackbirdsbowl.com/
+50 votes
by (1.1k points)
I had two bullys. Nutro lamb and rice was the only food that worked. Also we had to stop fertilizing the back yard altogether. Even "pet friendly" bothered them.  
by (1.6k points)
@riparian You were the first person I thought of when I saw this pic! Reminds me of Chuck and Lucy ❤️
by (1.1k points)
@yazbak I miss them!  
+1 vote
by (3k points)
My dog is allergic to poultry. But we've found that he must have more allergies than just chicken so he's on apoquel and it has helped more than anything else. He no longer has the red rashes or ear infections.  
by (860 points)
Same here, went to a chicken free food and it helped a ton!  
by (3k points)
Yes and you have to check ingredients for any chicken products. Chicken fat is in a lot of other protein foods.  
+33 votes
by (3.9k points)
Ask your vet about Apoquel if you can’t figure out the food. Our dog is on it for his allergies. Not cheap, but we can tell it has made him feel better!  
+99 votes
by (1.1k points)
I feed my dog the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet KO. Its kangaroo. She gets apoquel as well, without she licks herself raw in some areas. Its expensive but it works.  
+76 votes
by (1.8k points)
Contact Two Botons and talk to them. They have been helpful with food issues with my dog
+55 votes
by (2.7k points)
Have you tried cooking for your dog my one friend did this and her dog then had no issues ever since
+89 votes
by (1.8k points)
Have him tested at vet and they can tell you exactly what to avoid. Mine turned out to be allergic to brown rice and pork
by (3.5k points)
@panthea Asmussen yes. My American Bully is allergic to chicken (everything is made with chicken! ) and shellfish. When she gets into our cats’ food, she’ll end up with an ear infection as a result.  
by (410 points)
I has to get my pup tested as well and he is allergic to grass, beef, brewers yeast (which is in a lot of foods) and many more things. I tried a few vets before finding Randall orchard crossing and they are amazing.  
+5 votes
by (1.6k points)
My parents have an American bulldog with so many allergies it is ridiculous. He had to get a bunch of testing. He is only allowed the kind that is ultra limited ingredients Turkey and white potato. He’s allergic to sweet potato so it has to say reg potato.  
+42 votes
by (1.4k points)
After a 2 year battle we had finally gotten our Dane allergy tested. Came back positive for all poultry and poultry byproduct sweet potato, white potato rice, wheat and 5 or 6 environmental allergens. He is now on allergy shots as well as Apoquel to keep him under control
+44 votes
by (17k points)
Can you do fresh good
+98 votes
by (1.5k points)
We use science diet derm defense. It’s pricey but has antihistamines in it. But our dogs allergies are environmental.  
+8 votes
by (4.3k points)
Royal Canin Prescription food Potato and Venison. Also be diligent about reading ingredients on treats bc those can contain allergens, as well.  
+49 votes
by (2.2k points)
Our foster had major allergies; sneezing, watery eyes, pink belly and constantly itching. We ended up finding Nature’s Balance Sweet Potato & Fish recipe.  
+35 votes
by (840 points)
We had to feed our English bulldog Wellness Core (Ocean Formula). It was the only food he could tolerate without issues. So he was basically a vegetarian  No human food ever either
+34 votes
by (780 points)
Fish oil pills helps my pit.  
+64 votes
by (1.1k points)
We have been able to ELIMINATE all allergy shots after switching to this food after 5 years of battling severe itching, ear & paw infections & hair loss!  
+82 votes
by (1.1k points)
Check your foods for any type of FLAX - I am convinced that this ingredient was the cause of our dog's allergies!  
+10 votes
by (5.1k points)
Angel Sala ?  
+65 votes
by (24k points)
Ask VET for Cytopoint Injections! Miracle for itchy dogs. .  
https://www.cytopoint4dogs.com/abou....aspx
by (24k points)
I used to get it for my girl who was a blue nose pitty and known for skin allergies. For 9 years I did all the food swaps. then Cytopoint was introduced and she NEVER itched/scratched/lost hair or had sores again. she was 41 pounds and I paid prob $150 every 6-8 weeks but it was so worth it
by (2.5k points)
You were lucky. Its very hit or miss. I've tried it with 6 different pugs of mine. It only worked with 2. My vet actually stopped doing them because he felt they didn't work as well for the cost.  
by (24k points)
@peary oh that stinks. it was a godsend for my girl.  
+66 votes
by (1.4k points)
I didn’t read all the suggestions but I have a Golden with lots of allergies. She definitely reacts to chicken and almost every dog food, even with other proteins have chicken in them in some form. I now feed her Purina Sensitive Skin/Stomach the salmon recipe. We do a combo of wet and dry and she’s doing SO much better on it. This is after years of me trying lots of different foods.  
+52 votes
by (960 points)
I adopted an old pug that itched like crazy and had chronic ear infections. The great people at Dog Patch helped me go through a bunch of different kinds of food until I found the brand “Identity” with duck meat that worked great for her.  
+62 votes
by (790 points)
We use grain free salmon and sweet potatoe recipe! Nulo brand from pet smart!  
+42 votes
by (850 points)
Just fresh homemade food- raw meat- grass Fed beef and vegetables
+22 votes
by (1.1k points)
Awe baby . We had the same with our bulldogs. I can’t remember what we used though. Currently we use Fromm’s.  
+14 votes
by (3.1k points)
Ask at the store Two Bostons They have quite a bit of specialized knowledge of foods there. Very helpful
+18 votes
by (800 points)
Pro plan sensitive Salmon and brown rice
by (1.1k points)
@blest yes this is the one we used for our bulldogs
+83 votes
by (870 points)
Do you at least try to treat his symptoms with Benadryl when it acts up?  
+28 votes
by (850 points)
I had 2 that had allergies and I have used Nature’s Domain from Costco. 3 varieties, made by one of the top manufacturers of dog food (can’t remember) and have never had an issue!  
+29 votes
by (1.2k points)
Infinia sweet potato and salmon grain free. I get it from a farm & feed store in St Charles, Trellis Farm on Kirk Road. Also I give my dog 1-2 benadryl per day in allergy season as per what my vet said to do. It helps A LOT.  
+64 votes
by (770 points)
I can relate. Have you tried a fish base food?  
+58 votes
by (830 points)
We had an English bulldog with crazy allergies. Within days of moving him to a strict raw food diet (Stella and Chewy’s, but any grain-free raw food is great), we saw a noticeable improvement. PM me if you want. I would be happy to share everything I learned and experiences with our bully and all his special issues. Lol!  
+60 votes
by (760 points)
We rotate between rabbit and kangaroo. Two Boston’s in Springbrook are beyond helpful. We avoid, potatoes and grains too. Each dog is different what they can be allergic too. Can be outdoor elements too. We have to wet wipe them down every time after being outside. Laundry detergent is scent free, chemical free for all bedding. Shampoo and conditioner for allergies is key to helping too. Nothing with lavender or oatmeal or other scents ever.  
+6 votes
by (700 points)
Do a consultation with Dr. Tricia Stimac Gartelmann.  
+49 votes
by (1.3k points)
He is adorable!  
+5 votes
by (3.2k points)
We do testing at our clinic. it might not be the food. plus it takes months to get antihistines out of system. just doing food switches are hard. please give me a call monday. luvncareac. com
+69 votes
by (4k points)
Probably seasonal allergies.  
+22 votes
by (850 points)
In addition to the brands of food already listed we took him to a doggie dermatologist and the allergy testing showed he was allergic to tons of things - even grass. So now he’s on a daily medication in addition to his diet restrictions. If you’ve tried everything I would recommend this.  
+9 votes
by (950 points)
Jack's and Daisy shampoo! Read reviews!  
+4 votes
by (1.4k points)
If you haven’t tried it yet, try Natural Balance!  
+77 votes
by (2.5k points)
My pug is allergic to a protein that is in all meat, including fish, except kangaroo. He can only eat Zignature Kangaroo.  
+74 votes
by (1.8k points)
Whoa! Now that’s allergic
+33 votes
by (4.1k points)
Give him multi vitamin a day
+19 votes
by (1.2k points)
Poor pup I hope you figure it out soon!  
+43 votes
by (390 points)
We have a friends dog that is believed to be allergic to chicken. Have no idea how common that is but chicken is in a lot of dog foods and treats. Just a thought.  
+90 votes
by (3.9k points)
Zignature whitefish or kangaroo. Usually, dogs are more reactive to the type of protein in their food than they are to grain. Chicken is often a culprit (and poultry meal can often be found buried in ingredient lists of foods with other proteins as primary ingredient). “Cool” meats like fish are often less irritating than poultry. Zignature is a good bet because they don’t process their recipes on the same equipment as other recipes, so there’s no cross contamination in processing. If you make the switch, make sure to high-heat wash his bowls and remove all treats— feed him nothing but the new food. Is he taking any meds for his allergies? Mine does well in one Apoquel tab daily and a limited ingredient whitefish dry food.  
+26 votes
by (1.6k points)
We had luck with Zignature.  
+82 votes
by (700 points)
We stick with zigature. My dog has a grain Intolerance. And we stick with a good that has fish in it to keep his skin and fur hydrated with the fish oils.  
+40 votes
by (1.5k points)
We had an English bulldog with terrible allergies. We switched him to a hydrolyzed protein dog food which helped. He also took apoquel daily (ask your vet about this). Then Benadryl as needed
+65 votes
by (720 points)
Didn’t read the comments but take him to the vet and get him on prescription food. I had a cat with food allergies and she did well with the prescribed food.  
+18 votes
by (360 points)
Ask your vet about omega 3 fatty acid fish oil supplement. Worked for my dog! Including a picture of the one we use. We squirt it on his food. You can buy it online from "vrs. veterinarian recommded solutions"
+86 votes
by (3k points)
Have you tried raw?  
+10 votes
by (650 points)
For several years, we’ve used Diamond Naturals dry food (beef & rice) and it has been wonderful for our allergy prone pups!  
+21 votes
by (690 points)
Plan white rice and shredded chicken. Unfortunately, you may have to cook him a meal.  
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