DR. HARVEY'S ALLERGY DOG FOOD REVIEW

Dr. Harvey’s Allergy diet is considered low risk and scores 7.5 points. It offers 2 recipes with average protein of 22% and average carbohydrate of 41.75%. It maintains a good score due to minimal processing.

Carbohydrates are especially high causing the food to lose points for quality. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for carbohydrates. Foods that are high in carbohydrates can raise insulin and cause obesity. Some studies also show that dogs fed a high carbohydrate content have changes to their gut bacteria, and 90% of a dog’s immune system is found in the gut. Allergies can stem from immune dysfunction so this is problematic as these foods are specified for allergies.

The other main concern regarding the quality of this food is the addition of vitamins and additional amino acids instead of relying on the ingredients to obtain necessary nutrients. When vitamins come from whole food sources, they include the full spectrum of cofactors, which makes them safe and bioavailable. While a couple of added vitamins are acceptable, five or more implies the food is of poor nutritional value. However, there are no added minerals.

These foods also have added probiotics but it would be helpful to include a guarantee of the colony forming units (CFUs) as well. It’s also good to see that selenium yeast is listed. Dogs need selenium, and it’s usually added in very small amounts. Selenium yeast is the preferred form of this mineral, as included here, and not sodium selenium that might be associated with potential toxicity. 

The only issue regarding ingredient safety is the use of ingredients known to contain higher pesticide/herbicide residues including spinach. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers pose a significant health risk to plants, animals and soils. 

It’s good to see that whitefish is named as the fish used in these recipes. However, it’s not stated whether it’s farmed or wild caught. Wild caught fish is more nutritious and has a healthier fatty acid balance providing healthy omega-3s. That said, Dr. Harvey’s does not provide the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. This is important to know since diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation and disease, and AAFCO allows a very high ratio of 30:1.