8 Best Dog Food for Acid Reflux 2023 (Premium & Budget)

Last Updated on April 22, 2023

Have you ever felt an uncomfortable burning sensation rising up your throat after eating something? Sometimes it’s even accompanied by heartburn. Well, this exact sensation can be experienced by your furry friends too. 

This is a rather common condition in both humans and animals, but the good news is that it’s easy to treat. The right dog food can help minimize your pet’s acid reflux.

In fact, in most cases what causes acid reflux is an improper diet with sub-optimal foods, or perhaps certain additives or ingredients. 

And unfortunately, our pets don’t have the luxury of grabbing an antacid tablet out of the medicine cabinet, so a change in the diet will help nine times out of ten.

In the following article, we’ll examine eight of the best dog foods for pups with acid reflux.

Quick Top Picks: Best Dog Food For Pups With Acid Reflux Review

1. Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Skin and Stomach Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food

Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Chicken, Chicken Meal, Yellow Peas
Type: Dry dog food
Producer: Hill’s 
Daily Feeding Cost: $1.08 per day
Best for: All adult dogs

Hill’s Science Diet Sensitive Skin and Stomach Chicken Recipe is a highly digestible formula that features chicken as the main ingredient.

For a cost of $1.08 a day, your dog gets a delicious recipe packed full of omega fatty acids for immune health and a luscious coat, and prebiotic fiber to aid digestion.

Advantages:

• This food features ascorbic acid which helps to prevent and relieve acid reflux
• The formula is fortified with glucosamine for joint health

Disadvantages:

• This food requires a prescription to buy

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2. Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Dry Dog Food

Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Salmon, Ocean Fish Meal, Sweet Potatoes
Type: Grain-free dry dog food
Producer: Taste of the Wild
Daily Feeding Cost: $1.16 per day
Carolic Content: 3,600 kcal/kg, 360 kcal/cup
Best for: All adult dogs

Taste of the Wild Pacific Stream Grain-Free Recipe is formulated on the idea that all canines should eat a diet like their ancestors once would.

Thus, this grain-free formula features rich protein sources with the main ingredient being real smoked salmon. For a cost of $1.16 a day, your dog will get a nutritious diet consisting of 25% protein, 15% fat, and 3% fiber.

Advantages:

• The recipe is enriched with prebiotic fibers from chicory root which encourages a healthy digestive tract through beneficial bacteria
• A variety of antioxidant-rich fruits and veggies are included in the formula such as blueberries
• This food is free from any grains, corn, wheat, soy, or artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives that could cause digestive distress or allergies

Disadvantages:

• Some vets caution against feeding your dog a grain-free diet due to the potential link between these foods and canine heart disease which is currently being investigated by the FDA

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3. Nom Nom Fresh Pet Food Delivery

Our rating: 4.4
Top Ingredients: Ground turkey, eggs, brown rice
Type: Fresh dog food
Producer: Nom Nom
Daily Feeding Cost: $5 to $6.50 per day
Best for: All adult dogs

Nom Nom Fresh Pet Food is available at a cost of $5 to $6.50 a day. For this premium price tag, you get human-grade fresh dog food made from premium ingredients delivered straight to your door in pre-portioned, insulated packaging. 

Advantages:

• Nom Nom is made fresh and is customized to suit the specific needs of your pet
• Choose from a variety of recipes, each one packed full of nutritious ingredients and packed full of vitamins and minerals

Disadvantages:

• This is one of the most expensive dog food options for your pet

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4. Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Classic Sensitive Skin Dog Food

 Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Water Sufficient For Processing, Salmon, Rice, Fish
Type: Canned dog food
Producer: Purina
Daily Feeding Cost: $1.98 per day
Carolic Content: 1,266 kcal/kg, 467 kcal/can
Best for: All adult dogs

Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Classic Sensitive Skin Dog Food is a wet dog food available for $1.98 a day.

This recipe, made specifically for dogs with sensitive skin and digestive issues features fresh salmon as the primary protein source. It offers your dog 7% protein, 5% fat, and 1.5% fiber.

Advantages:

• This food is loaded with DHA and essential omega fatty acids to support your pet’s immune system and coat and skin health
• This food is proudly manufactured in the USA without any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

Disadvantages:

• Some pet owners didn’t like the fishy smell of this food

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5. Canidae All Life Stages Multi-Protein Dry Dog Food

Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Chicken meal, turkey meal, lamb meal
Type: Dry dog Food
Producer: Canidae
Daily Feeding Cost: $0.64 per day
Caloric content: 3,600 kcal/kg, 3.6 kcal/g, 1,636 kcal/lb, 468 kcal/cup
Best for: All adult dogs

Canidae All-Life Stages Multi-Protein Formula is a great choice for houses with more than one dog as it has been formulated for dogs of all life stages, breeds, and ages.

For a price of $0.64 a day, your dog gets a delicious diet packed full of nutritionally dense, highly digestible proteins like chicken, turkey, and lamb.

Advantages:

• The formula is fortified with probiotics to aid digestion while barley and oatmeal provide great sources of soluble fiber
• This diet is rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids to boost the immune system and maintain healthy skin and coat
• A variety of antioxidant-rich ingredients are included in the recipe to help control inflammation

Disadvantages:

• Some pups found the taste and texture of this diet particularly unappetizing

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6. Natural Balance L.I.D Lamb and Brown Rice Canned Dog Food

Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Broth, Lamb Liver
Type: Canned dog food
Producer: Natural Balance
Daily Feeding Cost: $2.97 per day
Best for: All adult dogs

Natural Balance L.I.D Lamb and Brown Rice Recipe is a high-quality diet specifically made for pups with food sensitivities.

For a cost of $2.97 per day, your dog is delivered a limited ingredient diet with just a small selection of protein and carbohydrate sources with lamb as the primary ingredient.

Advantages:

• Lamb provides your dog with an easily digestible protein source rich in fat, iron, and omega 3 fatty acids
• Canola oil is included in the recipe to increase your dog’s linolenic acid intake without increasing fats
• The formula includes Vitamin A and E supplements to prevent stomach acid displacement as well as zinc proteinate and zinc sulfate to limit gastric acid secretion

Disadvantages:

• Some pet owners said that there was quite a lot

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7. Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Real Lamb Recipe Canned Dog Food

Our rating: 4
Top Ingredients: Deboned Lamb, Water Sufficient for Processing, Lamb Liver, Natural Flavor
Type: Grain-free wet dog food
Producer: Merrick
Daily Feeding Cost: $2.99 per day
Caloric content: 1353 kcal/kg, 487 kcal/can
Best for: All adult dogs

Merrick LID Grain-Free Real Lamb Recipe is wet dog food made from easily digestible proteins and amino acids to aid muscle development.

This limited ingredient diet is available for a cost of $2.99 per day and offers your pet 7% protein, 9% fat, and 1.4% fiber. 

Peas provide an easily digestible source of carbohydrates while sunflower oil and flaxseed supply your pet with plenty of essential fats, vitamins, and minerals.

Advantages:

• This food is free from all grains, soy, wheat, corn, potatoes, artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, to avoid any common digestive issues
• This food is made in Texas, USA
• Each canned dog food features a pull tab for convenient feeding

Disadvantages:

• Some pet owners complained of this food being very liquid

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8. American Journey LID Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe Grain-Free Canned Dog Food

Our rating: 4.5
Top Ingredients: Lamb, Lamb Broth, Lamb Liver
Type: Grain-free Wet Dog Food
Producer: American Journey
Daily Feeding Cost: $2.25 per day
Caloric content: 1,300 kcal/kg or 460 kcal/12.5oz can
Best for: All adult dogs

American Journey LID Lamb & Sweet Potato Recipe features 9% protein, 7% fat, and 1.5% fiber with lamb as the protein source and main ingredient.

Sweet potatoes provide the main carbohydrate source and energy for your pooch. 

For a cost of $2.25 a day, you are getting food made in the USA from high-quality ingredients.

Advantages:

• Lamb is easier to digest and more palatable than many other alternative protein sources
• This recipe contains sunflower oil and flaxseed, both rich sources of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids for an immune system boost and keeping your dog’s skin and health looking and feeling good
• This food is free from any artificial chemicals, grains, corn, wheat, or soy

Disadvantages:

• Some dogs simply refused to eat this diet

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What Foods Help Clear Acid Reflux for Dogs?

Before you can look at what foods can help clear acid reflux, it’s important to understand what exactly is causing these uncomfortable sensations.

The acid reflux and heartburn you or your pet experiencing is known as gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD for short. 

In short, this means that there is an involuntary flow of digestive GI fluids from the stomach up into the esophagus.

While uncomfortable, this condition isn’t very serious unless it’s left untreated. In this case, your pets’ mucosal lining in their esophagus can take damage and cause inflammation.

Luckily most cases of reflux can be caught early, remedied, and prevented in the future with the right diet and eating regimen for your pups. So then, what food groups can help with the symptoms of acid reflux in dogs? Here are a few:

• A clean protein base: Protein from easy stomach-able ocean fish like salmon, or things like chicken and turkey is optimal for reducing reflux. 
• Organic ingredients: The fewer fillers and chemical additives to the food the better, so look at options for organic or raw foods. Vegetables like broccoli and carrots are great choices for reducing acid reflux.
• Whole carbohydrates: Clean whole starch bases like peas, potatoes, and chicory roots may also be beneficial. 

Does Pumpkin Help Dogs with Acid Reflux?

Yes, according to many holistic veterinary practitioners, one of the best natural

remedies for combating acid reflux is pumpkin. The reason for this is that pumpkin has a low glycaemic index. Foods with a lower glycemic index are slowly digested and absorbed.

As was mentioned earlier, it is these digestive GI fluids that cause acid reflux, so if there is a nice slow breakdown of the foods, it can help control the fluids and hopefully prevent further discomfort.

Do Bananas Help Dogs with Acid Reflux?

Yes, bananas can also help improve symptoms of gastrointestinal acid reflux in dogs.

Bananas are low-acid-containing fruits and can help acid reflux by coating your dog’s irritated esophageal lining, helping to combat discomfort.

Also, thanks to bananas’ high-fiber content, they can help strengthen your digestive system which can help ward off indigestion. Bananas can be mashed into the dog’s regular meal or fed as a tasty treat.

Do Yogurt Help Dogs with Acid Reflux?

Yes, yogurt is another food type that is easy to mix into meals, is low in acidity, and overall is incredibly good for your dog’s gut health. The best variety by far is plain Greek yogurt. 

This yogurt is low in flavor and sugar additives, and high in beneficial bacteria that can help restore balance in your pet’s gut.

It’s also high in natural fats and proteins, so it serves as a good supplement to your dog’s regular meals.

Do Probiotics Help Dogs with Acid Reflux?

The best prevention for acid reflux is curing it. Oftentimes, the chemical additives or fillers found in conventional dog foods are harmful and upset the microbiota of your dog’s gut. 

So, just like Greek yogurt, any other forms of natural probiotics that promote the protection of gut mucosa and cultures, as well as assist digestion while preventing harmful bacteria and yeast can be ideal for reflux.

What Foods You Can’t Give to Your Dog with Acid Reflux?

There are a few foods that you should avoid feeding to your dog as they can cause acid reflux. This includes the following:

• Foods with lots of additives: Cheaper foods are generally rich in allergens and preservatives, and these are very often the culprit of your furry friend’s symptoms.
• Oily, fatty, or spicy foods: These can aggravate stomach upset and cause issues.
• Human foods: Many a time, it’s table scraps that people treat their dogs with that can cause issues as our diets are not the same as theirs.

Does High Protein Cause Acid Reflux in Dogs?

Yes, protein is one of the most essential food components in both human and animal diets.

The issue is, that unless the protein sources are extremely clean, which in many cases with dog foods it is not, many high-protein foods are also high in fat.

This can cause or exacerbate acid reflux and heartburn in dogs that tend to suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Thus, fatty proteins should be minimized for dogs that suffer from GERD. This being said, protein is essential for your dog’s health. It allows their body to function properly. 

The essential amino acids your dog gets from protein contribute to healthy hair and skin, muscle development, and tissue repair, just to name a few benefits.

Thus, it should never be eliminated from the diet, and some studies have shown it can assist with GERD; so, try to find a good clean and lean protein source.

So, What is the Best Food to Help My Dog Get Rid of his Acid Reflux?

It cannot be stressed enough, that no matter the breed or type of dog, any dog can experience acid reflux, and in the majority of cases this is due to eating certain foods that inflame the gut and gastrointestinal fluids. 

In many cases, dog owners get large, cheap bags of processed dog food pellets. These should generally be avoided as they can contain fillers and salty chemical additives that can cause acid reflux in pets.

Opt instead of good quality and nutrient-rich pellets made from whole ingredients, top quality protein sources, and plenty of fruits and vegetables that take longer to digest and thus cause fewer problems with your pet.

Above, we have listed just eight of our favorite pet foods for dogs with gastric reflux. Do you have another favorite food that we haven’t listed? Let us know what you and your dog love in the comments below.

Reference

• https://buy.nomnomnow.com/fresh-offer/

Cess Gamas( Head of Content Marketing and Editor )

Cess is the Head of Content Writing at K9 Web and a passionate dog care expert with over 5 years of experience in the Pet Industry. With a background in animal science, dog training, and behavior consulting, her hands-on experience and extensive knowledge make her a trusted source for dog owners.

When not writing or leading the K9 Web content team, Cess can be found volunteering at local shelters and participating in dog-related events.