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Limited Ingredient Diets: How they May Benefit Your Dog

Limited Ingredient Diets: How they May Benefit Your Dog

An abundant supply of meal options for your dog can be great, but what if your dog needs less of a great thing? While we may crave a lot of variety in our meals, limited ingredient diets for pets are gaining in popularity as more people want to know exactly what goes into their dog food. Before making the switch, be sure to educate yourself about this particular type of dog food option and consult with your veterinarian.

What is a limited ingredient diet for dogs?

Limited ingredient diets come with one major benefit — pet parents are able to identify exactly what goes into their dog’s body and avoid any specific ingredients. A limited ingredient diet, as the name would suggest, contains fewer ingredient types than other typical dog food options. These particular types of dog food are specially formulated and made with single sources of real meat, as well as additional fresh fruit, vegetables, grains and/or legumes to add flavor and carbohydrates. Quality limited ingredient dog foods provide for the complete nutrition of your dog with wholesome ingredients. Keep in mind that it can take a minimum of a month to assess your dog’s response to a change in diet.

While any dog may potentially benefit from a limited ingredient diet, these diets can also help dogs with food sensitivities. Whether your dog has known allergies or you are trying to isolate what might be causing potential allergic reactions with your vet’s assistance, zeroing in on only a handful of ingredients, along with vet recommended tests, can help determine whether something in their food is causing your dog discomfort, or whether it can be attributed to another reason.

Trying LID dog food for allergies

It is always important to consult with your veterinarian before changing your dog’s food, but if you think your pet could be suffering from allergies, it’s worth bringing up the potential of shifting to a limited ingredient diet with your veterinarian. While assessing for a true food allergy takes time (it usually takes a month on a strict food trial to assess the outcomes of a diet change), a limited ingredient diet may help with other food sensitivities. According to the American Kennel Club, some things to look for as signs of potential food sensitivities or allergies include:

  • Difficulty digesting food, often manifested in vomiting and/or diarrhea
  • Itchiness, poor skin and coat
  • Chronic ear or foot infections

Of course, different dogs can exhibit food sensitivities or allergies in different ways, so if you think your pet has sensitivities, make an appointment to see your veterinarian. With that expert help, switching your dog over to a LID could help you isolate and identify which foods in particular are causing issues.

Limited ingredient dog treats

Switching your dog to a limited ingredient dog food can help you manage what goes into your their system and possibly identify any food sensitivities, but if you change  your dog’s meal plan without also changing their treats, any potential benefits could be negated by the ingredients they’re still getting in their treats.

If you’re considering changing your dog over to a limited ingredient diet, check out the array of limited ingredient diet dog treats that would help supplement that type of diet.

Finding the right LID for your dog

With the help of your veterinarian, finding the right limited ingredient diet for your pet could be as simple as trying a couple of different versions to see which your dog likes best. You’ll want an option that offers all the nutrients your dog needs — or something that’s often referred to as “complete and balanced” — to ensure that they continue receiving the necessary mix of ingredients to keep them healthy.

Luckily, Petco can be a trusted partner in your search for the perfect limited ingredient diet food for your dog, with options ranging from nourishing single-protein foods — perfect for healthy dogs with food sensitivities — on up to top-rated limited ingredient dog foods from brands focusing on wholesome ingredients and complete nutrition.
 

 

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