Best Dog Food for Wheaten Terriers with Allergies

Wheaten Terriers are typically very healthy dogs. They’re soft to the touch despite that muscular structure, and they are generally easy-going dogs. With their Irish Farms heritage, they typically require a quality nutrition plan to keep them going.

And if you’re a pet parent to a Wheaten Terrier you know they need a love of human interaction. Interaction with other animals and pets is a different story that depends on how they were raised!

And due to their high activity level, most walks involve some sort of pulling or tugging until adequate training has been completed.

Feeding your Wheaten Terrier the right amounts of quality foods to sustain their activity level can be hard enough, but what about when they start developing sensitivities?

Some Wheaten Terriers can be born with allergies to certain ingredients or develop them over time.

Here are the top 5 best foods for Wheaten Terriers with allergies:

1. Hill’s Science Diet, Sensitive Stomach & Skin
2. Purina ONE SmartBlend Natural Sensitive Systems
3. Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach
4. Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Ocean
5. Wysong Optimal Adult

With so many foods on the market and so many people blogging about dogs, it can be difficult for a pet parent to find any sort of real answer. If you suspect your Wheaten Terrier has allergies and are looking for new food then keep reading.

This post is going to discuss what food allergies are, how they are in fact quite rare in dogs, and then discuss some possible options that can help with your Wheaten Terrier with allergies.

Some of the links in this post are affiliate, and we may earn a commission.

Related Reading: Best No-Pull Dog Harness for Wheaten Terriers [REVIEWED]

Best Foods for Wheaten Terriers with Allergies

Whenever switching to a new food it’s important to follow both the food’s recommended transitioning protocol and any suggestions from your veterinarian.

1. Hill’s Science Diet, Sensitive Stomach & Skin

This food has been designed to promote better digestive health in dogs while also nourishing their skin.

Hill’s Science foods are highly recommended by veterinarians. While this food isn’t perfect for all dogs, it can be an excellent food for some dogs experiencing symptoms from the food they are eating.

While this food is not geared towards eliminating certain protein sources it does aim to improve digestion. It contains a source of prebiotic fibres that help to balance the gut microbiome in dogs.

The Hill’s Science Diet is formulated to be highly digestible to help dogs better absorb the nutrients from the food they eat. It also contains higher amounts of Vitamin E and Omega 6 fatty acids to help keep your dog’s skin and coat healthy.

This one is a little on the pricier side considering what it contains. However, this food is designed for sensitivities rather than allergies.

As I discussed earlier, food allergies in dogs are rare, and grain allergies are very rare.

It contains a source of prebiotic fibre to support a balanced gut microbiome in your grown dog. This food is also designed to be highly digestible, something the food your doggie is currently eating may lack.

If you are specifically trying to avoid eggs, chicken, and/or grains then this food will not work.

Some pet parents have experienced this food making their doggie’s allergies even worse. Whether it’s diarrhea or more itching, some dogs, unfortunately, do not do well on this food.

This is the reality for dog food, unfortunately, but it can be more disappointing when it comes to higher quality and commercial dog food.

It won’t completely change up what your doggie is likely already eating but it will clean up what they’re eating and promote better digestion.

These two things combined may improve your doggie’s current symptoms.

2. Purina ONE SmartBlend Natural Sensitive Systems

This food is a great option for pet parents on a budget and contains mostly salmon as its protein.

If you’re trying to pinpoint a particular protein your doggie is allergic to, then this food is a good place to start.

This dog food has a focus on easier to digest nutrition. It contains salmon (as the first ingredient) and is an omega-rich dog food that can help improve a doggie’s skin and coat.

Other vitamins and minerals found within this food aim to improve a dog’s immune system which may help with defence against allergens.

At roughly $17 a month for a 35 lbs. doggie, this food is an excellent choice for pet parents on a budget.

The main protein source is fish. If you are working with a doggie that has chicken or beef allergy then this food will help.

Don’t feel bad about the low price, Purina is a well-established pet food company and often sold out of veterinarian’s offices.

A lot of pet parents report this food as helping their dog with a sensitive stomach. Due to the higher amounts of omega fatty acids, this food is also being praised for making dog coats shinier.

While the first ingredient is Salmon, this dog food does contain some chicken. If chicken is suspected as a food allergen for your doggie then this product may not work.

This food was once free of all chicken, but it now appears further down the list of ingredients.

This is the best option for those on a budget. In fact, it’s a great option for those not on a budget as well.

If you suspect your doggie is reacting to certain foods, then Purina ONE SmartBlend may be a suitable food in helping manage their symptoms.

3. Purina Pro Plan Focus Sensitive Skin & Stomach

Think of this one as a slightly better version than #1, and at less than $10 extra per month for this food, the Purina Pro Plan may be worth considering for a few reasons.

The first ingredient is salmon and there is no:

• wheat
• soy
• corn
• artificial colours
• artificial flavours
• no poultry-by-product meal

Like I said, similar to #1 but a little better.

At roughly $24 a month for a 35 lbs. doggie, this food is an excellent choice for pet parents on a budget.

Many pet parents have reviewed this food as responsible for relieving their doggie’s skin allergies. It can also improve a doggie’s coat making it appear shinier.

A lot of pet parents report success with this food and their dog that has allergies.

It contains a prebiotic fibre that promotes digestive health.

It does not contain any corn, wheat, or soy which can help when trying to determine a specific food allergy.

While shipping dog food is normally fine, there has been an unusually high amount of complaints about this particular food.

A lot of the complaints from pet parents focus on spoiled or damaged food which may indicate warehousing issues.

If you suspect your doggie is dealing with a food allergy or sensitivity, especially to something like chicken, then this food is an excellent choice.

If you’re looking for something with even fewer ingredients then keep reading.

4. Wellness Core Natural Grain-Free Dry Dog Food Ocean

If you’re looking for food that has a good chance of relieving your dog of some common food allergies, then you may want to consider the Wellness Core dog food.

In case your dog is one of the very rare populations of dogs that has a grain allergy, this food is grain-free.

It contains Whitefish as its first ingredient and the remaining protein sources come from fish. For a complete list of ingredients click here to view it on Amazon (opens a new tab).

At $35 a month, this food is starting to get on the pricier side. There is a good chance, however, that it will help your dog clean up their diet in a fairly short amount of time.

Few foods can avoid so many common food allergens while still maintaining fairly high nutritional integrity.

The Wellness Core Ocean dog food avoids many of the common dog food allergens in commercial dog foods.

In fact, the reviews for this dog food are full of anecdotal stories from pet parents stating this food relieved many of their doggie’s allergies once they switched to it.

This food, unfortunately, has a very strong smell to it.

If a fishy smell causes you to feel queasy then you may find this food unbearable to handle.

Just to be on the safe side I recommend storing it in a sealed container and outside of any main room (if possible).

Additionally, not every pet parent and their doggie find relief with this food. Some pet parents review this food as having made their dog sick causing an upset stomach.

The Wellness Core Ocean dog food may be the quickest way to eliminate many of the common food allergens found in most dog food.

But, as always, consult your veterinarian before making any major dietary changes. I’m sure they’ll have a good reason if they advise against this food as it’s already vet recommended.

5. Wysong Optimal Adult

In my opinion, Wysong deserves to be more popular than it is. It’s great dog food made by a dog food company that truly cares about the well-being of doggies.

Although there is little clinical research supporting rotating diets for dogs, there is anecdotal evidence from pet parents who swear by it.

Wysong makes rotating your dog’s diet really simple. This may help your doggie’s allergies as it can help prevent food allergens and intolerances.

To read more about Wysong’s philosophy on diet rotation for dogs, then click here.

This food is definitely on the premium side. But this is definitely a food where the higher cost comes with higher quality.

Wysong Optimal Adult dog food contains very low levels of carbohydrate, low glycemic index, multiple organic ingredients, unsurpassed levels of enzymes and probiotics, natural omega-3 : omega-6 fatty acid ratios, a superb spectrum of micronutrients, including life stage-specific nutraceuticals, and more.

They also go the extra mile by packaging all of their foods in bags that prevent oxidization. Many pet parents are surprised to learn just how quickly dry dog food can go bad due to poor packing.

Make sure you’re in the know for how long dry dog food can last and steps you can take to make it last longer.

The kibbles are quite small compared to most dog foods. This is more an issue if you have a larger dog who eats extremely fast, although I’ve yet to see a dog take their time eating…

The price is also a con. If you’re a pet parent on a budget (and there’s nothing wrong with that!) then you may want to skip this one. 

Wysong has been feeding healthy dog foods to dogs for over 40 years. Their philosophy is to mimic the “archetypal carnivorous diet’.

If you want more choices and availability for Wysong’s dog food and other products then I suggest going straight to the source on their website, which you can do by clicking here.

Premium Dog Food For Wheaten Terriers

Premium dog food is often for those pet parents that have already tried “everything”.

If your Wheaten Terrier truly has an allergy then trying out dog food like Ollie may be beneficial. First, Ollie contains very few ingredients and contains a single protein source.

This makes it very easy to identify what your Wheaten Terrier is allergic/sensitive to.

Ollie is a dog food company that makes fresh, healthy and limited ingredient dog food that gets shipped right to your door.

And utilizing a service like Ollie when you’re struggling with a potentially serious condition can save you both money and peace of mind.

Allergy Immune Supplement For Wheaten Terrier

In case you feel that none of the recommended foods in this post is a good fit for your doggie, or you feel that you may not need to completely switch their food, I’d like to recommend this allergy immune supplement.

This supplement is enhanced with EpiCor. At 80 mg per chew, EpiCor provides vitamins, protein, fibre and antioxidants that are clinically proven to support the body’s natural defences to balance the immune system and keep your dog feeling healthy.

What’s great about this supplement is that allergy medication for dogs, like Apoquel, can sometimes run as high as $150 a month whereas this supplement will be a fraction of that cost.

Just don’t expect these to work overnight. Some pet parents had to wait two-three weeks before their doggie’s symptoms improved.

In any case, if your doggie is exhibiting symptoms like itching and scratching these may be worth considering.

What Is a Food Allergy for Dogs?

If your Wheaten Terrier has a food allergy it means their immune system is misidentifying a protein from their food as an “invader” rather than a food item that causes an immune response.

Think of it as a “glitch in the matrix”.

If this is the case for your Wheaten Terrier then this “invader” will end up causing itchy skin or ear and skin infections. It can also cause vomiting or diarrhea (gastrointestinal signs) for some dogs.

The thing is, food allergies aren’t the only causes for these symptoms and many of the other causes are much more common than food allergies.

Some common causes of gastrointestinal signs in dogs:

• parasites
• viruses
• bacterial infections
• pancreatitis
• eating something they shouldn’t have

So consider whether you have the right evidence supporting your Wheaten Terrier’s food allergy. There’s a lot of marketing hype in the dog food world which can cause pet-parents to become worried and start searching for the new “right” product.

How to Diagnose a Food Allergy in Dogs

Not only are food allergies rare in dogs, there is no easy test for finding food allergies in dogs.

“While many tests – using blood, saliva, and even hair – that can be performed by a veterinarian or purchased by a pet owner online (and even sometimes, shockingly, through a Groupon!) advertise that they can diagnose food allergies or “sensitivities”, there is no proof that they work.”[1]

Dr. Deborah E. Linder, DVM, MS, DACVN

The most effective way pet parents can find out if their doggie has a food allergy is to work with their vet in monitoring their dog’s new strict diet.

The diet needs to be one that your pet has never been fed before. This can include foods with proteins that are hydrolyzed (where the proteins are broken down into very small pieces that can hide from the immune system) or ones that are purified to remove the parts that are likely to cause allergies.

This new diet needs to then be strictly adhered to for at least a month, but sometimes longer.

If your doggie’s signs dramatically improve during the trial then the last step is to reintroduce their old food to confirm it was, in fact, an ingredient in the old food.

Which Foods Cause the Most Allergies in Dogs?

The most commonly reported food allergies in dogs are:

• chicken
• beef
• dairy
• egg

Keep in mind, however, these are the foods that dogs are exposed to most.

What about grains? Well, despite marketing dog food hype, most dogs are allergic to animal proteins if they have a food allergy.

Grain allergies in dogs are very rare.

There Is No TRUE or BEST “Allergy Diet”

Despite what marketing would want you to believe, there is no “one size fits all” diet when it comes to your Wheaten Terrier and allergies.

The closest thing to a “hypoallergenic” diet that dog food companies can offer are hydrolyzed diets.

Hydrolyzed just means the proteins are broken down into very small pieces that can hide from the immune system.

Final Thoughts

If you suspect your Wheaten Terrier has allergies then make sure you, well, make sure! Too many pet parents fall into a spiral of worry.

Your Wheaten Terrier may have recently developed an allergy or sensitivity to the food they eating and, if that’s the case, I hope this post has helped narrow down some new food choices.