Read time: 6 mins
21 Dec 2019
Dogs and humans: we're constantly surprised by the similarities between the two. A good cuddle, a day scampering along the beach and delicious meals that make us drool are all included in our list of favourite things. We do draw the line at sniffing butts, though.
On the downside, dogs can be just like their pet parents in suffering from intolerances. Sometimes, these are linked to ingredients in the food they eat. These intolerances can leave your pup feeling in less than top form. Tummy aches and blocked anal glands? Let's not go there.
Hypoallergenic dog food is food that is designed specifically to avoid triggering intolerance symptoms in dogs, such as itchy skin and diarrhoea.
This kind of food will leave out certain ingredients commonly known to trigger intolerance symptoms, such as wheat and soy, otherwise known as ‘fillers’. As these are not a necessary requirement of a dog's diet and provide lower nutritional value, it is safe to leave these out.
A lot of commercial pet food companies use these filler ingredients to bulk their products out and keep costs down, as they are relatively cheap. Unfortunately, this is not good news for pooches with sensitive tums.
Thankfully, there are dog food brands which take these intolerances seriously and instead use high-quality, tummy-friendly ingredients, such as us here at Butternut Box. Instead of things like wheat and soy, we use pearl barley, quinoa and lentils as an alternative energy source in our food, as well as human-quality meat and veg.
Good news for them and good news for you (and your carpets).
If you notice your dog displaying any of the following symptoms, they could have an intolerance to a particular food that they’re eating or certain environmental factors (such as dust and pollen).
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Excessive or foul smelling farts
• Itchiness
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Red eyes (with frequent itching)
• Red, inflamed skin (or rash)
• Constant licking
There's only one thing worse than a persistent itch, and that's hanging around with a persistent scratcher. Hypoallergenic dog food is nutritionally balanced to help your pooch feel more comfortable in their own skin. Ingredients such as flaxseed are added to meals, which helps to make sure that your dog gets a good dose of skin-friendly omega 3 oils.
If you’ve noticed that your dog struggles with blocked ears and ear infections, it could be down to their food. By choosing to opt for hypoallergenic food you're shutting the gate on the ingredients that can cause these irritations. That means the next time you say 'sit', there's no excuse if your dog ignores you.
As a conscientious pet parent, we bet you know of a host of health-related issues that can cause your dog discomfort. These can include and (sorry to bang on about it) the dreaded blocked anal glands. Sometimes, dogs are just prone to these but their food could also be the root of the problem. Simpler, complete food made from honest ingredients equals a healthy dog. That's the kind of equation we like.
A quality food source that is giving your pooch all of the nutrients that they need will present itself in a few different ways. You will notice that their coat is shinier, their skin is less red and those sloppy poos? Gone. Only to be replaced by a well-formed log that makes you wretch slightly less.
Have you ever wondered where your dog gets all their energy from? It’s a direct result of their food intake (except in the case of Springer Spaniels, who have another, more-mysterious, never-ending source). This means that the better the quality of your pooches' food, the more energy they’ll have. If their food is rich in protein and complex carbohydrates, they will be sustained for much longer. Prepare yourself for a lot of playtime requests.
Before you accuse your pup of breaking into the treat jar, you may want to check out the ingredients in their food. Dogs thrive on proteins rather than surplus carbohydrates, that's why we pack our recipes with high-protein ingredients like freshly-prepared meat and fish. Or peas, pulses and potatoes, in the case of our meat-free recipes.
Common ingredients found in commercial pet foods, such as wheat and soy, are poorer-quality nutrients. Whilst they may provide carbohydrates for your pooch, they are not a quality energy source and have very little nutritional value. Ingredients like these have a very high calorie content but only provide a quick-release energy boost followed by a sudden crash, leaving your pooch feeling lethargic.
This can mean that your dog actually ends up taking in more calories than they are expanding, resulting in weight gain.
While highly processed dog foods often contain ingredients known to cause irritation, hypoallergenic meals totally avoid them.
With Butternut Box, help is at hand (or paw). We only cook with good stuff and always avoid symptom-triggering ingredients. Bon a-pet-treat (oof). In our pouches, you'll never find (deep breath here) wheat, corn, soy, sugar or salt in the recipe. We know these can upset tummies, cause flatulence and make skin itchy, that’s why we are as passionate about avoiding them as your dog is about avoiding bath time.
Instead, our meals include things like veg, lentils, quinoa and human-quality meats. As some dogs can be intolerant to certain meats, we're very careful about never mixing them. To top it all off, we gently cook our meals to kill bacteria, meaning they're extra gentle on sensitive tummies.
Making the switch to a quality dog food, like us, is an easy way to keep your dog barking fit. Especially if you’ve noticed they have sensitive skin or a frequently upset tummy. But if you’re still not sure which of our meals is right for your dog, our team will be more than happy to help advise you on the best choice for your pup. They're here to off-fur you all the gastronomic guidance you need for your four-legged family member.
For an exact price and plan, click the Build Your Box button below.
