We are struggling to find a good, yet affordable large breed food for our pup that is chicken free.
Everyone has recommended diamond naturals, which we really like for price point, but we just realized it still contains chicken.
Any recommendations for one around the same price that is truly chicken free?
Otherwise we will probably just switch to Diamond Naturals All Life Stages and try and tailor it to her growth, etc.
Chewy has a filter when you look at food and treats to show you only the chicken free options. From there, I usually write down what I need and get it locally if possible.
Not super affordable, but we have had great luck with purina pro plan sensitive skin and stomach for large breeds. Since switching to it, weāve had no more ear infections, hotspots, and for less tummy issues.
my guy has been on diamond naturals from the beginning. I supplement with some homemade wet food thatās usually chicken based. He is very itchy most of the time and I know he doesnāt have fleas. Could the chicken be the cause? Iām also interested in what people are feeding and how much. Cosmo is 15 months, 126 pounds. Also, do you just give dry food or wet food also?
This is what my 11mo old pyr has been on. :) Originally I had her on something else, but she was having so much diarrhea and itchy skin. So for at least the past 8 months, she's been on the Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach for Large Breed Puppy formula. (Has a German shepherd puppy on the front with a pink label, I believe.)
Edited to add: My vet also put her on this prebiotic and fiber supplement powder, which also helps.
When I lived in the states I only used sensitive stomach foods!
I used diamond brand dog food until we moved to Germany, now I use sensitive stomach Bosch.
We use diamond naturals lamb and rice large breed puppy. Our girl has bad food allergies too and the vet said that the chicken fat isnāt an issue in dogs with chicken allergies. I canāt remember exactly how they explained it but I was getting really stressed out as well.
My girl is doing fairly good anything outside this food messes with her, Stella develops bad mucus poops on other foods.
Good to know since this thread threw me into a mild panic lol. I have my pyr mix on diamond large breed lamb and rice and was wondering if i should switch... his poops are not mucusy though so I'm gonna chill for now unless vet recommends
We add human foods that are dog safe because she will only eat enough to survive if we donāt. She went an entire month without gaining a single pound and the moment I added stuff again she started finishing her meals and put on 5lbs in a week. She is 7.5 months old so still growing a ton.
Food allergies in dogs are usually triggered by proteins. Since chicken fat has no proteins, dogs that have a chicken protein allergy can eat it with no issues :)
we use purina pro plan large breed puppy sensitive skin and stomach salmon and rice formula! it is kind of pricy, but i mix it with either the same version of the canned food or real salmon/rice and it makes it last much longer than if i did just the dry food. and we use chewy which helps save a little each time as well!
Oh! I had to feed Royal Canin GI low fat for about 2 years to my Great Pyrenees for lymphangiectasia. That was horribly expensive! He recovered. I guess I think anything else is cheap!
Our pyr also has a chicken allergy and we have struggled the same way. We found Costco's turkey and ancient grain recipe and so far it seems to be helping. Only available online in 25lb bags at just over $1/lb and I know it is not WSAVA approved, but it avaoids grain free and seems to have good ingredients. It's only been a week or two but he seems less itchy.
I mix that with the Kirkland Salmon and Sweet Potato dog food. Same pricing for the online 25 pound bag, but also available in a 35 pound bag in the warehouse for a savings.
If you shop at Costco I think this food is a good option! My girl loves it. She also has a chicken sensitivity. Itās $25 for 25 pounds. I make sure to fit in a dasuquin every day plus she loves fruits and vegetables which helps. Plus this food has grains! Yay
My girl has a chicken allergy and I've been giving her tractor supply 4health turkey large breed dog food. It may have chicken fat in it but my understanding is that as long as all the other components have been removed the fat is fine. I find the price, compared to other brands, is fantastic and it doesn't use any meat byproduct.
PURE BALANCE. It's so freaking great. Excellent ingredients, affordable AF and different flavors. My GP loves loves LOVES this food. She won't even eat blue or the fancy Purina anymore. 12/10 recommend this brand.
is it -just- chicken, or also egg and poultry by-product meal?
pet food ingredients follow the human food rules. First ingredient is biggest quantity, second is second biggest, etc. The University of Nebraska ag extension office did a super breakdown and explanation here: https://extensionpubs.unl.edu/publication/g1960/na/html/view
TLDR, though is if it says itās āLamb and Riceā it has to be 95% lamb and rice. āLamb and Rice DINNER,ā OTOH, can have a lot of other things in it (including chicken).
To actually answer your question, Iāve had a lot of good luck with Purina Pro Plan lamb & rice, and their sensitive stomach salmon & rice.
Good luck: our sister in law at one point ended up having to buy kangaroo-based kibble for her Labrador.
I make Chicken Soup for Dogs in my Instapot. Itās real food. Real good.
Pressure cook together: chicken carcass from rotisserie chicken (with leftover chicken bits) and veggies (chopped sweet potatoes, frozen spinach or green beans, etc.). Can add some frozen blueberries.
Pick the bones out.
This can be added to dry food or mixed with cooked rice.
Diamond Naturals Large Breed Puppy Chow Lamb & Rice! Tractor Supply sells it. Its like $50 for the biggest bag. Don't stop feeding until 2 years of age.
There is both chicken and egg in that, that's what OP means I think is that even the Diamond Naturals that don't have chicken in the name, contain chicken.
I admit itās not the cheapest, but itās what has worked best with her sensitivities! When we adopted her, she was on Fromm and that was killing our budget- so it was a step down for us.
Costco has several varieties made w/o chicken. Some do contain āegg productā or chicken fat but I donāt know if those would create the same allergic reaction. I donāt believe any are specifically labeled Large Breed.
The Kirkland kibble varieties are supposedly made by Diamond Naturals.
Samās Club has at least 2 without chicken or chicken related ingredients - Salmon and Sweet Potato and the Limited Ingredient Beef.
Several, including a large breed variety, list chicken meal. Again, donāt know if that is problematic.
Our big dummy likes wholesomes sensitive skin and stomach lamb mix, very cheap too. We had him on Purina pro plan for over a year which gave him stomach trouble, as well as Hills Science which he refused to eat half the time. Since heās been eating it his anal gland issues have also gone away since his stool has firmed up quite a bit.
Go to Tractor Supply. Their house brand dog food offers several single protein options like Pork and Bison which have no chicken at all (no meat or byproducts or added chicken fat). Itās the most affordable option youāll find while still being very good quality. Fromm is another option that offers single proteins like salmon (TS has the salmon option too) and pork but itās a higher price tag. I had two Aussie shepherds who were allergic to chicken 15 years ago when there was only ONE very expensive chicken free kibble. I remember back then a small bag was nearly $80 and thatās why our 3 other dogs didnāt eat it. It was only for the bougie shepherds lol!!
Petco Wholehearted Beef is great! No chemical additives. I also add daily a couple leaves of romaine lettuce, a carrot, lightly steamed dog safe veggies and eggs a few times a week. Theyāre doing great!
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u/Stock_End2255 22h ago
Chewy has a filter when you look at food and treats to show you only the chicken free options. From there, I usually write down what I need and get it locally if possible.