How Do I Choose Treats for a Dog with Allergies?

1. List every protein your dog has eaten

The starting point is not "the best meat" but your dog's own diet history. Go through every food, treat and supplement and write down the proteins — beef, chicken, duck, salmon, lamb and so on. The food sources most often reported in canine food allergy are beef, dairy, chicken and wheat.

2. Make sure there is only one animal ingredient

A pack labelled "horse treats" can still hide chicken fat, beef gelatin or milk on the back. Treats whose ingredient list is a single line are the safest bet. See reading the label in 4 steps.

3. Choose a novel protein

Proteins rarely used in pet food, such as horse and yak, widen the options for dogs sensitive to common proteins. Lamb, however, is not novel for a dog already eating a lamb-based food. More in our novel protein guide.

4. One at a time, a little at a time

Introduce one new treat in small amounts and watch skin, ears and stool for a few days. Changing several treats at once makes it impossible to tell what works.