Will a Limited Ingredient Dog Food Recipe Help?
Have an itchy, scratchy dog?
If so, allergies may be the culprit!
A healthy meal is important, which is why you need to feed your pet right.
A limited ingredient food recipe helps dogs suffering from allergies. Allergy symptoms vary from pet to pet.
For example, some common symptoms of dog allergies include:
- Constant licking
- Coughing
- Ear infections
- Itching
- Red, inflamed skin
- Vomiting and diarrhea
Sure-fire signs of allergies include; itching, chronic skin infections, chronic ear infections, or constantly licking the feet.
Energetically Cooling Food Choices for Allergy-Prone Dogs
Eastern Food Therapy can help balance an energetically hot dog.
We recommend a cooling, limited ingredient dog food recipe or diet for dogs with any type of allergy.
Create your own recipe combining the foods below.
Keep the number of ingredients to a minimum, choosing no more than one (1) source of meat and dairy, two (2) sources of vegetables and fruit, and two (2) sources of grains and beans.
Make sure to use more cooling foods than neutral foods.
For example, if you use a neutral protein, make sure all of the carbohydrates and fats you use are cool or cold.
A nutritionally balanced canine diet contains:
- 60% – 80% Protein – mostly from meat
- 20% – 40% Carbohydrates – from grains, vegetables, and fruit
- A minimum of 2% fat
Use the list of foods below to create endless delicious recipe combinations for your furry friend!
Mix up the ingredients as needed to create a food that your dog loves.
You can easily track the protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios in an online food log like the ones found on Fitbit and Livestrong websites.
In order to keep the recipe low-allergen, you must limit the ingredients to one protein source, two vegetable sources, and one fat source per batch.
The sample recipe also calls for honey and flax seeds. We recommend adding both to each batch you make.
Honey is cooling and helps with allergies. Use local honey if possible for a better end result.
Flax seeds are a source of Omega-3 content. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory. Fish oil is a better source of Omega-3s, but you can’t cook fish oil because it will degrade.
It’s best to stick to all cooling food items, but you may add one neutral item per bach for convenience.
Meats/Protein Source
- Carp (neutral)
- Clam
- Cod
- Crab
- Duck
- Eggs (neutral)
- Goose (neutral)
- Herring (neutral)
- Kidney, pork (neutral)
- Liver, beef (neutral)
- Liver, sheep
- Mackerel (neutral)
- Oyster (neutral)
- Pigeon (neutral)
- Pork (neutral)
- Quail (neutral)
- Rabbit
- Sardine (neutral)
- Tofu
- Turkey
- Tuna (neutral)
- Whitefish (neutral)
- Yogurt
Vegetables/Fruits
- Alfalfa
- Artichoke (neutral)
- Asparagus (neutral)
- Banana
- Barley sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cabbage (neutral)
- Carrot (neutral)
- Cauliflower (neutral)
- Celery
- Corn (neutral)
- Cucumber
- Dandelion leaf
- Eggplant
- Green beans (neutral)
- Green peas (neutral)
- Lettuce
- Mushroom, button
- Pear
- Potato (neutral)
- Spinach
- Summer squash
- Strawberry
- Swiss chard
- Tomato
- Watermelon
- Yam (neutral)
Grains/Beans/Starch
- Amaranth: 1 1/4 cups dry amaranth + 3 1/2 cups of water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked amaranth
- Barley: 1 1/3 cups dry barley + 4 cups of water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked barley
- Black beans (neutral): 1 1/4 cups dry black beans + 3 3/4 cups of water = 1 1/2 lbs (24 oz) cooked black beans
- Black sesame seeds (neutral)
- Broad beans (neutral): 3/4 cups dry broad beans + 5 1/4 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked broad beans
- Brown rice: 1 1/4 cups dry brown rice + 2 1/2 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked brown rice
- Buckwheat: 2 1/4 cups dry buckwheat + 4 1/2 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked buckwheat
- Kidney bean (neutral): 1 1/4 cups dry kidney beans + 3 3/4 cups of water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked kidney beans)
- Millet: 1 1/3 cups dry millet + 2 2/3 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked millet
- Mung bean: 1 1/4 dry mung beans + 3 1/2 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked mung beans
- Peanuts (neutral)
- Red beans (neutral): 1 1/4 cups dry red beans + 3 1/2 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked mung beans
- Sesame Seed
- Soybeans (neutral): 1 3/4 cups dry soybeans + 5 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked soybeans
- Wheat: 1 3/4 cups dry wheat + 4 1/2 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked wheat
- Wheat bran
- White rice (neutral): 1 1/3 dry white rice + 2 1/3 cups water = 1 1/2 lbs cooked white rice
Fats
- Black sesame oil
- Flaxseed oil
- Peanut oil (neutral)
- Sesame oil
- Soybean oil
A Limited Ingredient Dog Food Recipe
Mix and match the ingredients above to create a meal your dog loves!
The basic formula for the homemade dog food recipe is:
- 5 pounds from the “Meat/Proteins” list
- 1 1/2 pounds from the “Fruit/Vegetables” list
- 1 1/2 pounds from the “Grains/Beans/Starch” list
- 1 tablespoon from the “Fats” list
Quickly and easily cook the limited ingredient recipe in a large slow cooker or large stockpot on your stove.
However, if you cook on the stove, make sure to cook on low heat.
Sample Recipe:
- 5 pounds turkey (see “Meat/Protein Source” list above)
- 1 1/2 pounds of vegetables (see “Vegetables/Fruit” list above)
- 1 1/2 pounds cooked kidney beans (see “Grains/Beans/Starch” list above)
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Debone and chop meat and vegetables.
Place all ingredients in crockpot layering:
- Slow-cooking root vegetables on the bottom
- Meat in the middle
- Fast-cooking items on top
Top with 1 cup water.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
In addition, add the following to your pet’s diet:
- One canine multivitamin per day.
- Calcium supplement 50mg/kg of body weight (22mg/lb of body weight) per day. Some other good choices for calcium are eggshell powder or bone meal.
Feeding Schedule:
- Feed roughly 1.5 cups per 25 pounds of body weight twice daily.
- Monitor your pet’s weight. If an undesirable weight loss occurs, please get in touch with your veterinarian immediately so that you can make an adjustment in the feeding/diet plan.
Don’t Have Time to Cook? Order The Food Already Made!
Please consult your veterinarian and use personal judgment when cooking at home for your dog. Even though pet food recalls and the poor quality of some pet foods are a concern, many veterinarians voice concerns over homemade diets. Some vets feel that when fed exclusively, homemade diets may result in vitamin/mineral deficiencies that can adversely affect a pet’s health. If you choose to feed your dog a homemade diet, you must understand and meet your dog’s needs to stay healthy. Please share our recipe with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can advise you on supplements for your pet’s individual situation. Monitor your dog’s health by observing his/her temperament, skin, coat, and waste. If you notice anything strange, contact your veterinarian immediately.
