"Grain free", "limited ingredient", "hypoallergenic" — the chew aisle is full of claims. Here is what actually matters if your dog reacts to things.
Most food reactions in dogs are to a protein
Not to grain, despite what the marketing suggests. The proteins most often involved are beef, chicken and dairy. Wheat and other grains come further down the list.
That is worth knowing, because a chew can be proudly "grain free" and still be the exact thing your dog reacts to.
Read the ingredient list, not the front of the bag
A short ingredient list is the most useful signal there is. The fewer things in it, the easier it is to work out what caused a reaction.
Our chews contain four things: cow milk, yak milk, salt and lime juice. Flavoured ones add one natural flavour. No grain, no gluten, no preservatives, no binders, no artificial colour.
If your dog reacts to beef or chicken
A milk-based chew avoids both. For a lot of dogs on a beef-free diet, that is the whole reason they end up here instead of on bully sticks or dried meat strips.
If your dog reacts to dairy
Then this is not the chew for you, and no amount of wanting it to be will change that. It is made from milk. Please do not try "just a little".
This is worth saying plainly because it is the one case where we would rather you bought nothing.
How to introduce any new chew
- One new thing at a time. If you change food and chews in the same week you will never know which caused what.
- Start short. Ten minutes for the first session.
- Wait 48 hours. Most food reactions show up within two days — itching, ear scratching, loose stools, licking paws.
- Write it down. A one-line note beats memory when you are sitting in the vet's office in three months.
When to stop and call your vet
Repeated vomiting or diarrhoea, swelling around the face, sudden intense itching, or hives. These are not "wait and see" symptoms.
This is general information, not veterinary advice. Your vet knows your dog and we do not.