7 Highest Rated Dog Food for Sensitive Belly – 2023 Review Guide

Top 7 Best Food For Dogs With Digestive Problems

Canidae All Life Stages Dry Food – Best Overall

Canidae is a high-quality dog food focused on digestive issues and sensitive stomach with canines. That’s why it takes #1 place on our list. This nutrition features a perfect blend of ingredients, which ensure the proper flow of gases and healthy digestion.

In most cases, diet marketed for “all life stages” contains a high amount of proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Its formula needs to promote healthy growth, reproduction, and maintenance.

Vets formulated this nutrition for all ages, breeds, and sizes. It’s packed with a high amount of protein, sourced from lamb meat.

For more great picks, see the best dog food for this year.

Blue Buffalo Basics – Ideal For Senior Dogs

As the name suggests, Blue Buffalo Basics Limited formulas will have you covered and keep your dog strong, happy, and satisfied. The combination of turkey protein, pea fiber, and pumpkin will promote the healthy digestive tract.

Additionally, potatoes, oatmeal, and brown rice will supply your pet with nourishing carbohydrates. This recipe provides your pet with high-quality ingredients and avoids the use of harmful components. The formula is free from any animal by-products and additives.

The combination of vegetables, fruits, vitamins, and mineral will help your canine with digestive issues. Due to a set of fresh ingredients, this recipe preserves natural flavors and offers a delicious taste.

Nutro Wholesome Essentials – Fit For Large And Small Breeds

Nutro Wholesome Essentials recipe features farm-raised chicken and amino fatty acids which facilitate muscle building and promote healthy metabolism. The ingredient such as oatmeal improves digestion, while whole brown rice enhances better nutrient absorption.

The equal percentage of proteins and fats will supply your puppy with high energy levels. On the other hand, whole grains will nourish a healthy digestive tract and stimulate nutrient absorption.

This formula features calcium and phosphorus as well. They will ensure healthy bones and teeth, and shiny coat. There are no additives, or any harmful substances, which can endanger your pet’s health.

Purina Pro Plan FOCUS – Ideal For Sensitive Skin

Purina Pro Plan Focus nutrition is made with pure and natural ingredients. They will satisfy sensitivity without creating any discomfort. The real salmon meat, omega-6 fatty acids, and oatmeal will promote healthy skin and provide a balanced diet.

This diet contains the natures best goodies. It will satisfy your dog’s taste buds and offer high-quality nutrients. Based on numerous pet parents’ reviews, even the pickiest canine eaters will find this crunchy chew delicious.

If your pet has a sensitive skin disorder, then Purina Smart Blend formula will ease this condition. Once you look at the ingredient list, you can identify only the finest proteins, fibers, and minerals.

Whole Earth Farms – Best Grain Free

A lot of pet owner choose Whole Earth Farms for their canines. It combines a perfect blend of high-quality nutrients to ensures healthy digestion and balanced diet.

This formula is rich in multiple protein sources, such as pork, beef, and lamb meat. Also, the food doesn’t contain corn, soy, or wheat by-products.

Only the best nutrients are mixed into this delicious meal. They support healthy digestion, provide a shiny coat and resilient nails, and enhance energy. With this product, you are getting a varied diet at an affordable price.

Natural Balance – Perfect For All Ages

The minimal ingredient recipe makes the Natural Balance the best wet dog food. Its gentle formula is suitable for all dog, regardless of the age and breed. The product doesn’t contain additives or artificial flavorings.

With only 5.5% of protein course, Natural Balance diet is excellent for canines with a sensitive stomach. They will offer enough nutrition, without compromising your pet’s health.

Your dog can explore an excellent combination of flavors, such as chicken and sweet potato. To ensure high standard and well-balanced nutrition, the company places every batch of food through various testing stages.

So, every time you purchase this canned dog food, remember their manufacturing process, it will give you peace of mind. The Natural Balance recipe will protect your pet’s sensitive tummy and eliminate aches.

Iams Sensitive Naturals – Best For Dogs With Food Sensitivities

Containing a real fish protein course, Imas Sensitive Skin recipe is a balanced and safe alternative to other types of commercial formulas. The recipe features less protein content, which makes it perfect for food sensitivities.

It will keep your canine healthy and satisfied. Besides real fish, this nutrition is packed with fruits and vegetables. We should mention the presence of vitamins and antioxidants, as well.

Iams Sensitive Naturals combines a set of high-quality components which will stimulate your pet’s digestive system. With this nutritional choice, you will keep him safe and healthy.

Symptoms Of A Sensitive Gut In Canines

Gas

At some extent flatulence is normal. However, excessive or sudden gassiness may indicate a problem. In most cases, improper diet is the number one cause.

Canines are unable to digest certain types of food, which leads to an elevated amount of gases in their stomachs. You can switch to another brand, or take your dog to the vet.

Vomiting

Vomiting is another sign of food sensitivities. Not every food agrees with every breed. However, repeated exposure to improper diet may lead to inflammation and various health disorders.

In this case, you should enrich your pet’s nutrition with digestive enzymes and probiotic supplements.  If this issue keeps repeating, don’t waste time, visit the vet immediately.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea and vomiting are common symptoms of sensitive tummy. They can evolve into a severe problem if you don’t act on time.

However, don’t panic!

It needs more than 24 hours for diarrhea to reach a life-threatening stage. Usually, canines are severely dehydrated and require immediate attention.

Lack Of Appetite

Is your pet turning his nose away from food? Is this a temporary issue, or a repeated situation? When it comes to lack of appetite, diet plays a significant role.

Maybe your dog has developed a sensitive stomach disorder. That’s why you should adjust the nutrition according to his needs.

Abdominal Pain

Another sign of sensitive tummy is abdominal pain. In the past, it was thought that canines couldn’t feel the pain at the same intensity as humans. However, this is a common misconception.

Due to a poor diet, this condition may repeat frequently. So, pay attention to his behavior.

Weight Loss

Reduce appetite and weight loss are directly linked. Feeding your pet with an unappropriated diet may lead to a weight reduction.

Considering your dog is sensitive to certain types of food, he will refuse to eat. You can either change the brand or visit a vet for detailed analysis.

Poor body condition

Food sensitivities in dogs can cause severe health issues. The previously mentioned symptoms may lead to poor body condition.

His health will start to deteriorate if you don’t notice the initial symptoms on time. For example, he will lose weight and appetite, reduce activity, and change interaction with the owner.

Possible Causes

Unable To Digest Proteins And Fats

Some breeds are sensitive to proteins and have a hard time digesting them. For instance, if you notice your pet is intolerant to chicken, then try switching to beef or lamb.

On the other hand, a diet rich in fats can cause sensitive tummy disorder, as well.

Emotional Distress

Stress and anxiety are common causes of an upset stomach. Same as people, dogs respond to an emotional situation with pressure, tension, and worry.

These feelings can cause various gastrointestinal issues, such as gasses and diarrhea. Exposing your pet to a calmer environment should reduce these symptoms.

Too Many Treats

Treats can be an excellent solution when you want to award you pet for good behavior. However, if you don’t limit the treat consumption, then it will affect your canine’s stomach and cause distress.

Before you resort to treats, make sure to check the ingredient list. Choose the organic ones, if possible.

Allergy

Some ingredients in your pet’s diet can cause an allergic reaction. In most cases, the canine can be allergic to a particular protein source, which later results with an upset stomach.

Another probable cause might be the presence of additives and artificial ingredients. Pay attention to these because they can wreck your dog’s digestive tract.

Be careful when choosing dog food, follow our recommendation for best hypoallergenic dog food from trustful brands.

Intestinal Problems And Issues

Sometimes, dogs will show signs of a sensitive stomach when exposed to various intestinal disorders. Your pet might be suffering from a leaky gut syndrome, gastritis, or inflammation.

These conditions require immediate attention and shouldn’t be taken lightly. A limited ingredient diet should be able to fix this problem.

Food Intolerance

Food intolerance is number one cause, which often affects your canine digestive tract. Some dogs either have a somewhat sensitive stomach or are born with it.

That’s why you should take special care when selecting nutrition for your pet. Don’t choose food based on popularity, but based on ingredients.

How To Feed A Dog With Gastrointestinal Problems

What To Look For In A Good Dog Food

• Fewer Ingredients

Food for dogs with sensitive stomach needs to be complete and balanced. From a nutritional standpoint, it should contain a limited number of ingredients.

On the other hand, a diet containing a high amount of components is more likely to upset your pet’s tummy. You should go for meals containing rice and basic meats.

• Ingredients That Can Be Easily Digested

A diet that targets canines with digestive tract issues is often formulated to promote healthy digestion. For example, chicken, rice, lamb, sweet potato, and potato are some of the ingredients that majority of dogs digest well.

Also, choose formulas that feature supplements as well!

• Absence Of Grains

This might sound a bit weird because some dogs love eating grain food.

But, a problem usually happens when manufacturers use grains instead of high-quality protein. Corn and wheat are the two most common ingredients which cause food sensitivities in canines.

That’s why grains should be considered as carbohydrates and used appropriately.

• Bland Composition

A sensitive stomach dog food should be labeled as complete and balanced. It means that formula includes all essential nutrients, without compromising your pet’s health.

On the other hand, some pet parents prepare home-cooked meals. However, this won’t guarantee you success, and some dog may still experience allergic reactions.

• Contains Probiotics

Probiotics are a crucial part of any diet, they stimulate the digestive system, and enable proper digestion. But, not every dog food features a sufficient amount of probiotics in their formula.

To be sure, you should purchase probiotic supplements and sprinkle them over your pet’s meal.

• Low Protein

Nutrition low in protein is ideal for canines with sensitive tummies. More often pet care companies mix a couple of protein sources in one dog food. However, this can be quite bad for canines with a sensitive gut.

It will further irritate their stomach and cause digestive issues.

Ingredients That May Cause An Upset Stomach

• Dairy Products

Some canines enjoy eating milk and dairy products and have no problems digesting them. Others, however, experience acute intestinal distress, such as gas, diarrhea, or vomiting.

It all comes down to whether your dog can digest lactose or not. So, if you are dealing with a dog which has sensitive tummy issues, then you should avoid dairy products.

• Fruits

While fruits are an excellent healthy snack for people, not all fruits are safe and appropriate for dogs. Due to a high amount of sugar, fruits can irritate the stomach and cause further digestive issues.

In commercial food, the amount of fruit should be up to 10%.

• Gluten

Gluten-containing grains such as barley, rye, spelt, and wheat may cause digestive issues with your pet. This ingredient has been implied as number one contributor to a variety of inflammatory health disorders.

That’s why dogs with sensitive gut, should avoid gluten in their diet.

Other Foods That You Can Give

• Chicken

If your pet suffers from food allergies or has a sensitive stomach, then you should explore meals that contain chicken as a primary ingredient.

Chicken is an easily digestible protein, and numerous brands on the market promote this protein for digestive disorders. You can either buy commercial food or prepare a home-cooked meal for your pet.

• Turkey

Turkey meat is non-toxic to dogs when it’s cooked plain. It can be an essential part of canine’s diet. Additionally, turkey is a common meat protein found in many commercial foods.

It’s low in fat, which makes it perfect for dogs for digestive problems.

• Lean Ground Beef

Lean ground beef is the 3rd lean protein and quite common in canine’s diet. It is packed with amino fatty acids, mineral, and vitamins. These features are ideal for all dog, especially for those suffering from intestinal disorders, and sensitive gut.

This is one of the reasons why pet care companies promote lean ground beef in such manner.

• Boiled Rice

Boiled rice is often used to prevent or stop digestive issues with canines. It’s easier for digestion than brown rice, and it can treat upset stomach and diarrhea with dogs.

On the other hand, if you are looking for nutritional value, rather than therapeutic one, then you should go for brown rice.

• Boiled Potatoes

Boiled or mashed potatoes are an excellent choice for canines with a sensitive stomach. They are high in vitamins C, B6, and minerals such as potassium and magnesium.

However, you should be careful with the portion size. Dogs should eat potato occasionally because this vegetable contains a high amount of sugar.

How To Switch Food

Changing your pet’s food can be a challenging task. It requires some time and patience. However, if you start changing his diet gradually, then he won’t feel the change.

Start this transition with 75:25 ratio, in favor of old food. And, later increase the pace.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the best homemade recipes that they can eat?

There are a couple of homemade meals you can prepare for your pet:

• Boiled sweet potatoes
• Boiled white rice
• Boiled chicken, or turkey breasts
• Boiled carrots
• Cooked noodles
• Scrambled eggs
• Yogurt

These ingredients involve basic cooking, without too much hassle.

• What breeds are more prone to having one?

Due to their sensitive digestive systems, some breeds are more prone to developing certain types of gastrointestinal disorders!

This issue involves the following breeds:

• Irish Setters
• Labrador Retrievers
• German Shepherds
• Shar-Pei
• Great Dane
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Yorkshire Terrier

• Is raw food recommended?

Raw food diet consists of muscle meat, still on the bone, bones, organ meats, fresh eggs, and so on. While many people promote raw diet, we have to agree that’s it’s not for all breeds.

Considering dogs with sensitive tummies, with raw food diet you can’t balance the level of nutrients. And, a crucial thing with this disorder is balanced nutrition.