Best protein for dogs with IBD
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Gastric health issues, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), are a growing problem among pets. According to many veterinarians, poor diets are a major part of the problem. Cheap dog food is most often full of low-quality ingredients and so overly processed that it lacks the bioavailable nutrients necessary for your dog.
Most of the commercial dog food brands manufacture a limited-ingredient line for dogs with food allergies or digestive issues. While they may be somewhat helpful in reducing symptoms, they are still not highly nutritive foods that truly address the underlying issues. Based on our research of IBD and IBS in dogs, we want to walk you through some dog foods that are healthier options and why we believe they are better alternatives.
In this review:
- Best dog food for IBD & IBS
- Why not to trust the biggest brands when your dog has IBS
- Ingredients to look for when choosing food for dogs with IBD
- Is there a difference between IBD and IBS?
Best dog food for IBD & IBS
Best limited-ingredient diet for severe cases: Just Food For Dogs
- Vet-formulated recipe designed specifically to support canine digestive health
- Features a limited ingredient list to help dogs avoid food triggers
- Aids IBD issues: Food is highly digestible, contains moderate levels of high-quality protein, and is low in fat
What we like
Dogs with advanced or chronic IBD will require an extremely specific diet that eliminates all of the common allergens while still providing a balanced diet. This rules out most kibbles.
Just Food For Dogs continually works with veterinarians to offer its “Vet Support” line. These foods allow pet owners to offer their dogs wholesome, vet-approved foods to treat digestive issues like IBS and IBD.
The Balanced Remedy recipe is gently cooked at low temperatures to preserve nutrition, then delivered frozen to your door. It only features fresh, human-grade ingredients that shouldn’t trigger your dog’s digestive tract.
This therapeutic diet contains only one protein source, ground turkey, a single starch source, rice, and a few nutrient-dense oils and a supplement blend to balance out the nutritional levels. It is meant to help support the digestive tract of dogs that suffer from gastrointestinal issues, so it shouldn’t be fed to every dog. Just Food For Dogs offers other, less restrictive recipes for healthy dogs. You can learn more in our full Just Food For Dogs review and our The Farmer’s Dog vs Just Food For Dogs comparison.
What we’d change
As far as the recipe goes, we wouldn’t change a thing. It’s pretty solid as an IBD dog food. Our only wish is that JFFD would develop other, similar recipes for dogs that might not do well with turkey.
Our only other qualm is the price. You should know that if your dog has significant digestive issues and requires a specialized diet, you’re probably going to have to pay more. Sure, most of the big brands offer limited-ingredient kibbles that will supposedly help, but most of them are full of the same cheap ingredients that contribute to poor nutrition and digestive issues in the first place.
Just Food For Dogs’ Balanced Remedy recipe isn’t cheap, but it could have a profound impact on your dog’s digestive health. The good news is, the brand offers 35% off your first box if you subscribe, plus another 5% off future subscription deliveries. Autoship shipping is always free.
Best novel protein dry dog food for IBD and IBS: Chippin
- Anti-allergen: Novel protein, highly digestible, hypoallergenic, wild-caught fish, limited-ingredient recipes
- Nutrient-dense protein: Silver carp is rich in nutrients like phosphorous, Vitamin B12, fatty acids, protein, antioxidants, and also contains all 10 essential amino acids.
- Novel protein treats: Tasty treats made with crickets or spirulina; vegan treats also available
What we like
Chippin offers a human-grade novel protein in a convenient, limited-ingredient, baked dog food. There are even novel protein treats made with either spirulina or cricket protein, so dogs with meat allergies can enjoy treats too! Dogs with gut health issues can also benefit from other ingredients like pumpkin, oats, and chicory root. Chicory root is high in the prebiotic fiber inulin, which acts as a food for the residential microflora in your dog’s gut.
Feeding your dog silver carp doesn’t just provide your dog with a healthy novel protein, it’s also one of the most sustainably sourced dog foods on the market. Produce is sourced from small and medium-sized U.S. farms supporting their growth. Each recipe is then crafted with guidance from a veterinary nutritionist and manufactured in the U.S. Find out more in our Chippin Dog Food Review.
If you’re looking for a fresh cooked novel protein, you may should check out PetPlate’s venison or lamb recipes. Learn about them in our Pet Plate review.
What we’d change
There may gluten in the brewer’s yeast. Although it may not bother all dogs, it has the potential to cause an immune response in dogs with colitis. But, if gluten doesn’t cause issues, brewer’s yeast can be beneficial in aiding digestion and easing diarrhea. It contains chromium, which might help the body use insulin better and lower blood sugar levels.
Also, although the protein sources are human-grade, Chippin is not clear if the remaining ingredients are human-grade.
>> Read more: Nom Nom vs Farmer’s Dog: Which Fresh Dog Food Is Better?
Best air-dried dog food for IBD & IBS: Sundays
- Complete and balanced nutrition using only whole foods; no synthetic vitamins and minerals.
- Premium human-grade ingredients are slowly air-dried preserving nutrition and flavor.
- Beneficial ingredients for IBS & IBD: Turmeric aids in reducing inflammation, while beef heart and liver provide Vitamin B12, a common deficiency in IBD
What we like:
We love that Sundays creates meals as they should be—with real food and nothing else. The food contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals from nutrient-rich food sources like meat (muscle and organ), kale, pumpkin, strawberries, and sunflower oil. This means there’s no need to add synthetic vitamins or minerals. With no additives or anything unnatural, dogs with IBD or IBS may experience reduced inflammatory responses to sub-par ingredients.
The jerky-like pieces are gently air-dried to preserve the nutrients. It does not require refrigeration; just pour it into a bowl. Ingredients are sourced from local farms or human grocers in the Midwest United States. You can learn more in our Sundays Dog Food review.
What we’d change:
Sundays was created to be a healthy diet for healthy dogs. Like most dog foods, it was not formulated to treat any specific health condition and there are no novel protein recipes at this time. This means that if your dog’s IBS or IBD is caused by beef or chicken, Sundays isn’t right for you. Sundays may be more beneficial to dogs who have mild IBD or IBS and do not react to common meats or insoluble fiber.
Best high-quality dog kibble for IBS & IBD: Spot & Tango UnKibble
- 100% fresh, human-grade ingredients without any artificial additives, preservatives, fillers, or meat meals
- Ingredients are gently dried to maintain nutritional value
- Can be combined with Spot & Tango's fresh food for even better nutrition
- The Dog Tale readers get 50% off
This is no traditional kibble. UnKibble is a veterinarian-created kibble alternative made with whole ingredients that are gently dried to preserve the most nutrition. It’s like a kibble version of the type of fresh food we reviewed above.
You’ll find ingredients full of soluble fiber (important for IBD and IBS) like apples, sweet potatoes, and carrots. The limited ingredient list also makes it easier to find a suitable recipe for dogs with allergies. None of the recipes contain eggs and two are gluten-free.
Spot and Tango also offers a fresh food option. You can learn more in our Spot and Tango dog food review.
What we like
- All UnKibble recipes are made with 100% fresh, human-grade ingredients and contain no meat meals, artificial preservatives, fillers, or additives.
- All three recipes are GMO-free and hormone-free, and meet the AAFCO’s standards for a complete diet for both puppies and adults.
- UnKibble recipes are gently dried using their unique Fresh Dry™ process, which maximizes nutritional integrity in a way other kibbles can’t.
- We’ve secured an exclusive 50% discount for our readers. Just use code DOGTALE50.
What we’d change
Just as with fresh food, this gently processed dog food costs more than a typical grocery-store kibble. That’s because UnKibble only contains real, human-grade ingredients instead of the typical fillers and slaughterhouse remnants used in some mass-market kibbles.
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