Pitbull owners are no strangers to canine skin allergies. Due to a pitbull’s coat or lack thereof, the skin is vulnerable to allergens that can quickly lead to irritation. The good news is that a pitbull’s diet can prevent allergic reactions. That’s why we wanted to spread the word about the best for pitbulls with skin allergies – fresh raw dog food.
The Best Food for Pitbulls with Skin Allergies
The best food for pit bulls with skin allergies is fresh raw dog food. The nutritional density of fresh and raw ingredients in dog food can help pitbulls’ skin combat allergic reactions.
To understand why fresh raw dog food is the best food for pitbulls with skin allergies, it’s essential to know the causes of skin allergies.
The Causes of Canine Allergic Dermatitis
The most common causes of canine allergic dermatitis (skin allergies) are:
- Flea Allergies
- Environmental Allergens
- Food Allergies
- Lack of Grooming (Learn How Often to Shower a Dog)
Let’s explore some of the above causes to learn more about how a healthier diet can help.
Flea Allergies
This skin allergy is due to a hypersensitivity to flea bites. Not all pit bulls suffer from this but it can look painful when they do. It’s similar to a human having mosquito bites all over the body.
The best way to treat flea allergies is to prevent fleas. Using a preventative for fleas regularly is the solution for keeping FAD away.
Atopic Dermatitis – Environmental Allergies
Atopic dermatitis or atopy is the second most common skin allergy for dogs. The most common causes of it are:
- Plants
- Pollen
- Dust Mites
- Mold Spores
The best way to prevent atopy skin allergies in Pitbulls is to remove the allergen and repair the skin barrier. Repairing the skin barrier and maintaining it is easy with medicated shampoos specially designed to improve skin health. Below are some options you may want to consider.
Lack of Grooming
Mange due to a lack of grooming can develop mites, which can lead to skin allergies. One type of mites is called Demodex and it’s usually not harmful to dogs and is found in almost all dogs. Scabies is another type of mite and causes moderate to severe skin reactions.
Hot spots can also result from a lack of grooming. Brushing to remove dead hair and skin can keep the coat healthy and skin moisturized. This keeps a dog from itching and biting at its skin, which is what leads to hot spots.
Food Allergies
Food allergies are another common cause of skin allergies in pit bulls. An elimination diet can help identify what food is causing adverse skin reactions.
An elimination diet for dogs can start with just protein until the skin issues go away. Adding in fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes one at a time is a good way to identify what is possibly causing the allergic reaction.
Allergies to a specific food aren’t the only reason pit bulls suffer from skin allergies – the quality of the food matters too.
Note About Allergies in Dogs
Allergic reactions are one of the most common causes for a veterinarian appointment and many times, dogs with allergies have to be treated, which can be expensive. If you’re worried about your pitbull’s allergies, you may want to consider learning about Pitbull Pet Insurance.
The Issue with Store-Bought Dry Dog Food
Before we move on with more information on the best food for pitbulls with skin allergies, we’d like to explain why dry dog food and wet dog food available in your local grocery store aren’t the best.
Most wet and dry dog foods are made with fillers – grains or corn. These ingredients do not provide any nutritional value to your dog. Grains and corns can be hard on sensitive stomachs as well. While many people feed wet and dry dog food to their pitbull puppies throughout their lives, it’s not THE BEST food.
Dogs need the nutrition that comes from whole fresh fruits and vegetables. They need protein that comes from raw meat – not low-quality chicken and chicken fat found in most chicken meals for dogs.
When you have to pick a new type of dog food for your pup, consider fresh raw dog food over the wet and dry dog food you find at the supermarket.
Fresh Raw Dog Food Is the Best Food for Pitbulls with Skin Allergies
Just like for humans, the skin is the largest organ of a dog’s body. It requires a substantial amount of nutrition to remain healthy. Healthy skin is important to pitbulls since they don’t have a coat to protect them from environmental allergens.
Many pitbulls with skin allergies are deficient in omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. Deficiencies in these omega-fatty acids are easily solved with supplementation OR feeding your dog foods with vitamin e and omegas like fish and other foods.
Learn More: Is Fresh Food Better for Dogs?
Best Foods for Healthy Pitbull Skin
Omega fatty acids and vitamin e rich foods can improve and maintain the health of a pitbull’s skin. Consider the following foods to help your pitbull with skin allergies.
Chia
Chia seeds are high in vitamin B, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, protein, and zinc. It’s chocked full of antioxidants too. They nourish the skin inside and out giving adult dogs healthy skin while combatting existing skin inflammation.
Eggs
Eggs are an amazing source of protein for Pitbulls. It keeps the skin well-hydrated and gives the coat strength and luster. The lutein repairs skin tissue, which helps with skin irritation, shedding, and fungus.
Almonds
Almonds are rich in B vitamins, copper, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and bioflavonoids. It’s also a good source of omega fatty acids (omega 3).
Coconut
Coconut is great in dog food because it has special anti-inflammatory properties, decreases bacterial growth, and alleviates skin irritation.
Oats
Oats have potassium, phosphorous, calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, and iron to promote better skin health. Oats act on the gastrointestinal tract of the dog to remove toxins from the body.
Liver
When your pitbull has sensitive skin, the liver is the best thing for him/her. The liver is a powerhouse of nutrients that every dog should have in their diet. It has calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper, vitamins E, B6, B12, C, D, and A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid, and biotin. Chicken liver is the best kind of liver because it includes omega-fatty acids.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a superfood for the skin. It has vitamin A, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. The vitamin C in sweet potatoes helps speed up healing and the production of collagen.
Adding the above foods to your pitbull’s diet can help not only resolve skin allergies but also prevent them.
How to Feed Your Pitbull a Fresh Raw Diet
It’s very easy to feed your dog a fresh raw food diet. All you have to do is combine the above-mentioned foods with real meat. Many pitbull owners aren’t interested in feeding fresh and raw foods because of the effort it takes to make it, which is why many dog food companies have emerged to make it easier.
The easiest way to feed the best food for Pitbulls with skin allergies is to have it delivered to your home. The best fresh raw dog food delivery companies use all-natural ingredients in recipes created by veterinarians. They do not contain artificial flavors, fillers, or preservatives – just wholesome healthy ingredients.
In addition to helping Pitbulls with skin issues, fresh raw food also improves the immune system and joint health, which is great for a pittie with hip dysplasia. Healthy fats like fish oil are added to the food for beneficial omegas.
Dog Ownership Guide recommends the following brands for fresh and raw pitbull food:
Each one offers something a bit different in its offerings, which is why we decided to include them here.
Happy Dog Food
Happy Dog Food offers dehydrated fruits and vegetables already ready to be consumed. All they need is water to rehydrate them. This cuts down on time chopping fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. All you have to do is add animal protein such as real chicken, beef, turkey, lamb, etc.
Happy Dog Food has three recipes available for purchase:
- Whole Grain Goodness (Original Basemix) has:
- Pearl Barley
- Brown Rice
- Split Peas
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Parsley
- The Hearty & Healthy Express contains:
- Flake Barley
- Steel Cut Oats
- Flaked Peas
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Parsley
- Vitality Veggie (perfect for grain-free diets) is made up of:
- Flaked Peas
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Bell Peppers
- Celery
- Parsley
Again, when ordering from Happy Dog Food you will not receive the protein for it. You add in whatever real meat you want to give your pup. You may mix the above recipes with salmon, tuna, beef, lamb, chicken, or other animal protein. It’s completely up to you depending on your pittie’s likes and needs.
Happy Dog Food comes dehydrated, so you have to add water to rehydrate it. This makes your dog’s food wet food. The good news is that most dogs love wet dog food. Unfortunately, the wet dog food in stores is full of fat such as chicken fat, which isn’t healthy.
Ollie
Ollie has a lot of different receipts including grain-free diet options. When choosing the right one for your pittie – contact your veterinarian. You can also speak to the Ollie team as they can help choose the right recipe for your pitbull’s needs outside of the skin issues, such as hip dysplasia and other joint problems.
All the ingredients in Ollie dog food are natural and they use real chicken, turkey, etc. in their recipes. The food comes fresh and frozen ready to be thawed for you to feed your furbaby.
Ollie serves wet dog food, which is what many dogs like, but it’s good to know that you are considering different types of fresh dog food delivery services.
Only Natural Pet
Only Natural Pet is similar to Happy Dog Food but instead of dehydrating their food, they freeze-dry it. You can do the same exact thing with your dog’s food as you would with Happy Dog Food – just add water. The difference is that there’s raw meat in these recipes (freeze-dried), so you don’t have to add real meat.
Only Natural Pet comes in five flavors:
- Lamb & Sweet Potato
- Turkey & Sweet Potato
- Lamb & Sweet Potato
- Beef & Sweet Potato
- Chicken & Sweet Potato
With so many options, Only Natural Pet makes it easy for pitbull owners who have picky eaters.
All of the recipes are made with the very best ingredients and they keep the overall health of the pup in mind. The recipes are good for all life stages from puppies to adult dogs. They are also good for pitties with sensitive stomachs.
For those looking for no grains, there are options for you, making it easy for pitties on grain-free diets.
Spot and Tango Fresh Dog Food
Spot and Tango fresh dog food is a great option for dog food delivery. They offer two types of fresh dog food – fresh food and Unkibble. Unkibble is just like dry dog food but it’s fresh. You can learn more about Spot and Tango by reading the following two articles:
Best Food for Pitbulls in All Life Stages
Since most of the fresh raw dog food from the above companies is wet food, feeding your puppy fresh food is possible. Speak to your veterinarian, though. Some pitbull puppies may need a supplement for added nutrition.
Since pitbull puppies can eat fresh – raw dog food, it’s possible to feed your puppy the same food throughout his/her life. Adults dogs just need more of it and then senior dogs may need less as their activity level changes.
Learn More: Health Benefits of Raw Dog Food
The Best Food for Pitbulls with Skin Allergies
The best food for pit bulls with skin allergies is fresh raw dog food. While you can make fresh raw dog food at home, it’s best to order from a company that works with veterinarians to create recipes that provide all of the nutrition needed for strong and healthy skin. These companies don’t use artificial ingredients or flavors. They also use high-quality animal protein and healthy fats. In addition to helping pit bulls with skin allergies, fresh raw dog food is also great for dogs with joint problems and sensitive stomachs.
CBD can help Pitbulls with skin allergies:
Also, if you’re interested in a harness for your pitbull with skin allergies. This one from SparkPaws is great!
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