Best Dog Foods For Colitis

by Luke Blaise

Good dog foods for colitis can be hard to find. And because your dog has colitis you want to do everything you can to promote his or her health.

First of all, you should definitely check with a veterinarian for diagnosis, advice and possibly medication.

Changes in diet are just about always a good idea (IF DONE GRADUALLY). Some dogs have improvement from an increase in fiber in the diet, while others have food allergies and benefit from a hypoallergenic diet. There’s no way to tell which dog food for colitis will work best right away. It is usually trial and error.

One common technique to find out if allergies are the problem is known as the elimination diet.

You either purchase or make your own food with very few simple ingredients and feed that, and nothing else, to your dog for a number of weeks.

If that solves the problem, foods can be introduced one at a time until the problem recurs. When it does, you’ve identified the allergen and can avoid it in the future. Just about all familiar brands of commercial food contain many ingredients which can cause allergic reactions.

Dogs are frequently allergic to wheat or corn, often used as a filler, and gluten. Many preservatives, flavorings, colorings and other additives can cause reactions as well. Many dog owners swear by organic food, despite the additional expense.

Some good dog foods for colitis include:

Natural Balance: Sweet potato and venison or lamb meal and brown rice formulas.

Orijen: which might be hard to find but is available online.

Blue Buffalo: high quality natural ingredients

Many of the manufacturers of hypoallergenic foods have formulas which are high in fiber. You can also add fiber yourself to your dog’s regular food by mixing in white or brown rice, canned pumpkin or sweet potato, apple or tomato pomace, citrus pulp, oat bran or other high fiber foods.

Here are some highly respected hypoallergenic foods:

Orijen: highly rated by users, promotes healthy skin and hair.

Canidae: Very good, caused stomach upset in some dogs. More economical than some other choices.

Avoderm: Includes one of nature’s most nutritious fruits -- the avocado, plus vitamins, trace minerals and essential oils.

Acana: from a Canadian company specializing in hypoallergenic, organic food.

Flint River Ranch : Lamb, Millet and Rice or Trout and Sweet Potato Dog Formula are both excellent.

As you can see there are many possible dog foods for colitis to choose from. But you should consult with your veterinarian before switching diets.

To read more blog posts go here: Top Dog Foods Blog

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