11 Best Dog Foods for IBD in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Your dog’s frequent upset stomach isn’t something that can be ignored. Perhaps your dog has visited the vet and received the diagnosis of IBD, inflammatory bowel disease. As IBD can have serious health impacts on your dog, such as weight loss, decreased muscle mass, and a poor coat, you’ll want to do what’s necessary to nurse your pup back to health. Your first step will most likely be to change your dog’s choice of food.

With so many options available, you may not be sure which dog food will help ease your dog’s IBD symptoms. That’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive list of dog foods made specifically to address IBD. We ranked each dog food and included pros and cons lists.

Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.

A Quick Glance at the Winners of 2024

The 11 Best Dog Foods for IBD

1. Ollie Fresh Lamb Dog Food Subscription – Best Overall

If your dog has been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the right diet is critical for them which is why our top pick for best dog food for dogs with IBD is the Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb recipe.

Dogs with IBD have a much harder time digesting food and their food should be helping to reduce inflammation, not increase it! Ollie Fresh Food is an excellent food for IBD, specifically the Fresh Lamb recipe, because most food allergies and sensitivities are triggered by beef, chicken, and dairy, so it’s important to have food that doesn’t contain these ingredients.

Ollie’s fresh lamb recipe is made up of whole, natural ingredients, and it is high in fiber and rich in antioxidants, all of which help promote good digestion.

Overall, Ollie fresh dog food is our favorite dog food for dogs with IBD this year!

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2. Blackwood Dog Food – Budget Buy

We selected Blackwood dog food as the best budget dog food for IBD. Blackwood is a family-owned company, which expresses that it takes great pride in offering your dog top-quality products. At an affordable price, this dog food promotes healthy digestion by incorporating prebiotics and probiotics into its formula.

Nutritionally complete, Blackwood dog food has slow-cooked, protein-rich ingredients such as high-quality chicken, whole grains, vegetables, and fruit. Even better, this product does not contain corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors or colors.

We found that many dogs see improvements in their digestive health with this dry dog food. The only complaint may be a few instances of lingering minor IBD symptoms. Also, some dogs do not care for the flavor. Overall, we think this is the best dog food for IBD for the money this year.

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3. Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Dog Food

This product has high-quality ingredients that yield significant relief for dogs with IBD, which is why we picked Royal Canin hypoallergenic dog food as our premium choice. This nutritionally balanced dry dog food contains a hydrolyzed protein formula made with easily digestible proteins and rice starch.

This hypoallergenic dog food is specially engineered to address your dog’s IBD issues, as well as common skin ailments. We found that most dogs benefitted from eating this product. However, be aware that you will need to pay a much higher price for Royal Canin.

At least you won’t have to fight with your dog to eat it. We found a few incidents of dogs turning up their noses at this food.

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4. Purina Dry Dog Food

Specifically formulated to help relieve your dog’s IBD, Purina Veterinary Diets dog food is made with low fiber and prebiotics to support intestinal health.

With protein levels that meet your dog’s nutritional needs, this Purina product supplies low carbohydrates and a moderate amount of fat. It also provides your dog with antioxidant vitamins E and C, as well as zinc. However, and perhaps equally important, this dog food may contain allergens, additives, and preservatives that can, over time, cause your dog additional health issues.

We found that most dogs respond well to this food and like the taste. Be aware, though, that it is moderately high priced.

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5. Purina Hypoallergenic Veg Dog Food

We recommend Purina Hypoallergenic Vegetarian dog food as a top pick for relieving your dog’s IBD symptoms. This product provides complete and balanced nutrition while addressing your dog’s unique digestive issues.

Formulated for dogs who suffer from IBD and similar digestive issues, Purina provides a hydrolyzed protein source, high digestibility, and medium-chain triglycerides. This dry dog food is completely vegetarian. Despite what you may assume about dogs eating vegetables, we found that most dogs like the flavor.

While this brand of Purina comes with a higher price tag, many dogs greatly benefit from eating it. Although we discovered a few incidents in which the dog did not like the taste or gain results, most dog owners report success with this product.

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6. Canine Caviar Grain Free Dog Food

If you’re looking for holistic dog food that’s easily digestible, then you may want to consider Canine Caviar dog food. This hypoallergenic product is ideal for dogs suffering from IBD and other allergies. It has a unique alkaline limited diet formula, which includes a single protein, lamb, and a lone complex carbohydrate, pearl millet.

This gluten-free dog food also lacks wheat, tapioca, and potato. It does not contain eggs, soy, corn, dairy, or any genetically modified ingredients, and there are no fillers, artificial colors or flavors, or preservatives.

You will pay a higher cost for this product. However, we did find high rates of success in the reduction of IBS symptoms — that is, if your dog agrees to eat it. We learned that some dogs do not care for the taste.

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7. Holistic Select Natural Dry Dog Food

A solid choice for dogs suffering from IBD, Holistic Select natural dry dog food provides complete nutrition for your dog. It’s made with all-natural ingredients, including protein from real turkey, prebiotics and probiotics, live yogurt cultures, natural fiber, and digestive enzymes.

Your dog can easily digest this grain-free, wheat-free dog food that contains no meat by-products, fillers, artificial colors, or flavors. Holistic Select is potato-free, instead using highly digestive carbohydrates and omega-3 fatty acids. This dog food also promotes better immune system function and regularity.

Overall, we found high rates of success with this product, and most dogs enjoy eating it. However, you will have to pay more for these high-quality ingredients.

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8. Wellness Core Natural Dry Dog Food

For another grain-free option, consider Wellness Core dog food. With all-natural ingredients, this dry dog food offers your dog easy-to-digest, complete and balanced nutrition. It contains ingredients for your dog’s whole health, such as antioxidants, omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and hydrochloride, as well as probiotics for better digestion.

If your dog needs a protein-rich meal, Wellness Core supplies ample turkey and chicken, real vegetables, and essential vitamins and minerals. Since it’s all-natural, there are also no wheat, corn, soy, meat by-products, or artificial flavors, or preservatives.

We found that most dogs with IBD like the meat-rich flavor and seem to do well with properly digesting this dog food. However, if your dog has severe IBD symptoms, this product has limited effectiveness, and you may want to choose a dog food higher on this list. This product is moderately high priced.

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9. ACANA Protein-Rich Dry Dog Food

Relying on freshwater fish—including wild-caught rainbow trout, blue catfish, and yellow perch—to provide dogs with much-needed protein and nutrients, Acana dry dog food has complete nutrition. This product bases its composition on what it calls a “biologically appropriate” diet, which allows easier digestion for dogs with IBD.

Made with 60% fresh, raw animal ingredients, 40% vegetables, and 0% grains with no gluten, potato, or tapioca, Acana also sources its ingredients from regional farms, ranches, and local water sources. Every part of the fish is used in the food to provide the maximum amount of nutrients.

We placed this dog food lower on our list due to reports that some dogs, unfortunately, get new or worsened digestive issues after eating it. While most dogs enjoy the taste of Acana and digest it well, a significant number of dogs do not like the fish flavor. We also found quality control issues with the consistency of the dog food.

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10. Solid Gold Holistic Adult Dog Food

The protected living probiotics in Solid Gold Holistic adult dog food help your dog with IBD achieve a healthier digestive tract. Solid Gold combines fiber-rich prebiotics, omega fatty acids, superfoods, and protein-rich pasture-fed lamb and eggs for a complete and nourishing meal for your dog.

Besides helping your dog’s IBD by being grain-free and gluten-free, Solid Gold also supports your dog’s immune system and a healthy metabolism. This recipe is ideal for dogs with IBD, as well as those suffering from a chicken protein allergy and in need of iron in their diet. It doesn’t contain artificial preservatives or corn, wheat, or soy.

We found that most dogs like this affordable food and respond well to eating it. However, we placed this product second to last on the list due to it not having enough protein to match your dog’s natural diet.

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11. Nutri Source Pure Vita Grain Free

Your dog with IBD will appreciate the grain-free composition of Nutri Source Pure Vita dog food. It contains plenty of animal protein supplied by beef, as well as a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids for a complete nutritional meal that your dog can easily digest.

This moderately expensive dog food takes the last spot on our list. While we found that many dogs seem to enjoy this product and respond well to it, be aware that this dog food’s above-average high-protein content could upset your dog’s stomach. Also, this dog food may contain other allergens, such as potato, corn, or soy, as well as artificial flavors and preservatives.

This product does not contain prebiotics and probiotics for dogs with IBD. There’s also no information offered about the quality of beef used in this dog food.

 

Conclusion

For its high rates of successfully easing IBD symptoms in dogs, we selected Ollie Fresh Dog Food Lamb Recipe as our best overall choice. Offering complete and balanced nutrition, with human-grade ingredients that dogs love!

For our budget-friendly option, we recommend Blackwood Dog Food. This company takes pride in offering top-quality, nutritionally complete dog food. Your dog will benefit from the included prebiotics and probiotics that promote healthy digestion. With no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial flavors or colors to cause allergic reactions or an upset stomach, we found that many dogs see digestive improvement.

Finally, we chose Royal Canin HP Hypoallergenic Dog Food as our third choice due to its high-quality ingredients. This dog food is ideal for dogs with IBD since it is hypoallergenic and nutritionally balanced and contains easily digestible proteins. Also, most dogs like the flavor.

We hope that our thorough reviews and detailed pros and cons lists have helped you make a more informed decision. When it comes to your dog’s health and well-being, we understand that you want to offer them the very best. It’s important to find a dog food that will ease your dog’s IBD symptoms while also providing them with proper nutrition.

• Also see: 8 Best Dog Foods for High Triglycerides & Reviews & Guide

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Featured Photo Credit: Przemek Iciak, Shutterstock