This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a small commission. Thanks.
Although many times we never take it seriously, pouring the right diet for our pets is very crucial. With the best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting, for instance, encompassed nutrition not only prevents the frequent belly ailments. But also minimize the chances of your Maltese, Beagle, or the Shepherd developing other chronic conditions like Celiac disease or cancer.
Unlike cats, nonetheless, dogs are notorious in chowing down almost everything they come across. As such, it might be tricky to discern if your furry friend has occasional digestive problems or a sensitive stomach.
To be sure, you have to get in touch with your vet to run a full diagnosis of your pet.
You may also check: Best dry food for dogs with sensitive stomachs
Since the symptom might be from just an acute infection, though, it’s good you first do your own checkup. Otherwise, you might end up spending so much, yet your dog’s stomach problems are from eating spoiled food.
Signs That Your Canine Has A Sensitive Stomach
Usually, a dog with a sensitive stomach will have an intermittent loose stool [or diarrhea] plus vomiting. The latter occurs when the inflammation of the stomach gets intense and causes muscle contractions.
If the inflammation takes on the intestines, the muscle contraction will cause faster movement of the intestinal content through the digestive tract. With no ample time for the digestive fluid to be absorbed back to the body, the resultant excretion is a watery stool [commonly known as diarrhea].
Since a dog can vomit or diarrhea due to other health issues, watch out for the other symptoms related with a sensitive stomach. They include:
- Inappetence [lack of appetite]: Your dog will show disinterest in his favorite kibble and other foods.
- Tiredness and inactivity: She will have that dull look and possibly reluctant to go for a walk.
- Eating grass: As a natural remedy for an upset stomach, the grass helps provoke vomiting and expel whatever is causing the distress.
- Gas: displayed by your dog’s abdomen swelling up in a visible way
- Excessive farting or burping as a way of expelling the excess abdominal gas
- Presence of blood in the fecal remains
- Excessive stomach growling
- Displaying a rigid and hunched posture
Due to the excessive vomiting and diarrhea plus, maybe, hunger, your dog will indeed be dehydrated. As such, you might as well see him with excessive thirst even if he doesn’t want to put anything in his belly.
You may also interest: what to give a dog for upset stomach and vomiting
The 8 Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomach-Vomiting
After the in-depth check, you’ll now know what and why your dog has these symptoms. You’ll know if the problem is from eating from the bins or your little friend is sensitive to certain food compounds.
Of course, there’s nothing you should be worried about in either of the two. But for the sensitivity to ingredients, you’ll need to be very careful when now it comes to feeding time. You’ll have to avoid the particular ingredients causing the problem, as well as choose the nutrition that tends your pet’s stomach.
While picking the diet, you can either go with homemade dog food recipes or the commercial ones from the store.
For better performance, though, we’d recommend more of the latter if you wish to mix them. Not that the homemade recipes are cheap or low quality, no. In the best dog food for a sensitive stomach, there are usually numerous other essential vitamins. Hence, your sick pooch will get to build his health while sating his appetite.
Some of these dog foods include:
1. Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin and Stomach Adult Dry Dog Food
In a world of many, Purina has proved what it means to be a family. As a leading pet food provider, the company offers a wide array of dog recipes that are accessible and rich in quality.
For this Proplan Focus formula, for example, real salmon is the first ingredient. Hence, it provides your pet with a significant amount of amino acids and other vitamins to aid in the development of muscles and tissues.
Apart from the body-building properties, the dog food formula has barley, rice, and oatmeal. The three tend to have a high amount of carbohydrates for energy and natural fiber to enhance smooth digestion.
For your canine with a sensitive stomach, the fiber is genuinely essential as it can help the digestive tract recover from injury. As well as reduce the symptoms of diarrhea and constipation. The best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting of 2020.
Key Features:
- The Dry dog food is highly delicious, nutritious, and with natural ingredients
- It has a real salmon as the first ingredient and primary source of protein
- Rich in natural prebiotic fiber to promote digestive health
- Features highly digestible ingredients, including oatmeal, rice, fish meal, barley, and brewers dried yeast
- Has omega -3 and -6 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat
- It includes no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors and flavors.
What we like about it:
The Purina Pro Plan Focus Salmon & Rice formula is rich in both dietary and prebiotic fiber to support your canine’s digestive system. Read More: Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach Salmon reviews
2. Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Skin & Stomach Grain-free Dog Food
Just as its name suggests, the diet has no wheat, soy, corn, or any other grains. It’s a recipe formulated for the adult canines suffering from grain sensitivities.
With a farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient, the dry dog food is ultimately savory and very supportive in building strong muscles. The chicken has numerous other essential vitamins that work alongside the contained vegetables to promote a healthy immune system.
Amongst these veggies are the green garden peas that offer your dog with carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C, and some protein. The available carrots, on the other hand, offers vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidant properties.
Key Features:
- The dry dog food comprises a highly nutritious and balanced diet for all adult dog breeds
- It features a farm-raised chicken as the first ingredient and source of protein
- Features excellent sources of dietary fiber and natural prebiotics to promote healthy digestion
- Has excellent levels of antioxidants to boost a robust immune system
- Tailored with a balanced ratio of omega -3 and -6 fatty acids for healthy skin and shiny coat
- Features no corn, wheat, soy, or artificial additives [preservatives, colors, & flavors]
- The dog kibble features crunchy bits to clean your pet’s teeth
What we like about it:
As the best dog food for sensitive stomach & vomiting, the diet is grain-free and features a blend of different vegetables. As such, your canine has a guarantee of receiving high content of prebiotics for healthy digestion and antioxidants for a robust immune system.
3. Royal Canin Digestive Care Dry Dog Food
This is another dog nutrition that you can pour to your pooch that has a sensitive stomach. It features various natural ingredients that are rich in essential nutrients and vitamins to boost the wellness of your canine. The best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting.
Amongst these food compounds is chicken meal to provide the protein properties like repairing the damaged tissues and development of muscles.
Formulated to support the common digestive sensitive, the dog’s kibble has brewers rice that is highly digestible and rich in energy. It also has corn gluten meal, beet pulp, and wheat gluten, which are some of the best sources of digestible fiber.
On top of the natural ingredients, the dry dog food has additional vitamin and mineral supplements to enhance a robust immune system. There’s also chicken fat, vegetable oil, and fish oil to make the food palatable, as well as promote healthy skin and a clean coat.
**As you pick this dog food, nonetheless, please know the dog food is only fit for small dog breeds of up to 22lbs. Also, your pooch has to be no lesser than ten months old.**
Key Features:
- It features highly digestible proteins and carbs
- Rich in dietary fibers and prebiotics
- Has omega-3 &-6 fatty acids for healthy skin and coat
- Rich in essential vitamins and antioxidants
- Features natural flavors and preservatives [e.g., rosemary extract and mixed tocopherols]
What did we like about it:
The dog food is good-tasting due to the added chicken fat and natural flavors. Also, it has a special formulation to help support common digestive sensitivities, assist in colon recovery, and promote optimal stool quality.
4. Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe
The Blue Recipe is yet another one of the bestselling dog foods in the market. It’s a grain-free diet. Hence, a better pick for your canine with trouble digesting corn, wheat, soy, or any other grain.
The dry dog food has highly digestible carbohydrates from sources like potatoes, peas, and pumpkin. Real turkey, though, is the number one ingredient and source of protein.
Before preparing, the makers removed bones from the turkey to make the recipe savory and free of inferior ingredients.
In case your pooch is displaying symptoms of constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, and or blood in his stool, this Blue diet can help big. The available peas and pumpkin have a significant amount of fiber and natural prebiotics to smoothen digestion and promote the digestive system’s health.
Also, it has flaxseed and fish oil to provide your bulldog with a balanced ratio of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.
You may also interest: Taste of the wild vs blue buffalo
Key Features:
- The dry dog food features highly digestible carbs and proteins
- It delivers a high amount of amino acids from a real turkey, and pea protein
- Has the proprietary LifeSource Bits to boost a robust immune system
- Contains no poultry by-product meals, wheat, soy, corn, or artificial additives [like flavors or preservatives]
- The dog food has glucosamine and Chondroitin to help maintain healthy bones and joints
What we like about it:
On top of the delicious deboned turkey, the Blue dry dog food has a blend of hardworking antioxidants and essential vitamins. Hence, it gives your dog the power to fight off disease-causing bacteria. Blue buffalo dog food reviews
5. CANIDAE All Life Stages Premium Lamb Meal & Rice Dog Food
This is a great alternative for your dog with a sensitive stomach and who also happens to be highly predisposed to bacterial infections. It features an incredible mix of different essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, with all from natural sources. All over the best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting.
The CANIDAE dog’s recipe features wholesome grains like brown rice, rice bran, millet, and cracked pearled barley. Hence, it’s ultimately rich in carbs for energy and also dietary fiber to support healthy digestion.
For active dogs, the dry kibble has lamb and lamb meal to support the development of lean, firm muscles. It also has flaxseed, salmon oil, and sunflower oil to support a lustrous coat and healthy skin.
Key Features:
- The dog food is remarkably delicious and nutritious
- It features highly digestible lamb meal and lamb for protein
- Has a special formulation of select wholesome grains and natural probiotics t support healthy digestion
- Includes hardworking antioxidants from peas and cranberries to promote a healthy digestive system
- Features excellent sources of omega -3 and -6 fatty acids for healthy, clean skin and coat
- Has a natural flavor and rosemary extract to improve palatability
- The dog is fit for all dog breeds and stages. Hence, very efficient and cost-effective.
What we like about it:
The CANIDAE Premium recipe has optimal wholesome grains that are rich in energy and dietary fiber. It also has a higher content of probiotics and natural antioxidants to support your little friend in the recovery.
6. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Stomach & Skin Chicken Recipe
The Hill’s Science recipe is also a great choice when it comes to improving the appetite of your pooch with a sensitive stomach. It features a blend of all the good-tasting ingredients, starting with chicken, which is the first ingredient and main source of protein.
The chicken has been combined with yellow pillow peas and green peas to top the protein content. Then, added with oat, brewers rice, and whole-grain sorghum to make sure your pets get to receive enough energy and dietary fiber.
The fiber works alongside the present prebiotics to help repair the GI tract plus promote healthy digestion.
With dogs known to be natural scavengers, the Hill’s Science included the canine’s recipe with apples, carrots, and cranberries for their antioxidants. Hill is also the best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting.
Key Features:
- It features high-quality protein to facilitate the development of lean, strong muscles
- Has a significant amount of dietary and prebiotic fiber for healthy digestion
- Formulated with garden veggies and fruits to provide essential vitamins and antioxidants for a healthy immune system
- Features natural flavors and mixed tocopherols to maintain freshness
- Has flaxseed and Soybean oil that offers crucial omega fatty acids for an improved exterior look
- The dry dog food has vitamins A, E, and Potassium to maintain healthy and strong bones
What we like about it:
The Hill’s Science Chicken formula has vitamin E and Omega -6 & -3 fatty acids to promote healthy skin and glossy coat. Furthermore, it has a spectacular taste from the added chicken fat, liver flavor, and natural flavors. Hence, real helpful in restoring your dog’s appetite.
7. Wellness Simple Natural Limited Ingredient Diet
Despite its name, the Wellness dry dog food is a well-balanced recipe, packed with various nutritious ingredients. Its formulation is primarily for the dogs with stomach and skin sensitivities. Hence, the reason it has no wheat, gluten, fillers, dairy, or artificial additives [sweeteners, colors,& preservatives].
The dog food has high-quality protein from a real juicy lamb, lamb meal, and peas to provide optimal amino acids. It also has digestible carbohydrates [from ground millet, oatmeal, and millet] to help provide energy without upsetting your canine’s tummy.
The three carbs also serve as the natural sources of fiber. Thus, work alongside the available Chicory Root [natural prebiotic] to improve digestion and aid in the digestive tract recovery.
The Wellness Simple Natural diet has also included flaxseed and canola oil in the mix. So, you will never have to worry about dry skin or dull coat.
Key Features:
- It features highly nutritious protein from juicy pieces of lamb meat and garden peas
- Contains no artificial chemicals, wheat, or gluten
- Has natural fiber and probiotics to promote a healthy digestive system
- Features green tea extract and vitamin A supplement for a healthy immune system
- The dry dog food includes natural lamb flavor and mixed tocopherols to maintain the freshness.
What we like about it:
The dog’s kibble comes with only limited ingredients that are easy to digest even for the dogs with a gastrointestinal disorder. It has novel protein and also includes omega fatty acids to nourish dry skin and dull coat.
8. Halo Whole Food Natural supplement for Sensitive Stomach
Although it’s not a diet, this Halo product can helps a lot if you have a pooch with a sensitive stomach. It comprises a blend of whole food compounds that aims at improving the digestion.
Amongst the present food ingredients is a sweet potato that many people prefer for its high fiber content. Another essential compound contained in this natural supplement is marshmallow root, which we [humans] often use to soothe an upset tummy.
When you sprinkle the Halo Natural supplement on your dog’s food, therefore, you not only reduce constipation and diarrhea symptoms. But also reduce the risk of stomach ulcers in your pet with food intolerance. The last one for best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting.
Key Features:
- It comprises a natural supplement to promote intestinal well-being of your pet
- Features excellent content of dietary fiber and digestive enzymes to support a healthy digestion
- Very helpful in reducing vomiting, constipation and diarrhea symptoms
- Has hardworking antioxidants [from ginger root & turmeric root extract] to boost a healthy immune system
- Contains no fillers or artificial additives
- Has a remarkable flavor that your pet can’t resist. Hence, it can assist in restoring appetite.
- The supplement is very easy to hide in your pup’s food.
Buyer’s Guide: Essential Pointers To Consider While Choosing The Best Dog Food For A Sensitive Stomach
Although there are others, these are some of the best dog food recipes that you can use in treating a sensitive stomach. They all consist of some of the best-rated products on the market. Hence, you shouldn’t have any worries while pouring in the feeding bowl of your Toy Maltese, Chihuahua, or Rottweiler.
Before you pick either of the diets, nonetheless, there are several aspects you have to bear in mind. They include the Symptoms of a sensitive stomach, Causes, and the Ingredients To Avoid.
Since we have already discussed the common signs and symptoms, we’ll only look at other remaining two aspects. Knowing about them is truly crucial as it ensures you exactly get what your dog needs and avoid worsening his condition.
The Causes Of A Sensitive Stomach In Canines
Before we even come to the causes, let’s briefly outline what a sensitive stomach is. A lot of people refer to the condition as an upset stomach, yet the pair are two different disorders.
From our knowledge, a sensitive stomach is a form of gastrointestinal response that is often triggered by certain food compounds. The condition makes your dog unable to tolerate particular ingredients. Hence, leading to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, gassiness, and or abdominal pain.
You may also interest: best dog food for sensitive stomach and diarrhea
A sensitive stomach is a disorder that your dog can be born with, or he develops unexpectedly at any age. For the first one, prevention is tricky as it means the disease is an inherited form.
With the second type that develops in the later life stages, the cause is due to improper handling and feeding practices. They include:
Providing Dog Food With Certain Grains:
This one usually is in the form of allergies, whereby your dog’s body will reject particular grains. It happens as a way of protecting the body from the things it thinks are dangerous, even if in the real sense, they’re harmless.
Your dog can develop allergies to grains at the early stages or later on after years of constant exposure. The grains that are common triggers of an allergic reaction include wheat, soy, and corn.
Offering Feed With Beef And Dairy:
As far as the truth says, beef and dairy products are major causes of allergic intolerance in canines. In a recent veterinary study, the two ingredients were the leading offending food sources at 34% and 17%, respectively.
Of course, that is sad as the majority of pet lovers rely on beef as a source of protein, but those were the confirmed results.
Providing Diets With Artificial Additives:
While your dog might seem to be enjoying them, these synthetic additives could be toxic to your pet. Worse than even the dairy products and grains, the chemicals can cause chronic toxicity and long-term disorders like cancer.
Pet food brands often add artificial additives in the form of preservatives, colors, and flavors. Some of the commonly used synthetic additives include Ethoxyquin, Propylene glycol, Phosphoric Acid, BHA, & BHT
A Sudden Change In Diet:
Naturally, canines tend to have a more sensitive stomach than humans or even cats. For this reason, they can experience digestive upsets when introduced to new diets abruptly without following the recommend transitioning rule.
Whether it’s a young pup that is transitioning to an adult diet or a senior dog switching to a different brand of food, the process has to be gradual. Otherwise, your pet will develop gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and or upset tummy.
Feeding Rancid Or Moldy Food
Although some of us ignore it, old food is not fit for consumption to your pets. The fungal neurotoxins on that moldy kibble are surely poisonous and can make your pet very ill. It can make the tummy upset and cause severe vomiting plus diarrhea that can be life-threatening if left untreated.
Ingredients To Avoid for Dogs With A Sensitive Stomach
Once you know the causes or the ingredients that are triggering digestive sensitivities in your dog, the next step is the treatment. Since the symptoms only pop out when your dog ingests particular food compounds, the first thing is to sort them out. Then, remove them from your dog’s bowl.
They are no longer necessary, and refraining from them is the best way to feed your pet for long, healthier life.
Here are the ingredients you need to avoid and prevent your dog from developing symptoms of a sensitive stomach.
Artificial colorings: Stopping their use will prevent your dog from developing digestive sensitivities at later life stages.
Synthetic flavorings: It also will help lessen the risk of a sensitive stomach and even other life-threatening conditions like cancer.
Artificial preservatives: the chemicals are often harsh and can lead to several health problems. So, avoiding it will guarantee your furry friend a long, healthy, and happy life.
Grains wheat: it will help protect your pooch with grain allergies from related symptoms and other long-term effects
Rancid/ moldy kibble: refraining from feeding your dog will help prevent fungal infection and digestive disorders such as upset stomach and vomiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I know if my canine has a sensitive stomach?
That’s simple. You’ll need to closely monitor the behavior of your dog for the next 24 hours. Then, look out for symptoms associated with the condition and also chances of exposure to any of the causes we have discussed.
What can you give a dog for an upset stomach and vomiting?
You can provide a diet rich in easily digestible fiber and natural probiotics. It can help soothe the ailing stomach and also reduce vomiting symptoms. A good example is a canned pumpkin and unique food formulas like the Blue Basics Limited Recipe and Halo Natural supplement.
What do you feed a puppy with a sensitive stomach?
You can provide canned dog food that has a high content of fiber and vitamins. Canned food has high moisture to improve digestibility in sick and young dogs. Fiber and vitamins, on the other hand, will tend to the ailing tummy.
What causes food allergies in dogs?
That depends. The unlucky pups may be born with it as a form of an inherited food allergy. Others may come to develop it later due to prolonged exposure to certain ingredients.
How can I deal with food intolerance in my dog?
This one is definitely straightforward. You just need to sort out the food ingredients causing the intolerance and then avoid giving to your dog. If the symptoms persist, however, visit your vet to run in-depth tests on your pet.
Do warm weather increase the likelihood of an upset stomach?
Yes, it does. In warmer weathers, organic materials usually experience rapid bacterial and fungal growth. As such, dogs get to feed on more semi-rotten molding materials that are likely to upset their digestive systems.
How can I clear up diarrhea in my dog?
Well, the solution is just like that of vomiting symptoms. You just need to provide food rich in fiber and probiotics. The idea is to soothe the digestive system with healthy bacteria and also “normalize” the watery stool by absorbing the excess fluid from inside the colon.
Recommend for you: How to put weight on a dog with sensitive stomach
Final Verdict
A sensitive stomach is a condition that can get any dog irrespective of breed, age, or even the current health status. Also, it’s a condition that is tricky to manage without getting distasteful.
Particularly if you live with your beagle in the same apartment, it means you’ll have to keep track of every of his movement. Otherwise, one of your guests will sit on a fresh dog puke on the couch.
Luckily, using the best dog food for sensitive stomach-vomiting, you can reduce the symptoms and get your pet back to health. All you’ll need to do is to choose a diet rich in fiber, probiotics, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Vitamins and antioxidants will help boost the immune system’s health and protect your pooch from acute fungal infections.
The fiber and probiotics, on the other hand, will support the digestive system and enhance healthy digestion. In case your dog has colon injuries, the two will also assist it in recovering and even add healthy bacteria to prevent future infections.