10 Best Dog Food For Dog Shedding (2020 Buying Guide)

Hidden Poultry Ingredients 

Although it’s not a complete no-no to have chicken in foods aimed at reducing shedding, it is one of the most common ingredients that pets are allergic to. In foods that have flavours other than chicken, poultry ingredients can sneak in later down the ingredient list as an extra fat or protein source. If you aren’t reading the list, you may not even realise. Of course, your pet may have no issue with chicken, so if he or she can tolerate it then there’s no reason they shouldn’t try this natural, high-quality food. 

Good Grains 

This food contains grains, but that shouldn’t put you off immediately. There are good grains and there are not-so-good grains, and the ones in this food (brown rice, barley, & oatmeal) are the good kind. These are fairly easily digested (much more so than corn, wheat, or soy products), and can provide a good source of fibre as well. As long as your pup is healthy and strong, these grains should be a good addition to their diet and should contribute to more regular, solid bowel movements. 

High Calorie 

The amount of calories needed per day depends on a few things – your dog’s breed, activity level, and general health, to name a few. This food may not be suitable for small breed dogs unless they are very active. It is recommended to feed this to large breeds who shed a lot, as they naturally need more calories than the smaller pups. The dash of glucosamine is also great for large breeds’ joints. If you do choose to feed your small or medium breed Merrick, you’ll need to make sure they get plenty of exercise. 

Omega-3 and -6 Fatty Acids 

This food has one of the highest levels of Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids that we’ve reviewed. Omega-6 comes in at 4%, while Omega-3 sits at 1%. The sources of these include salmon and whitefish, flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and sunflower oil. This makes it a great choice for active large breeds who shed too much or suffer from skin problems, as it should help nourish and soften fur and skin to provide some relief from these conditions.

Hydrating And Nutritious 

One of the things that can have an effect on your dog’s skin and fur is if they aren’t drinking enough water during their day. Dehydration can wreak havoc in many ways, one of those being dry, scaly skin and brittle, dry fur. This food would be a great option for dogs who struggle to keep their water intake up during the day and need a little extra hydration in their meals. It’s also fantastic for older dogs who have trouble chewing kibble, as it’s soft and easy on the mouth, although it can be a little high in calories if they are inactive. Be sure to select a flavour without chicken if your pup is sensitive to poultry! 

Seniors or Brachycephalic Dogs 

As dogs get older, they can start to suffer from dental issues which makes it tough for them to crunch kibble like they used to. Brachycephalic dogs (flat-faced or short-nosed dogs) can have the same problems, due to their mouths and teeth being cramped and sometimes a little deformed. This food takes away that problem and allows these pups to eat a wholesome, healthy meal without the struggle. If you have a brachy or a senior who suffers from excessive shedding, this food would be a super option for them. 

Carrageenan In Wet Foods 

Carrageenan is an additive that features in many wet dog foods. Its purpose is to thicken the food but it’s actually indigestible and has zero nutritional value to a dog. It can contribute to allergies and digestive troubles, so it’s always a good idea to avoid a wet food that contains it. There are natural alternatives such as guar gum that are much better ingredients, and this food from Instinct makes sure there are no allergy-promoting ingredients in it. 

Adding Wet Food To Your Pet’s Diet 

Wet food isn’t recommended as your pet’s only food as it tends to be low in protein and high in calories (especially when added on top of an already high-calorie kibble). Of course, this can work for dogs who need a low-protein diet, provided they get enough exercise to counter the high calorie number. If you have a large breed dog who naturally expends more calories, you can use canned food as a treat during the day. This particular food is top of the range when it comes to quality ingredients and being free from allergens, so it’s worth a try.

Single Source Protein 

Many dog foods out there contain multiple sources of protein, and while there’s nothing wrong with this, single-source protein foods are great to alleviate or avoid allergies. If you know what food your dog is sensitive to, single-source protein foods can be great to provide them with enough high-quality protein without them having to deal with side effects from certain ingredients. While there’s nothing wrong with mixing proteins, sticking to one also means the properties of that one are compounded. In this case, sticking to salmon as a source means the essential fatty acids are also increased. 

Chelated Minerals 

Vitamins and minerals are important additions to foods, and it may not be quite apparent to you where they are on the ingredient list. Minerals that are chelated have been bonded to an organic molecule (usually an amino acid) through a process called chelation. This process actually happens in your dog’s digestion, but creating the mineral already chelated makes it easier to digest. Minerals that end in “-ate” are chelated, such as zinc proteinate, copper sulfate, or calcium carbonate. These are great to have in a dog food as it aids digestion in dogs who may have digestive issues.

Healthy Grains 

Grains such as corn, wheat, soy, and brewer’s rice are low-quality and contribute almost nothing nutritionally to a dog’s diet.

They can also be harder to digest, leading to gastrointestinal problems and food allergies. Rice, oatmeal, barley, and millet are also grains, but they don’t contain gluten, which makes all the difference. This would be a super food for your dog if he or she needs some extra fibre in addition to the fur and skin-nourishing properties. 

Raw Coated Kibble 

As Instinct are very big on raw diets, this kibble has a freeze-dried raw coating.

This is a great food to buy if you want to introduce your dog to a fully raw diet sometime in the future, to begin transitioning them to getting used to raw. 

Lower Protein Content 

According to AAFCO, dogs need between 18 and 24% protein on average, so 21% may not necessarily be seen as being very low. It is perfectly adequate, even though most foods tend to have between 24 and 30%.

Of course, more active dogs will do better with a higher protein count, as will puppies and large breeds. Sometimes, though, a vet will recommend something a little lower protein, and this food would be perfect for those dogs on a limited ingredient or lower protein diet. 

DHA – Docosahexaenoic Acid

DHA is an essential fatty acid that isn’t produced by your dog’s body, but is an important part of maintaining health.

It’s found in eggs, some meat, and fish. The high fish content in this food means that it has a great dose of DHA. It helps promote brain and nervous system development, which makes this a great food for pregnant dogs. It is a little too low in protein to be beneficial to puppies. DHA is also great for reducing allergies, so it will soothe your dog’s skin and nourish their fur. 

Why Raw? 

The logic behind a raw diet is that once upon a time, wild pups would eat raw meat, organs, cartilage, and bone, as well as raw vegetables and fruits found in nature.

Being minimally processed is a key feature of this food, which preserves the integrity of the ingredients. There are no added hormones, as per federal regulations, no grains, no gluten, and only organic vegetables and fruits. Probiotics have been added, though, to aid in digestion, although raw ingredients tend to be quite easily digested. Raw diets have been said to drastically improve health in many cases, so if your pup is one who has many food sensitivities, it may be worth seeing how they do on a minimally-processed, raw food diet. 

Fatty Acid Content 

The Omega-3 and -6 content aren’t shown on the guaranteed analysis list, but salmon appears to be the only real ingredient that would contribute to the levels of essential fatty acids.

However, considering the ingredients are not processed much, your dog’s skin allergies and fur loss could quite well improve simply due to the superior quality of the ingredients and going back to the original dog diet. If your dog suffers from a lot of food-related allergies, raw could be the way to go. 

Salmon Protein 

The fact that this food has only fish as its protein sources makes a big difference.

Fish is naturally a little higher in oil than other proteins, giving this food an advantage already, as your protein source and fatty acid sources overlap. The Omega-3 and -6 numbers are higher than many others, which is great for dogs with skin allergies as it means the coat and skin should get enough nourishment to keep healthy and smooth. 

Worth The Cost? 

This food is one of the more expensive that we’ve reviewed.

It is a great, all-natural, protein and fatty acid-loaded food, and the absence of grains and chicken means that the chance of allergies is greatly lessened. If you can afford to spend a little more on a high-quality dog food, this one is a fantastic choice. If you would prefer something more affordable, this one may not be for you. 

If you are going to spend the money on a high-quality food such as this, it is worth buying it directly from the company and not from a reseller or stockist. There have been reports of customers receiving lower quality food when buying from others, and there can be no telling what nutritional value the “fake” food has. 

Protein Content 

Pork meal is ingredient number one, which adds a great dose of protein and is easy to digest.

Other proteins include pork, beef, and lamb, which are a little further down the list. The further down the list they are, the less of the ingredient is present, so although there are a few proteins here the protein count remains quite average, at 26%. They are all healthy, good sources, so your dog should have no problem with this food even if their tummy is a little on the sensitive side. 

Essential Fatty Acids 

Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids are present in this food in the form of pork fat and salmon oil.

The content details are not shown on the guaranteed analysis list, but we can assume it’s a little less than others as the sources are fewer. If your pet’s shedding is severe, this may not be the best food for them. If they have light shedding or dry skin that comes and goes with the seasons or weather, this food would be a good option.