There’s a big variety of specialist diets available now for dogs, including hypoallergenic and grain-free dog foods. Both of these are formulated for dogs who need to avoid certain ingredients, but there are some key differences. This handy guide’s here to explain the difference between the two, as well as how to choose the right option for your pet.
Key takeaways
Table of contents
What is hypoallergenic dog food?
What is grain-free dog food?
Hypoallergenic vs grain free: what’s the difference?
Grain-free and hypoallergenic dog food – when are they needed?
Understanding food allergies and intolerances in dogs
How to identify your dog’s food triggers
Common myths about hypoallergenic and grain-free dog food
Nutritionist-backed tips for choosing the right food
What is hypoallergenic dog food?
Just like us, dogs can sometimes have food allergies. Hypoallergenic dog food is formulated to minimise allergic reactions – so it doesn’t include common allergens for dogs like beef, dairy and wheat.
There are a few key types of hypoallergenic food:
- Novel protein diets: these diets use proteins like venison, salmon or lamb, which dogs are less likely to be allergic to than beef.
- Hydrolysed protein diets: this process breaks down protein into tiny pieces so that it won’t trigger your dog’s immune system – preventing an allergic reaction.
- Limited ingredient diets (LID): these foods are specially formulated to have fewer ingredients, and might be used to help you identify your dog’s food allergies.
While hypoallergenic diets aim to help dogs with allergies to certain ingredients, they’re not totally allergen-free – “hypoallergenic” means these foods are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
You can learn more about these types of diets in our article “What is hypoallergenic dog food?”
What is grain-free dog food?
Grain-free dog food, on the other hand, specifically excludes grains like wheat, maize, barley and rice. It uses different carbohydrates instead – our grain-free food includes tasty and nutritious ingredients like sweet potato or potato.
Sometimes people go grain free with their dogs’ diets because of allergy concerns, as some dogs are allergic to grains (although this is rare). While wheat is a common allergy for dogs, it’s not common for dogs to have this response to all grains. Some people might also want to feed their dog a diet that’s closer to what their wild wolf ancestors would have eaten, without grains (although many dogs thrive on these ingredients).
Hypoallergenic vs grain free: what’s the difference?
The key distinction
Grain-free dog food removes grains like maize, rice and barley, and swaps them for alternative carbohydrates. Hypoallergenic dog food, on the other hand, either takes out or alters proteins, which are the main triggers of food allergies.
Can these diets overlap?
Some grain-free foods are also hypoallergenic – as well as taking out grains, they might also use novel proteins or hydrolysed protein, making them less likely to trigger allergic reactions.
However, hypoallergenic diets don’t have to exclude grains to be considered hypoallergenic. For instance, many dogs with food allergies or sensitivities still thrive on food that contains grains like rice or maize, which are very well tolerated.
Grain-free and hypoallergenic dog food – when are they needed?
When grain free might help
On the other hand, if your dog has confirmed or suspected food allergies (which are most likely to be allergies to protein sources), hypoallergenic dog food might be the right option for you and your pup. I’ll go into more detail later in this guide about common symptoms of an allergy or food intolerance. If your pet’s experiencing any symptoms of a food allergy, the best thing to do first is to visit your vet – they’ll help you get to the bottom of it.
When you might need both
Some dogs might be sensitive to both proteins and grains, meaning that they need a diet that’s both hypoallergenic and grain-free. For instance, some dogs might experience reactions to a range of ingredients, leading to a vet or nutritionist advising a specialist diet. It’s always best to speak to your vet before changing your dog’s diet if you’re worried about allergies or food intolerances.
How we can help
At Tails.com, we create tailored blends that are healthy and delicious for every dog, whatever their dietary needs. If your dog needs a hypoallergenic diet, a grain-free diet or a hypoallergenic diet that also excludes grains, just say the word! We’ll create a blend that’s just right for your dog, avoiding any ingredients that they’re sensitive to. Please note: we tailor every dog’s kibble blend to their dietary needs, but we handle a huge variety of ingredients. This means trace ingredients from other kibbles may be present. If your dog has a serious allergy, seek veterinary advice on their diet. If you’re thinking about signing up with Tails.com, why not complete our two minute quiz and fill in your dog’s details? We’ll tell you how much it would cost to get kibble that’s 100% tailored to your dog’s needs – with wet food or add-ons like treats included too, if you like – delivered right to your door.
Understanding food allergies and intolerances in dogs
There’s a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. A food allergy is when an ingredient triggers a response from the immune system. A food intolerance is when the ingredient doesn’t trigger an immune response, but makes the dog feel unwell, often affecting their digestive system or their skin.
Here are some of the common symptoms of a food allergy to look out for: [1]
- Itchy skin or paws
- Ear infections
- Vomiting or diarrhoea
- Hair loss or dull coat
But remember, if your dog experiences any of these symptoms, make sure you take them to the vet before making any decisions about their diet – it might not be a food allergy after all, and if it is, your vet will be able to give you expert advice. Some dogs with a food allergy also have skin allergies that need to be treated separately. [2]
How to identify your dog’s food triggers
The elimination diet
One course of action your vet might recommend is an elimination diet – this is one way to find out what your dog’s dietary triggers might be. An elimination diet plan might look something like this. [3]
- First, your vet might recommend that you feed your dog a single-protein, hypoallergenic food for 6-8 weeks. This food might use a novel protein like salmon, which dogs are less likely to experience allergic reactions to, or hydrolysed protein.
- Avoid giving your dog any other food during this time, including their usual treats, as they could contain some of the ingredients your dog’s been reacting to. (At Tails.com, we have hypoallergenic treats available, so if your pup does unfortunately turn out to be allergic to their favourite treats, we have a delicious alternative for you!)
- Gradually, under your vet’s supervision, you can begin to reintroduce ingredients to your dog’s diet. By going slowly, you and your vet will be able to identify what it is your dog is sensitive to.
It’s essential to work together with your vet when giving your dog an elimination diet to make sure you’re doing it safely.
Common myths about hypoallergenic and grain-free dog food
| Myth | Reality |
| “Grain free is always better” | Not for every dog – it might lead to unnecessary restrictions, as many dogs are healthy, happy and thriving on a diet that includes grains. |
| “Grains cause most allergies” | Wheat is a grain, and one of the most common allergies – but the most common allergies apart from wheat are dairy and beef. Allergies to grains other than wheat are rare. |
| “All hypoallergenic foods are grain free” | Not necessarily, although at Tails.com we can formulate a grain-free hypoallergenic blend if that’s what your dog needs. Hypoallergenic foods often exclude wheat but include other grains like rice or maize. |
| “Natural = hypoallergenic” | Dog food can be all-natural, high quality and rich in animal proteins without being hypoallergenic. “Hypoallergenic” just means that it’s been formulated to reduce the chance of an allergic response. |
Nutritionist-backed tips for choosing the right food
Whether you’re looking for food that’s hypoallergenic, grain-free dog food or both, it needs to be complete and balanced – this means that it contains the nutrients your dog needs to be healthy, in the correct amounts for a dog of their age and size. Any dog food that meets this standard and FEDIAF (European Pet Food Federation) guidelines will say it’s “complete” on the packaging.
If you and your vet think your dog might have allergies, a food that uses novel proteins that they’re less likely to be allergic to could be a good option. Or you can try food that uses hydrolysed protein, in which the protein itself is broken down into small enough pieces that it shouldn’t lead to an allergic reaction.
When thinking about changing your dog’s diet, always speak to a vet or nutritionist first. The expert nutrition team here at Tails.com is always happy to help. While certain diets for dogs are becoming more popular, they might not be right for your dog, because every dog is different – so if you’ve heard great things about a friend’s dog who’s doing really well on a new diet, it doesn’t necessarily mean you should switch as well. For instance, their dog might be sensitive to ingredients that your dog isn’t, or the other way around.
The role of tailored diets
It might seem that planning a diet for a dog with food sensitivities is all about restriction and cutting things out.
But here at Tails.com, our tailored approach means that we can easily make a blend that’s perfect for your dog, simply removing the ingredients they’re sensitive to and including plenty of other delicious, healthy ingredients instead. You don’t have to take a blanket approach and strip the diet right down (unless you’re trying a temporary elimination or exclusion diet under the supervision of your vet).
The blends we create are tailored to every individual dog, so whatever the ingredients they need to avoid are, we’ll work around this to create something that they’ll love – packed with nutrients and formulated to meet their needs perfectly.
Conclusion
So there we have it. Hypoallergenic food can be grain-free, and grain-free food can be hypoallergenic, but they’re not necessarily the same.
Hypoallergenic food mostly focuses on the proteins involved, as proteins are the cause of most allergies. And grain-free food is all about excluding certain types of carbohydrates, which can be the cause of food sensitivities in some dogs.
Food sensitivities and allergies don’t have to stop your dog from enjoying a varied, tasty diet that gives them all the nutrients they need. If you’re worried that your dog might have allergies or sensitivities, talk to your vet – they might recommend you try an elimination diet.
When choosing the right food for dogs with sensitivities, allergies or trouble digesting certain ingredients, the most important thing is to make sure that it’s complete and balanced. At Tails.com, our tailored blends are guaranteed to match your dog’s nutritional needs, giving them just the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
FAQs
Is grain-free dog food hypoallergenic?
Grain-free dog food can often be hypoallergenic, as it excludes wheat, which some dogs are allergic to. It would count as a hypoallergenic dog food if it also excluded other common allergens like beef and dairy.
Can dogs be allergic to grains?
It is very rare for dogs to be allergic to all grains, but wheat is a common food allergen, in the top five ingredients that dogs are most likely to be allergic to. Other grains like rice and maize are healthy ingredients for most dogs.
Are grain-free diets safe for dogs?
Grain-free diets can be a healthy choice as long as they are nutritionally complete and balanced, although they’re not recommended for every dog. Some vets and nutritionists recommend that dog breeds who are prone to heart conditions shouldn’t eat a grain-free diet, due to ongoing research into whether this diet might be connected to a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Our recent blog post about grain-free diets goes into more detail.
What’s a hydrolysed protein diet?
A hydrolysed protein diet uses protein that has been broken down into tiny pieces using a process called hydrolysis. This minimises the risk of an adverse reaction, because the immune system is less likely to react. Any protein source can be hydrolysed, so there are a variety of different foods made using this process.
Sources
[1] ‘Common allergies in dogs and puppies’, Dogs Trust
[2] ‘Food allergies in dogs’, PDSA
[3] ‘Food and skin allergies in dogs’, Blue Cross