How To Select The Best Dog Food For Boxers With Skin Allergies

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Best Dog Food For Boxers with Skin Allergies

The Best dog food for boxers with skin allergies are foods that are free from Beef and Soy products, which in clinical studies have shown to be a major cause of Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD), an allergic skin response.

Multiple studies have shown that Boxer dogs are one of the breeds pre-disposed for Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD) and Food Hypersensitivities.

Best Dog Food for Boxers with Skin Allergies

The best dog food for boxers with skin allergies are foods that do not contain the following top 6 allergens that have been identified in both clinical studies and in a clinical care setting.

The two allergens generating the most allergic skin allergic responses in clinical studies with canines

• Beef  
• Soy

These 4 have produced allergic responses in canines

• Dairy Products
• Lamb 
• Wheat
• Chicken Eggs

Multiple experimental studies across different continents evaluating ingredients for allergic responses in dogs (278 dogs evaluated) showed

• 69% of reported allergic responses across the studies were reactions to Beef, Dairy Products, and Wheat
• An additional 25% of the dogs showed allergic responses to Lamb, chicken egg, and soy

The protein component in these products is typically the allergenic agent causing the allergic response.

Adverse reactions to food seen in canines account for between 10 -20% of all reported skin problems.

Best Food for Boxer Dogs with Skin Allergies – Supporting Research

A prospective study involving single-ingredient trials involving 25 dogs was conducted to evaluate the allergic responses of each ingredient in dog foods.

The ingredients tested were

1. Beef
2. Chicken
3. Chicken Eggs
4. Cow’s Milk (Dairy)
5. Wheat
6. Soy
7. Corn

“Among all the ingredients Beef and Soy were found to cause the most cutaneous  adverse reactions.”  Food Allergies in Canines: A Review, Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 2017, Bhagat, et al.

Therefore, if your boxer is experiencing skin allergies, reducing or eliminating Beef and Soy protein-containing dog foods may alleviate their skin allergies.

The best dog food for Boxers with skin allergies falls into 4 categories

• Limited Ingredient
• Hypoallergenic
• Fresh Food
• Raw Food

Each of these categories has food selections that your boxer will love to eat, and are healthy options that contain very few ingredients and that do not contain the 6 top allergens listed above.

For more information read our posts

6 Top Foods That Cause Allergies in Your Boxer Dog.

7 Most Common Boxer Dog Allergies – Helping Your Boxer With Symptoms

Best Dog Food For Boxers with Skin Allergies – Key Summary

• The top 6 food allergens include: beef, dairy products, lamb, wheat, chicken eggs, and soy
• Beef and SOY are the two allergens that produced the most dermatologic responses

To help alleviate the potential for skin allergies, select dog foods that are limited ingredients, hypoallergenic, fresh, and/or raw food.

Prevalence of Skin Allergies in Boxer Dogs

A published survey, A Survey of Canine and Feline Skin Disorders seen in a University Practice & Small Animal clinics, University of Montreal, Saint Hyacinth, Quebec (1987-88), by Scott et al. found

• Boxers dogs and Golden Retrievers are some of the dog breeds predisposed to canine dermatoses (skin diseases) particularly atopic dermatitis
• Boxer dogs, along with German Shepherds were two breeds that were pre-disposed for food hypersensitivities.

This survey also reported that  “Dermatological disorders accounted for 18.8% of all dogs examined”. Small Animal Clinics (Scott, 1988)

This survey included 419 dogs with 558 dermatological disorders with the following breakdown of skin allergies:

• Allergic Dermatitis – 130
  • Atopic Dermatitis – 71
  • Food Hypersensitivities – 26

Survey Results

The survey found that Boxers represented 15.5% of cases of Atopic Dermatitis and 11.6 % of Food Hypersensitivity while only accounting for 2.7% of the hospital population.

In another supporting study, A Prospective Study On Canine Atopic Dermatitis and Food Induced Dermatitis in Switzerland, University Published Paper, Picco, et al (2008) the researchers evaluated the cases of Canine Atopic Dermatitis(CAD) and Food Induced Allergic Dermatitis (FIAD).

Breed Disposition – whole study group – 259 dogs

CAD dogs – 183

FIAD dogs – 65

Boxers are representative of both of these groups since they are pre-disposed for Canine Atopic Dermatitis and Food Induced Allergic Dermatitis.

Study Results for boxers are in the table below.

** Senso Stricto is a canine that did not respond to an elimination diet.

These studies reinforce that Boxer Dogs are pre-disposed to both skin and food Allergies

Best Dog Foods For Dogs With Skin Allergies – Dog Food Categories

Recall from earlier in the article there are 4 categories of dog foods that can help prevent skin allergies in your boxer.  The categories are

• Limited ingredient
• Hypoallergenic
• Fresh Food
• Raw Foods

Remember to work with your veterinarian on a diet for your boxer if they experience food or skin allergies.  Your veterinarian can determine what diet would be most appropriate for your boxer

Listed below are tables for each category of dog food.  We created these tables to include

• Best Brands in a dog food category
• Protein source – since proteins typically act as the allergen in the allergic response
• Key Ingredients
• Form 
• Cost
• Retailers where its available

For additional information on food allergies, read our article

5 Dog Food Skin Allergies: Best Treatments

Best Dog Food For Boxers with Skin Allergies – Limited Ingredients

As the name states, These dog foods typically have 8 or fewer ingredients to limit the potential for allergic responses.

These foods were selected because they do not contain Beef or Soy proteins which have been shown to elicit skin allergies in canines.

To get more information and check prices use the links below

CANIDAE Pure Goodness Senior Chicken, Sweet Potato & Garbanzo Bean Recipe Dry Dog Food

Blue Buffalo Basics Skin & Stomach Care Grain-Free Formula Turkey & Potato Recipe Adult Dry Dog Food

Best Dog Food For Boxers with Skin Allergies – Hypoallergenic Dog Food

What are hypoallergenic dog foods?  Hypoallergenic Dog foods typically contain

• A unique type of protein source – such as venison, duck
• Contain healthy plant-based ingredients, like fruits and vegetables.
• The protein and healthy ingredient mix are designed to help prevent allergic responses

For Products with Novel Proteins visit the links below for more information

Just Food For Dogs Venison & Squash Recipe

Ollie’s Fresh Pork With Apples

Best Dog Food For Boxers with Skin Allergies – Fresh/Frozen Dog Food

Fresh and Frozen foods are typically

• Dog foods that are made in human-grade kitchens
• Usually free of ingredients that cause an allergic response
• Made with fresh proteins, fruits, and vegetables
• Are available in fresh, frozen, or air-dried forms
• Typically purchased online through a subscription service
• Can be tailored to meet your dog’s specific needs

For more information on Fresh/Frozen Foods visit the links below.

Just Food For Dogs Turkey & Whole Wheat Macaroni Recipe

Ollie Lamb and Cranberry Dinner

NomNom Turkey Fare Dinner

Best Food For Boxers With Skin Allergies – Raw Foods

As the name implies, raw food diets contain raw meats, organs, fresh fruits, and vegetables.  They include both common and exotic proteins

• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Goat
• Venison
• Duck
• Rabbit
• Tripe
• Liver

Raw Diets can be fed as just proteins or a combination of proteins and fruits and vegetables.

Get additional information and pricing using on raw and freeze-dried food using the links below.

Raw Paws Pet Food Signature Blend Pet Food for Dogs & Cats – Turkey Recipe, 3 lbs

ONLY NATURAL PET EASYRAW CAGE-FREE TURKEY & SWEET POTATO FEAST DEHYDRATED DOG FOOD – 2 LB (MAKES 10 LBS)

Raw Diet Products are available at the following retailers: Chewy,

For additional information on raw food diets, read our post

Raw Food Diet For Boxers – Definitive Cost Analysis – Are They Worth It

Best Dog Food For Boxers With Sensitive Skin – Summary

Boxer dogs are pre-disposed for both skin and food allergies.

The two most common allergens causing skin allergies in dogs are Beef and Soy proteins.  If your Boxer is suffering from skin allergies try to avoid dog foods with these ingredients.

The Top 6 Allergens in dog food leading to allergies in canines are

• Beef 
• Soy
• Dairy Products
• Lamb 
• Wheat
• Chicken Eggs

Read our article

How To Select The Best Dog Food For Boxers With Skin Allergies

Avoiding these 6 allergens can be accomplished by feeding your boxer foods from the following categories.

• Limited Ingredient
• Hypoallergenic
• Fresh/Frozen
• Raw Foods

Work with your veterinarian to develop a diet that will help your boxer avoid developing skin allergies.

As the saying goes “ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

Discoverboxerdogs.com are Mary and Chris Kustanbauter.  We reside in Red Lion, PA with our two Boxers, Duke and Katie, who are both rescue dogs.  We have been working with Adopt A Boxer Rescue for the past 17 years and have adopted 5 Boxers from this fine organization. To learn more visit our Home, Boxer Dog Family, and Blogs Pages  Visit us on social media on Facebook – All About Boxers, Instagram, and Pinterest.