Best Limited Ingredient Dog Food

Limited Ingredient Dog Food

Dogs often have difficulties digesting protein sources such as beef or pork. Many dogs suffer from skin allergies or intolerances that can be quite painful or uncomfortable. Limited ingredient diets aim to address these issues by offering food without problematic ingredients, such as those with animal-based proteins. These may be great options for any pet who suffers from allergies or sensitivities.

Limited ingredient diets (LID) dog food includes only a few necessary ingredients and avoid other ingredients that might cause your dog distress. LID dog food is usually limited to a single source of protein and fat (such as lamb or salmon), combined with one carbohydrate source (such as potato or rice).

 

Dog foods commercially produced can often have many ingredients with the good intention of enhancing your dog’s health and performance. However, some of these ingredients can cause your dog to develop a food allergy, skin allergy, or gastrointestinal sensitivity. In addition, some dog breeds are susceptible to stomach upsets as they get older.

Limited ingredient dog foods are therefore targeted for dogs with food allergies and intolerances. By selecting the right limited ingredient dog food you will be giving your dog a safe, nutritious, and satisfying meal.

Using Limited Ingredient dog food will reduce the number of ingredients your pup is exposed to on a daily basis. The fewer ingredients in their diet, the lower the chance that they’ll have an adverse reaction to any new food or potentially trigger an allergy or sensitivity. This makes limited ingredient formulas ideal for pups who have sensitivities or allergies to certain types of proteins and/or grains. Many brands use novel proteins like lamb and duck as well as potato and green pea as alternative sources of carbohydrates and protein in their limited ingredient diets.

Limited ingredient dog foods are also typically grain-free. This is because grains, whether they’re common allergens like wheat and corn or even less common ingredients like oats and barley, can be problematic for some dogs.

 

Best Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food

Top 10 Best Limited Ingredient Dog Food

We have evaluated dozens of limited ingredient diet dog food brands in the market to bring you the best ones. Here is our review and recommendation on top-rated LID dog food for you to choose from based on your dog’s specific diet needs.

Natural Balance uses just a few ingredients to provide high-quality nutrition for adult dogs. The #1 ingredient is real salmon to provide essential amino acids and rich in omega fatty acids to keep your pup’s coat shiny. Sweet potato provides not just carbohydrates but is also a gluten-free source of fiber to support digestive health.

Natural Balance runs 9 safety tests on each batch of food. Conducted by microbiologists and chemists, this assures you that your pet’s food is free from contaminants. This is particularly important for sensitive dogs.

Key Ingredients:
Salmon, Menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, sunflower oil, Menhaden fish oil, Taurine, vitamins, and minerals, etc.

Highlights:

  • NATURAL BALANCE Limited Ingredient Diet For Dogs.
  • Salmon and Sweet Potato Formula
  • Real salmon as the number 1 ingredient
  • Formulated by veterinarians and nutrition experts using premium quality, nutritious ingredients to support healthy digestion, promote healthy skin and shinier coat, as well as, maintain strong muscles
  • Perfect for adult dogs of all breeds and sizes
  • No fillers, artificial colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives
  • 24 lb bag.

Rachael Ray Nutrish Just 6 Limited Ingredient Diet is designed for digestibility. Made with just 6 natural ingredients with added vitamins & minerals to help support your dog’s overall well-being. Features lamb meal as the number 1 ingredient.

Many vets recommend rice for dogs suffering from upset stomachs. This product contains both whole and ground rice as well as lamb, a protein source that is generally easy for dogs to digest. Includes wholesome whole grains for fiber to support healthy digestion. 

Key Ingredients:
Lamb meal, brown rice, ground rice, beet pulp, chicken fat, and natural pork flavor, vitamins and minerals, etc.

Highlights

  • RAYCHAEL RAY Limited Ingredient Dog Food
  • Lamb Meal and Brown Rice Recipe
  • Easily digestible and gentle on your pup’s stomach
  • Brown rice and ground rice to deliver fiber and carbs for quick energy
  • Features lamb meal that is full of essential amino acids, B vitamins, and also provides natural glucosamine and chondroitin for healthier joints
  • Great for dogs with sensitive stomachs
  • Has beet pulp which is a prebiotic that feeds healthy bacteria in the gut
  • No wheat, gluten, corn, soy
  • No artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors
  • 28 lb bag.

Many dog parents believe that raw food is of higher quality than cooked food. Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free dog food uses freeze-dried raw food in its kibble to provide a superior nutritional and taste profile. It is minimally processed and uses either grass fed meat or cage-free poultry to give the optimal amino-acid levels that your pup needs to thrive.

Additionally, it uses only one protein and one carbohydrate source per variety, to minimize allergic reactions. It is made in Lincoln, Nebraska of locally sourced ingredients.

Key Ingredients:
Turkey Meal, Turkey, Peas, Tapioca, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Pumpkinseeds, Freeze-Dried Turkey, Freeze-Dried Turkey Heart, Freeze-Dried Turkey Liver, etc

Highlights:

NUTRO Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food

Nutro takes your dog’s health seriously. Its Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Dry dog food is created from non-GMO ingredients. It avoids all the foods most likely to cause food sensitivities in your canine companion. Beef, chicken and dairy proteins are out, as are grains and soy. Instead, you can choose venison, duck, lamb or salmon flavors. The associated carbs are either sweet potatoes or lentils.

Give your dog an allergy-free option that is also non-GMO. This product is also one that will particularly appeal to your dog’s taste buds!

Key Ingredients:
Venison Meal, Dried Potatoes, Lentils, Chickpeas, Canola Oil (Preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Dried Sweet Potato, etc

Highlights:

Made in a facility in Texas, this American made limited ingredient dog food does have more ingredients than some others on this list; however, probiotics are added to promote digestive health for your canine best friend. There are also plenty of omega 6 & 3 fatty acids and antioxidants for a healthy immune system.

While we’ve listed the ingredients for the salmon variety, there are 6 different proteins that you can choose from, so if your dog is one of the rare ones that has fish allergies, you can choose from chicken, lamb, duck, bison and even boar. There are also special formulations for puppies, seniors and small breeds as well as for adult dogs. That makes it really easy to pick the one that works best for your pup’s needs.

Key Ingredients:
Salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas, potatoes, etc.

Highlights:

Blue Buffalo Basics uses only four protein sources for its limited ingredient products – turkey, salmon, duck or lamb. It avoids beef and chicken as these are the two protein sources most likely to trigger allergies in your dog. Using only a single protein source per recipe, it supplements each one with potatoes, peas, and pumpkin to provide gentle, gluten-free digestive support.

Additionally, it contains a proprietary blend of antioxidants as well as necessary vitamins and minerals called “LifeSource Bits” which help your dog’s immune system stay strong.

Key Ingredients:
Turkey, Turkey Broth, Potatoes, Flaxseed, Pea Protein, Fish Oil, etc.

Highlights:

Purina Beyond Simply Limited Ingredient Recipe Dry dog food is formulated by their in-house nutritionist using carefully sourced ingredients to deliver balanced nutrition for your dog. Each ingredient can be traced back to trusted sources with this high quality dog food.

Key Ingredients:

Chicken, whole barley, whole oatmeal, rice, sunflower oil, calcium, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Highlights:

MERRICK Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food

Each flavor of Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet dry dog food contains only 8 key ingredients, including a single protein source. Not only are they grain and soy free, they are also free of potatoes since some dogs have sensitivity to them. In addition, each recipe contains optimal levels of glucosamine and chondroitin to help support healthy joints and omega 6 and 3 fatty acids for a healthy coat.

Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet dry dog food is an easy-to-digest option that also provides joint support for dogs that need it. With only 8 ingredients, it is simple and safe food for your pooch.

Key Ingredients:
Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Chickpeas, Lentils, Peas, Flaxseed oil, etc

Highlights:

Wellness is a family owned company located in the U.S. All its products are American made and guaranteed, with a wide variety of tested products to suit your pet’s unique needs. It’s limited ingredient formulas all have a high-quality protein as the first ingredient and include flaxseed and probiotics for healthy skin and digestive health. The grain used in some flavors is oatmeal, which is easier for dogs to digest.

Key Ingredients:
Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal, Potatoes, Peas, Dried Ground Potatoes, Tomato Pomace, Ground Flaxseed, Taurine, Canola Oil, etc

Highlights:

Zignature is one of the quality brands that pride itself on nutritional science. This Zignature Limited Ingredient dog food is one of the best turkey recipes for your dog which is formulated to provide puppies to adult dogs with a balanced and complete diet.

By eliminating unnecessary ingredients not only it ensures better digestion but also minimizes possible allergies and sensitivities in your dog.

Key Ingredients:

Turkey, chickpeas, flaxseed,  sunflower oil, Vitamins, Minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids, Omega-6 fatty acids, etc.

Highlights:

RAISED RIGHT "Home Cooked Style" Limited Ingredient Recipes

Human-Grade Whole Food Diet For Dogs

Raised Right’s low carb limited ingredient dog food is recommended by veterinarians to help dogs PREVENT and RECOVER from health issues like allergies, obesity, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, pancreatitis, thyroid disorders, inflammation, and immune-mediated diseases. They contain a single source of animal protein and are free from preservatives and do not contain high carb fillers like rice, potato, yam, oats, barley, or parsnips.

Conclusion

It’s becoming unfortunately more common for dogs to develop food allergies or sensitivities. Limited ingredient dog foods help resolve these issues by taking a “back to the basics” approach – using recipes that only includes the main necessary ingredients.  By using just a few simple ingredients, these meals avoid the complex recipes that are more likely to trigger allergy or digestive issues. 

We have provided some of the best Limited Ingredient Dog Food reviews here which has high quality ingredients that will provide the essential nutrients for your dog.  These carefully selected list of limited ingredient dog foods are here for your selection of this type of dog food.

Limited Ingredient Dog Food FAQ

It is a diet that contains fewer ingredients than is common in most dog food formulas. For example, it typically contains only a single protein source and also usually only one starch. It may contain less common protein sources such as lamb, duck or even venison and is often grain and soy free.

Typically vets recommend a limited ingredient diet for dogs that are suffering with food allergies or sensitivities. Sometimes older dogs that develop tender stomachs or digestive issues or dogs that have skin problems might also be given a limited ingredient diet.

Not necessarily. Grass fed beef is a healthy ingredient, while beef by-products are not. However, if your dog is allergic to beef, you have to steer clear of any food that uses it, no matter how high the quality. Similarly, not all limited ingredient dog foods are the same. Some use higher quality ingredients. So you need to check labels carefully, both to ensure the product does not contain allergens and that it contains high quality ingredients.

No, though they typically will not have wheat, corn or soy. While many use sweet potatoes or peas as their source of carbohydrate, some formulas use easily digestible grains such as rice or oatmeal. If you want to make sure your dog eats a grain free diet, make sure to read the label carefully before you buy.

If your dog has a specific food allergy, removing that ingredient from your pet’s diet will resolve the issue. Unfortunately, sometimes there may be more than one food causing the problem. When your pet is on a limited ingredient diet, however, if he has a reaction, it’s easier to figure out what’s causing it.

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