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Affordable dog food for allergies? Vet's prescription is too costly.

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | unneutered | 6 months and 21 days old | 6.2 lbs

My dog (chihuahua x) is suffering from what our vet believes is a food allergy. I was just curious if there are any dog foods or brands (that you can buy in the stores) that you would recommend? The one our vet is prescribing is just not feasible for us.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on April 10th, 2017

For an ideal diet trial for a suspected food allergy, it is typically recommended to feed a hydrolyzed protein diet (proteins are broken down to the point where they can't trigger the immune system) exclusively for 6-8 weeks. After that point, some dogs are rechallenged with their original diet to see if signs recur or started on a novel protein diet (one protein source/one carbohydrate source). If signs of a food allergy are still present, some dogs need to remain on the hydrolyzed diet indefinitely. The hydrolyzed diets are prescription based and include Royal Canin Ultimano, Royal Canin HP, Science Diet Z/D ultra, and Purina HA. There are many pet food companies online that can also dispense these diets with a prescription from your vet (chewy.com is one example). If the cost of a hydrolyzed diet is still not feasible for a diet trial, talk to your vet about starting Rico on a novel protein diet. Many of these are still prescription based, but I have also been impressed by the Dick van Patten Natural Balance limited ingredient line, which is available over the counter. With any diet trial, it can take 2-3 months to determine if it is effective and you need to be strict in that Rico would only receive his dog food with no other treats or table foods. I hope this helps! :-)

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    There are many hypoallergenic diets on the market. There are also special hydrolyzed diets that can be fed to manage food allergies. The first step is to determine Rico's food sensitivities. This can be done via allergy testing or food elimination trials. The former can be done by your veterinarian or by a veterinary dermatologist. The latter can be done by feeding a single protein source diet using a novel protein (one Rico has never had) for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. This diet must be fed exclusively. After this time periods, his symptoms can be reassessed by your veterinarian.

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