There is no one food that fits every dog. Just like us humans, certain dogs require a specialized diet. This is especially true for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs. On average, 15% of dogs are diagnosed with allergies and 10% are diagnosed specifically with food allergies. With such a large number of dogs suffering from allergies, there are many pet owners who know the struggle to find the perfect hypoallergenic diet all too well.
Allergies are a disease that is influenced by a multitude of factors including genetics, environment and diet. Therefore, there is no such thing as a true “hypoallergenic” diet for dogs. However, there are hypoallergenic recipes on the market that may help lessen the frequency of allergy flare ups in dogs. Most prescription pet food on the market right now is controlled by 3 large companies; Nestle Purina, Mars Inc (makes Royal Canin), and Hill’s, which produce either dry or canned food. The integrity and values of these companies have long since been questioned by pet owners as a result of the lack of quality ingredients of these so-called “prescription diets”. We at Kabo believe that sick dogs deserve better, and that ALL dogs should be able to enjoy a fresh cooked meal, made with healthy human-grade ingredients. That’s why we designed our newest recipe special for dogs with allergies and sensitive stomachs. Let us tell you all about our new Hypoallergenic Salmon Recipe!
When you look at the label on pet store food, you may see a never-ending list of ingredients. With every extra ingredient that is added to pet food, it increases the potential allergen risk. Our salmon recipe is created with limited ingredients (only 13 to be exact!):
· Salmon filets
· Potatoes
· Sweet potatoes
· Butternut squash
· Green beans
· Blueberries
· Spinach
· Dicalcium phosphate
· Kabo nutrient mix
· Sunflower oil
· Flaxseed
· Sea salt
· Rosemary
We have formulated our salmon recipe with top tier whole foods so that dogs can enjoy a healthy, tasty dinner without all the extra additives or unnecessary ingredients.
Did you know that the most common food allergen in dogs is actually chicken? This fact surprises many pet owners as chicken is such a common ingredient used in dog food. Unfortunately, that is exactly the problem. While proteins like chicken, beef, turkey and lamb are perfectly healthy for dogs, they are used in abundance in pet food, and as a result many dogs have developed an allergy to them.
A good hypoallergenic diet should be free of these common allergens and instead use a novel protein. Novel proteins are simply any protein source that is an uncommon ingredient in dog food. This means that when an allergic dog eats the food, they are less likely to have an allergic reaction to that specific ingredient. There are many different types of novel proteins that can be fed to dogs. A few examples are:
· Fish
· Duck
· Kangaroo
· Crocodile
· Insect protein
· Hydrolyzed protein
We decided to utilize salmon in our hypoallergenic recipe. This is because on top of being a luxurious novel protein, salmon is also packed with health boosting nutrients like omega 3 fatty acids. Not to mention, it is also very palatable to dogs and highly digestible! The salmon we use is whole filet Alaskan salmon. No fish meal, bones or by-products here!
It’s not just proteins that dogs are allergic to, grains, soy and dairy can also be a problem with many dogs. The good news is that our salmon recipe is totally free of any grains including wheat, corn, rice, barley, rye and oats. We instead chose to use tasty, digestible ingredients like potatoes, sweet potato and butternut squash as a source of fibre and energy.
Soy and dairy aren’t really something that belongs in dog food, but some lower quality foods have them on their ingredient lists. At Kabo, we would rather include ingredients that serve a nutritional purpose and help to improve the health of dogs as a whole. That’s why you will never find soy or dairy products in any of our diets, including our salmon recipe.
Inflammation is a major component and symptom of allergies and is usually triggered by the immune system. Pet owners usually identify inflammation as redness on their dog’s skin or an increase in itching or licking, but did you know that inflammation can also be internal? Gut inflammation caused by allergies and sensitivities can cause your dog to have a very upset tummy and may even result in vomiting or diarrhea.
With this in mind, we designed our salmon recipe with as many anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidant ingredients as possible. These ingredients help to reduce itching and redness caused by inflammation. Salmon, blueberries, green beans, flaxseed, rosemary and spinach are some of our favorite sources of natural antioxidants and are powerhouses in the fight against inflammation. We are proud to have included all of them in this fresh cooked recipe.
If your dog has a sensitive stomach, feeding them a meal that’s difficult to digest makes little sense. Filler ingredients that are high in resistant starch, cartilage and artificial colors and flavors are much harder for dogs to digest and can sometimes result in an upset tummy. For our salmon recipe, we’ve only included ingredients that are natural and digestible for dogs to keep those turbulent tummies happy.
Unlike dry, processed dog food, our salmon recipe is gently cooked using fresh ingredients. This preserves the ingredient’s natural moisture content and nutrient integrity. As a result, this recipe does not pose any risk of dust or mites (2 factors which are known to trigger allergies in dogs), unlike some dry foods.
If dogs are man’s best friend, they should be fed as such, right? We use only human-grade ingredients in all of our fresh cooked recipes and our hypoallergenic salmon recipe is no exception! Human-grade ingredients have been deemed safe for human consumption and undergo a testing and certification process that is much stricter than feed grade ingredients. Therefore, human-grade ingredients are preferable when it comes to quality and food safety.
Some dogs are always hungry and will eat everything in sight, while others are more selective. Our salmon recipe is the perfect food for picky eaters. Salmon is one of the most palatable ingredients to dogs and it is an ingredient that will get even the pickiest eaters licking their bowls clean.
Kabo is a company of dog lovers and we want to promote the best health and nutrition for all dogs. That’s why we have skilled nutritionists, scientists and veterinarians on staff to formulate and evaluate our recipes. All dogs deserve a recipe formulated and developed by pet experts and not a marketing team in an office. That is exactly what we have done with our salmon recipe, as it was created from the ground up by experts in nutrition and animal health.
You can find our salmon recipe in our new, thermoform packaging. This packaging makes for easy storage and portioning. See here for all you need to know on your new packaging!
Our Hypoallergenic Salmon Recipe is not just for dogs with allergies or sensitivities. It can be fed to all dogs! Similar to our other recipes, our salmon recipe is formulated to meet and exceed AAFCO guidelines for all life stages. This means that all dogs from puppies to seniors can enjoy this fresh cooked recipe.
Our new recipe is particularly good for senior dogs. Not only is it formulated with easily digestible and anti-inflammatory ingredients, it is also our lowest calorie recipe! This makes it a must-have recipe for older doggos or pups that could use additional help with weight management.
Looking to purchase the salmon recipe for your pup? Simply log in to your Kabo account and add it to your cart at checkout!
If you have any questions at all about our newest recipe, check out our FAQ on the salmon recipe or take a closer look on the Kabo recipes page. You can also contact our customer service team any time or schedule a call with our veterinary expert, Dr. Suzee!
