“Mack is a staffy with skin and food allergies, so you can imagine how happy I was to find a dog food with NO chicken listed in the ingredients.
I’m very happy with Scratch, and so is Mack!!”
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Shop ExtrasWe designed Scratch to be the best dog food for allergies.
But first, let’s dig into hypoallergenic dog food, skin allergies, environmental allergies and everything in between.
I’m Mike – one of the founders of Scratch.
For two months all my friends have heard me talk about is dogs and sinuses. Itâs the middle of a Melbourne spring at time of writing and Iâve been struck down by allergies for the first time in my life. As pollen fills the air and bits drop off all sorts of plants, my head seems to swell, my ears fill and my face randomly hurts!
Dogs get struck down by allergies too, but luckily we can control their feeding with healthy allergy dog food and make sure that their environment is looking after them.
From our very original single-protein kangaroo recipe, we’ve wanted to design the best dog food for allergies and provide relief for the symptoms, and prevention for the cause.
Think grass and pollen.
These often clear up in winter.
Where their body mistakes ingredients as harmful, causing their immune systems to go into overdrive. That’s where hypoallergenic dog food like Scratch can really help. Learn more about dogs and food allergies.
Where they lack the digestive enzyme to properly digest certain ingredients.
Puppy and adult dog owners have seen benefit from moving to a grain-free, lower carbohydrate diet to control inflammation.
Scratch is really good dog food for allergies, reducing the triggers, building up the gut flora with plenty of fibre, and relieving the skin with a mix of 4 healthy oils.
Most likely, itâs the protein causing the issue. Of dogs with reactions, the most common causes are beef (34%), dairy (17%), chicken (15%) and wheat (13%).
Our single-protein kangaroo recipe has helped thousands of dogs with allergies. Our newer lamb hypoallergenic dog food is a rare grain-inclusive recipe that also helps skin and allergies.
Try to avoid broken down ingredients, seeking mostly whole ingredients that have had less processing.
Scratch is choc full of premium meat & whole veggies.
We know exactly how much & what goes into our food. We even weigh our meat after it’s been dried – so there’s plenty more protein than other dog food for allergies.
to Australian environmental & dog welfare initiatives
“Mack is a staffy with skin and food allergies, so you can imagine how happy I was to find a dog food with NO chicken listed in the ingredients.
I’m very happy with Scratch, and so is Mack!!”
“Since starting Duke on Scratch he isnât scratching so much & no more runny #2âs!!!
Now onto the customer service. Hands down THE BEST, customer service around!”
âScratch is bloody awesome. Tooska has always had the worst tummy & we have given away multiple bags of food.
She has had so much more energy, sheâs so much happier and has **** you can scoop⊠Thank you so much Scratchâ
4.9/5 Average Rating from
over 40,000 Aussie dogs
Normal store dog food can be up to 9 months old before it hits your shelves. We often ship Scratch within days of making it.
A 28% protein hit to keep your pup up and at it all day long.
Not all ingredients taste the same. We find the best, unprocessed Aussie ingredients to keep your dog healthy.
Say goodbye to runny tummies and hello to perfectly firm number 2s.
Most grain free food swaps a crappy grain for a crappy processed starch. Scratch is choc full of premium meat & whole veggies.
Say it with us now [hahy-poh-al-er-jen-ik ]. By definition, hypoallergenic means something designed to reduce or minimize the possibility of an allergic response, as by containing relatively few or no potentially irritating substances. We set out to make good dog food for allergies from the very beginning. Our recipes are all designed by animal nutritionists, using whole Aussie ingredients.
Our hypoallergenic dog food Lamb recipe in particular is packed full of naturally hypoallergenic lamb and the same healthy oils make this a favourite of even the most sensitive tummies. Our Kangaroo recipe is a single protein dog food thatâs made for dogs who can’t stomach what big pet food puts out there. See more about dog food for sensitive tummies.
Our most popular option for dogs of all ages - even large breed pups.
For any woofer that can't seem to shake tummy, skin or joint issues.
Clean, mean recipe full of hypoallergenic lamb and some nutritious ancient whole-grains. Great for very active dogs.
If you do have anything super specific you want to chat about, hit us up on live chat.
If your dog suffers from seasonal allergies, owners have seen benefit from moving to a grain-free, lower carbohydrate diet to control inflammation. Our Turkey, Lamb & Beef recipe is the lowest carb but our Kangaroo recipe is more suited to the most sensitive dogs.
If your dog suffers from seasonal allergies, owners have seen benefit from moving to a grain-free, lower carbohydrate diet to control inflammation.
Scratch grain-free Kangaroo is packed full of lean roo meat, uses 4 skin-soothing oils to provide immediate relief to itchy skin and helps to fix immune response with gut-repairing fibre.
Common processed grains and meat proteins are the most frequent cause of food allergies and sensitivities in dogs. Of dogs with reactions, the most common proteins to blame are beef (34%), dairy (17%), chicken (15%) and wheat (13%), whilst wheat troubles many dogs.
Grain-free dog food has been shown to cause less allergies for dogs than grain-inclusive diets. Not all grains are bad, but few dog food companies make a premium dog food with grains so all of the really good stuff only gets used in grain-free recipes.
If your dog has allergies, look to avoid processed grains such as corn, maize and wheat. If it’s a grain-free dog food that you opt for, look for one with no more than 15% starch.
Over time, many dogs have built up genetic intolerances to low-quality meats that they or their parents have been repetitively fed. Beef and chicken are the most common. Kangaroo and Lamb are good options for sensitive dogs, as well as Turkey.
Avoid chicken, beef and dairy – the most common proteins causing sensitivities and allergies for dogs.
Sweet Potato is a healthier alternative than Potato for dogs, as it’s lower starch content doesn’t raise blood sugar and immune response like high-starch foods do.
If your vet puts your dog on an elimination diet, they’ll suggest staying on it for 3 months to really be sure. However, we’ve seen dogs tummies get immediate tummy relief from Scratch grain free dog food, and easing red, dry or itchy skin within a fortnight.
It depends on the vet. There are many good vets and a growing number of holistically-minded vets, however many have limited nutritional training. It’s common for vets to prescribe an elimination diet of chicken, veggies and rice which does seem odd to us as most rice raises the blood sugar a lot and chicken is a common allergen, but there we are. If you trust your vet though, don’t let us stop you. Like we said – there are many good ones so hopefully yours works out your dogs food history, takes a look at the contents of their previous diets and can find a link in the cause.
Hypoallergenic dog food can and should be very healthy, but it’s possible to make low-quality hypoallergenic food. Some hypoallergenic dog foods treat the symptom (dog allergies) but through inbalanced recipes or highly processed ingredients that can create flow-on problems that build up over time. A healthy hypoallergenic dog food is well balanced with low-carbs, healthy animal fats and importantly, whole foods instead of processed foods.
Yes, while hypoallergenic dog food is designed to avoid allergies, a well balanced hypoallergenic dog food will be fine for any dog.