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10 Best Dog Foods for French Bulldogs With Allergies – 2024 Reviews & Top Picks

Oliver Jones

By Oliver Jones

French Bulldog is busy with his meal eating

Your dog’s food allergies can be a frustrating and expensive experience for you and uncomfortable and miserable for your dog. That’s why we want to help you find the best possible dog food for your French Bulldog as soon as possible.

We highlighted 10 of the best options for you here, along with comprehensive reviews that go over everything that you need to know about each one. There should be no more painful skin irritations, rashes, and scratching for your dog with any of these great recipes.

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A Quick Look at Our Favorites of 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe
  • High-quality meals
  • Pre-portioned meals
  • Lamb recipe is great for allergies
  • Budget Buy
    Second place
    Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke
  • Affordably priced
  • Multiple size options
  • Salmon is great for food allergies
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    JustFoodForDogs Venison & Squash Recipe JustFoodForDogs Venison & Squash Recipe
  • Novel protein for allergies
  • High-quality ingredients
  • Great for dogs with allergies
  • Diamond Naturals Puppy Formula Diamond Naturals Puppy Formula
  • Puppy-specific formula
  • Multiple size options
  • Multiple recipe options
  • Merrick Healthy Grains Merrick Healthy Grains
  • Salmon is great for allergies
  • Vet recommended
  • Multiple size options
  • The 10 Best Dog Foods for French Bulldogs With Allergies

    1. Ollie Fresh Lamb Recipe Subscription— Best Overall

    Ollie dog food scoop fresh food and bowl

    Main ingredients: Lamb, butternut squash, lamb liver, kale, and rice
    Protein content: 10%
    Fat content: 7%
    Calories: 1,804 kcal/kg

    If you’re looking for the best overall dog food for French Bulldogs with allergies, you’re not going to believe what Ollie’s fresh lamb recipe offers. It’s a bit more expensive than dry kibble, but you’re giving them a much higher-quality food that won’t aggravate their allergies.

    Another perk with Ollie is that you get to input any allergies that your dog has, and it builds a meal plan around what your dog needs. All the meals are pre-portioned before they are shipped out, so you know that your dog is getting exactly what they need each day.

    Ollie only uses the highest-quality ingredients, and it’s easy to order the meals and feed your dog. You also don’t have to worry about reordering because you are put on a regular schedule. Your dog deserves the best, and you’re not going to find anything better than Ollie.

    Pros
    • High-quality meals
    • Pre-portioned meals
    • The Lamb recipe is great for allergies
    • Easy to order and feed
    Cons
    • Expensive

    2. Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke — Budget Buy

    Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke

    Main ingredients: Salmon, salmon meal, ocean fish meal, grain sorghum, and millet
    Protein content: 30%
    Fat content: 15%
    Calories: 3,640 kcal/kg

    If you’re on a tight budget, Taste of the Wild Ancient Stream Smoke is the way to go. While Taste of the Wild has plenty of recipes, this fish-based recipe earns our nod as the best dog food for French Bulldogs with allergies for the money.

    The salmon and ocean fish meal formula is great for dogs with allergies, and it’s a nutritionally complete diet so you don’t need to feed your dog anything else. Of course, if your pup doesn’t like this recipe or has problems with it, Taste of the Wild has other recipe options for you to pick from.

    Even better, there are many different bag sizes, so you don’t need to purchase extra when you’re just trying to find something that works for your dog.

    Pros
    • Affordably priced
    • Multiple size options
    • Salmon is great for food allergies
    • Multiple Taste of the Wild recipes are available
    • Nutritionally complete diet
    Cons
    • Contains multiple meal products

    3. JustFoodForDogs Venison & Squash Recipe — Premium Choice

    JustFoodForDogs Venison & Squash

    Main ingredients: Venison, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and cranberries
    Protein content: 9%
    Fat content: 2%
    Calories: 872 kcal/kg

    JustFoodForDogs is a fresh dog food recipe that uses a novel protein that’s great for dogs with food allergies or sensitivities.

    You are sent fresh food, which you need to refrigerate and freeze to store, and you can set up auto-reordering through Chewy. However, the meals aren’t prepackaged, and you need to consider your dog’s allergies yourself when looking at this food.

    Still, there’s no doubt that this is a great dog food if your pup has allergies, and you can order multiple sizes to get the exact amount that you need for your dog.

    Pros
    • Novel protein for allergies
    • High-quality ingredients
    • Great for dogs with allergies
    • Multiple size options
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Not pre-portioned

    4. Diamond Naturals Puppy Formula

    Diamond Naturals Puppy Formula

    Main ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, ground white rice, chicken fat, and cracked pearled barley
    Protein content: 32%
    Fat content: 22%
    Calories: 3,995 kcal/kg

    While it might be more common for older dogs to deal with food allergies and sensitivities, a puppy can have these problems too. Still, it can be challenging to find food that caters to puppies with food allergies.

    That’s exactly what Diamond Naturals Puppy Formula is. It’s a limited-ingredient recipe that helps you control your puppy’s food allergies, although we do wish that it used a different protein than chicken.

    The good news is that there are multiple size options available, so you can purchase a small bag and see if it helps your puppy before purchasing in bulk. It also contains meal products, which aren’t always ideal, but they help increase the overall protein content, which your puppy needs to grow.

    Pros
    • Puppy-specific formula
    • Multiple size options
    • Multiple recipe options
    • Affordably priced
    Cons
    • Chicken isn’t the best protein choice for allergies
    • Contains meal products

    5. Merrick Healthy Grains Adult

    Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon & Brown Rice

    Main ingredients: Deboned salmon, chicken meal, brown rice, barley, and oatmeal
    Protein content: 25%
    Fat content: 16%
    Calories: 3,739 kcal/kg

    If you’re looking for great dog food for your French Bulldog, why not go with something like this? One of our favorites is the Merrick Healthy Grains Real Salmon & Brown Rice recipe.

    The salmon recipe is great for dogs with allergies to other proteins, and it’s a more affordably priced choice, so you don’t need to break the bank to get it! Additionally, multiple size options are available, so you can try it out in a small bag before ordering a large amount of food that you might not be able to use.

    It uses chicken meal, which might be a problem because many dogs with food allergies struggle with chicken. Still, it’s vet recommended, so if your pup can handle it, you know that it’s a great choice.

    Pros
    • Salmon is great for allergies
    • Vet recommended
    • Multiple size options
    • Affordably priced
    Cons
    • Contains chicken

    6. Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care

    Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach CarePurina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Sensitive Stomach

    Main ingredients: Deboned salmon, peas, potatoes, pea starch, and salmon meal
    Protein content: 20%
    Fat content: 12%
    Calories: 3,436 kcal/kg

    Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care is a grain-free recipe. While Blue Buffalo and many other dog food manufacturers market this as a good thing, the truth is that grains are a beneficial part of most dogs’ diets. Always check with your vet before switching your dog to a grain-free diet, as they usually only recommend it if your dog has an allergy to grains.

    Still, if you do need a grain-free recipe, it’s hard to top this one. Blue Buffalo only uses high-quality ingredients, and the choice of salmon as the protein further helps dogs with food allergies and sensitivities.

    It’s a skin- and stomach-sensitive recipe, but the protein content is on the lower side of things. It’s not a huge deal for less-active dogs, but if your dog is constantly on the move, this might not be the best choice for them.

    Pros
    • Salmon is great for allergies
    • Only high-quality ingrown outstanding standing mix of price and quality
    • Skin- and stomach-specific formula
    Cons
    • Low protein content

    7. Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Sensitive Stomach

    Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Sensitive Stomach

    Main ingredients: Lamb meal, oatmeal, barley, fish meal, and canola meal
    Protein content: 26%
    Fat content: 16%
    Calories: 3,969 kcal/kg

    While Purina makes many different recipes, if you’re looking for a choice that’s great for dogs with food allergies and sensitivities from Purina, you should go with its Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach recipe.

    The good news is that compared to many other options on this list, it’s on the more affordable side of things, and it’s specifically for dogs with skin and stomach sensitivities and allergies. This recipe uses lamb meal as the main protein source.

    But if you don’t like those proteins or if your dog is allergic to them, Purina offers many other recipe options that should work. It also has plenty of size options available, so you can find one that works for your dog.

    Pros
    • Affordably priced
    • Skin- and stomach-specific formula
    • Multiple size options
    • Plenty of recipe options
    • novel protein for allergies
    Cons
    • Also has fish and beef
    • Low fiber content

    8. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Wet Food

    Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Wet Dog Food

    Main ingredients: Chicken broth, turkey, carrots, pork liver, and rice
    Protein content: 2.8%
    Fat content: 1.9%
    Calories: 253 kcal/can

    Sometimes your dog has skin allergies, and dry dog foods just won’t do the trick. Whether medical issues are keeping them from eating dry foods or you just want something a bit better for them, Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Wet Dog Food might be just what you need.

    Wet dog food can help with your French Bulldog’s allergies and weight, which are two common problems with this breed. Even better, Hill’s Science Diet only uses high-quality ingredients, giving you food that you can feel good about giving your dog.

    You can also order in bulk to help drive down the price, and that’s a good thing because wet dog foods tend to be more expensive than dry foods. It’s not quite as expensive as fresh food, though, so it’s a great in-between option for your dog.

    Pros
    • Wet food can be great for allergies
    • Helps with weight control
    • You can order in bulk
    • Only high-quality ingredients
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Has chicken, turkey, and pork

    9. Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe

    Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe

    Main ingredients: Whole mackerel, whole herring, salmon, whole pilchard, flounder, and monkfish
    Protein content: 38%
    Fat content: 18%
    Calories: 3,900 kcal/kg

    The top four ingredients in Orijen Amazing Grains Six Fish Recipe are from the six fish mentioned in the name. All these fish are great for dogs with allergies, making this an almost-foolproof way to get allergies under control.

    But the first issue is the price. It’s by far the most expensive dry dog food on this list. Also, the 38% protein content is simply way too much for some dogs.

    Unless you have an extremely active dog, a protein content this high can easily lead to other health issues, like weight gain. It might get their allergies under control, but it also might bring in new problems that you will need to try and figure out.

    Pros
    • Multiple size options
    • Fish is great for allergies
    • Only high-quality ingredients
    • 90% animal ingredients
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • The protein-protein content is too high for some dogs

    10. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Food

    Hill's Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food

    Main ingredients: Chicken, chicken meal, yellow peas, cracked pearled barley, and brown rice
    Protein content: 20%
    Fat content: 13%
    Calories: 3,467 kcal/kg

    Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Dry Dog Food is a great food for dogs with food allergies and sensitivities. This is the dry version of Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin Wet Dog Food, which means it’s more affordable but is still a recipe for dogs with sensitive skin and stomachs.

    Hill’s makes the recipe in the United States, so you know exactly what you’re getting with each batch. Still, while there’s much about like with this recipe, its main protein ingredient is chicken.

    It’s not a terrible choice on its own, but the cause of many dogs’ food allergies is chicken, and if that’s the case for your French Bulldog, this dog food won’t work for them.

    Pros
    • Affordable option
    • Plenty of size options
    • Made in the U.S.A.
    • Skin- and stomach-specific recipe
    Cons
    • Chicken isn’t always the best for allergies

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    Buyer’s Guide: Picking the Best Dog Food for French Bulldog with Allergies

    With so many great dog foods out there, it can be overwhelming trying to narrow it down to just one for your French Bulldog with allergies. Also, once you pick one, how do you get them to the new diet without any additional flare-ups?

    We break it all down for you here, so you know exactly what your dog needs and what to do when you get their new food.

    Finding the Source of Your Dog’s Food Allergies

    The last thing that you want to do when you’re trying to figure out your dog’s allergies is to jump from food to food and not know how to figure out what’s going on. The best way to determine what allergies your dog has is to take them to a vet. They can run a full screening on them and see everything that they’re allergic to, so you know what to avoid.

    The good news is that this is a one-time expense. Once you know what they’re allergic to, you know what to avoid, and you typically don’t have to worry about it in the future.

    Most of the time, dogs will have an allergic reaction to the proteins in their dog food, not the grains. So, if you’re trying to find something that works better for them, you need to mix up the protein. Novel proteins are generally better for pet allergies, and food with a protein like lamb, venison, or salmon for the highest chance of success. Of course, without getting a full test, there’s no way of knowing for sure what your dog is allergic to and if switching to that new recipe will help your dog.

    Switching Your Dog’s Food

    Once you find a dog food that your pup can handle, it’s time to switch over their diet. While it’s generally best to gradually shift your dog to a new diet, if they’re having a severe allergic reaction to their previous food, this might not be the best option.

    If you have any questions about how to switch your dog over to the new food, it’s best to reach out to your vet. However, if you must switch dog foods right away, there’s a good chance that your dog will experience at least a bit of gastrointestinal distress from the sudden change.

    If you can slowly transition them over the span of a week. Start with 25% of the new food for two days, go to a 50/50 mixture for the next 2 days, and for the rest of the week, use a 75% new diet and 25% old diet mixture.

    How Much Protein Does Your Dog Need?

    The answer to this question comes down to two factors: the age of your dog and their overall activity level. Younger dogs, especially puppies, need more protein to thrive. For dry dog foods, aim for about 25% to 30% protein content. For older and less-active dogs you should aim for between 20% and 25%.

    Of course, this is for dry dog foods. Fresh and wet dog foods have different protein levels because manufacturers measure them on a dry-matter basis. For fresh dog foods, aim for a protein level between 8% and 12%.

    Wet dog foods measure even lower amounts of protein because of the medium, so aim for between 2.5% and 5% protein content for these foods.

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    Final Verdict

    Hopefully, after reading through the reviews and the buyer’s guide, you’re ready to order your French Bulldog’s new food. These are our top picks:


    Featured Image Credit: Tienuskin, Shutterstock

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