Our Hypoallergenic Recipes

We’re often asked if our food is hypoallergenic and the good news is that it is! But, what exactly does this mean?

There isn’t a precise definition for hypoallergenic but typically it means that the food is less likely to cause an adverse reaction in your dog because it avoids artificial flavours and preservatives, along with ingredients more likely to cause intolerances in dogs such as dairy. At Forthglade, we only use natural ingredients with high quality protein and clearly labelled ingredients, which is why our food is considered hypoallergenic and great for dogs with sensitive tummies.   

It’s really important to us that you understand what’s in your dog’s food, so you can select an appropriate diet for them. This is why we now include the term hypoallergenic on our packaging, along with continuing to clearly label all our ingredients and importantly ensure there are no hidden ingredients.  

What are the benefits of hypoallergenic food?

• It reduces the risk of adverse effects in your dog by avoiding artificial colours and preservatives.
• Forthglade recipes contain added vitamins and minerals that help to support your dog’s overall health and wellbeing
• Our recipes do not contain any artificial colours, preservatives, additives or chemicals that can be difficult for dogs to digest
• All our recipes are made with natural ingredients and high-quality proteins with clearly labelled ingredients
• Single-source protein diets make it easier for you to identify any proteins your dog is intolerant to

If it’s hypoallergenic, does that make it suitable for all dogs with sensitive tummies?

For a food to be truly hypoallergenic for your dog, it’s important to understand what their intolerance is. A product may be labelled as hypoallergenic but if it contains ingredients your dog is sensitive to, they may still experience an adverse reaction. For this reason, we ensure all our ingredients are clearly labelled including proteins e.g. if it states chicken on the front, this will be the only protein in the recipe.

What if I’m unsure what my dog is intolerant to?

If you’re not entirely sure what your dog is intolerant to then feeding a single-source, hypoallergenic diet is a really good way to minimise any adverse reaction in your dog and gain an understanding of what may be causing it. You can then easily select recipes that are suitable for your dog and avoid proteins your dog reacts negatively to, as you can be confident that the protein written on the front, is the only protein in that recipe, along with avoiding other triggers such as dairy, artificial preservatives and colours.

What should I do if I suspect my dog has a food intolerance?

We spoke to media vet and Forthglade Ambassador, Dr James Greenwood to get his insight on what you should do if you suspect your dog has a food intolerance.

‘One of the main reasons dog owners suspect their dog has a food intolerance is because of itching or poor digestive health. Whilst a food intolerance may be the cause, there could be other factors to also rule out such as environmental or infectious causes.  It’s important to first properly establish the root cause of any ill health or adverse reaction in our dogs. To truly understand what is causing the problem in your dog, it’s important to work closely with your vet so you can follow an elimination diet as well as ruling out any other causes that may be to blame’.

Dr James Greenwood, Media Vet and Forthglade Ambassador

At Forthglade, we offer a wide variety of hypoallergenic, natural recipes to suit all dogs at all stages of life. Find out more about our hypoallergenic recipes here.