6 Best Sensitive Stomach Dog Foods Australia: Tested in 2024

Some dogs can eat almost anything without having the slightest problem, but for others, that’s not the case. Some dogs’ digestive systems simply don’t work so well and they need an appropriate diet for their tummies to be happy.

Today, we’ll help you find the best sensitive stomach dog food to save your pet from a tender belly. In order to discover the cream of the crop when it comes to the best sensitive stomach dog food Australia offers, we joined forces with canine nutritionists and veterinarians to form an independent panel of experts. We spent months testing out several dozen purported sensitive stomach foods for dogs before deciding which are the best of the best.

So what did we discover? And why do dogs suffer stomach sensitivities anyway? We discuss all this and more ahead.  

Australia's Best Dog Food for Sensitive Stomachs Reviewed

Ready to find some food that will help calm your doggo’s troublesome tummy? Below are the best options our independent team of experts loved most in Australia. The same food will not work for every dog, but there ought to be at least one helpful entry in this top list for you and your pup. 

Sometimes, bad reactions to food in dogs are caused by the low quality of ingredients used in some dog foods. With Petzyo, you can always rest assured you are getting the best possible option. Petzyo kibble is made fresh on demand and they source 99% of their ingredients from Australia with great attention to quality and sustainable practices.

As for the ingredients, all Petzyo dry food recipes contain only a limited (but not restrictive) list of wholesome ingredients. In fact, as you'll see with the options below, especially our number four and number five picks, this food has a smaller ingredient list than most.

We’ve chosen the Kangaroo & Sweet Potato recipe because both main ingredients tend to be easy to digest and soothing for the stomach. However, our expert panel note that other Petzyo recipes might work better for your canine companion, depending on the source of their stomach issues.

Kangaroo meat is the main protein source of Petzyo. Kangaroos live in the wild, which means they are not exposed to feeds packed with preservatives and chemicals present in other meat sources. As a result, the kangaroo meat in Petzyos dry dog food is less likely to cause sensitivity in digestion.

Related: Petzyo Dog Food Review

The only issue our team of experts could find with Petzyo dry dog food is that their kibble comes in one universal size. It would be nice to have smaller individual kibbles for tiny dogs and bigger ones for canines who are on the larger side. However, that’s not a major issue since the kibbles are a good middle size (11 mm -13 mm diameter), which tends to work ok for most dogs.

Eureka dog food is a superb option for dogs whose tummy problems are caused by common protein sources like chicken or beef.

Eureka uses locally-sourced protein, and a lot of it is wild-caught. That means you can expect to see some unusual meats, like venison or roo, at the top of the list. For example, the recipe we are featuring today uses venison and lamb, both of which can be considered novel proteins for dogs. 

Why are novel proteins recommended for dogs with a sensitive stomach? Our team of independent experts say that because novel protein diets are rare, your dog has probably never been exposed to it before. This means it’s not likely to cause a food sensitivity.

Besides the meat, offal, and bone from these animals, Eureka dog food contains only a few selected ingredients. One of those is chicory root - a great natural source of fibre that can help settle sensitive tummies and an ingredient in our Petzyo and Ziwi choices.

Related: The Eureka Dog Food Review

Overall, Eureka dog food has one of the best ingredient lists we have seen in a while. Plus, most things on the list come from trusted sources right here in Australia.

The downsides are that this level of quality does come with a price tag, and you can only get this food directly from Eureka through a subscription. The subscription model is convenient and includes free shipping across Australia, but you can’t pick up Eureka at your local pet food store.

Ziwi Peak is the cream of the crop of quality dog food. They focus on excellence and believe our canine companions should be treated well. Instead of feeding scraps, with Ziwi Peak you’ll be feeding the best possible ingredients to your dog.

The main focus is on the protein, and in this case, it is local and sustainably sourced New Zealand venison. At Ziwi, they believe a whole prey diet is essential for dogs which is why you’ll notice that this formula also contains venison offal (with each ingredient very specifically named).

The reason why this particular recipe might work well for dogs with sensitive stomachs is that this is truly a single protein diet. A lot of limited ingredient diets from other manufacturers contain a single source of meat protein with various sources of vegetable protein added, but with Ziwi that is not the case. It’s really just venison (plus trace amounts of protein that come from the New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels which are super healthy too, by the way).

And because it has fewer ingredients, it’s less likely to irritate your dog’s stomach, which is helpful even in cases where you don’t yet know what’s causing the problem.

Related: Ziwi Peak Dog Food Review

Moreover, like kangaroo in our first two options, venison is a novel protein for most dogs and might be helpful for dogs with known sensitivities to more common protein sources like chicken.

Hill’s offers two collections of dog food recipes: Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. The first one is meant to support healthy dogs, while the second one is designed for dogs suffering from specific health problems. In any case, this is the brand many turn to when their dogs seem to have issues that could be fixed with diet.

Is Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach formula the best you can give your dog to calm their gastrointestinal issues? It depends. As you can see, the ingredient list is very long, but the formula is very well balanced.

Related: Science Diet Dog Food Review

In an ideal world, members of our independent panel of experts say they would much prefer a simple formula with limited high-quality ingredients for our dogs, but sometimes that's not always the case.

However, according to panel members who are pet parents to smaller dogs, like Chihuahuas, Bichons, or Shih Tzus, this formula is the only thing that works. You might as well give it a try too if you think it will work well to relieve any of your pooch's problems. 

While our first instinct is not to recommend dog food made by a company that’s owned by Nestlé, we also know that finding dog food for sensitive dogs can be difficult, especially one that is reasonably priced.

The Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Coat is an affordable and reliable option. When I first looked at the ingredient list, I noticed that it’s fairly long. But, the good news is that the main ingredients are the first six listed, which are fairly wholesome and self-explanatory. The rest are added vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The natural fibres and chicory will also aid in achieving a healthy digestive system.

The main ingredient in this formula is fish enriched with highly-processed proteins from fish and vegetables (fish protein meal & vegetable protein concentrate). While this might sound less appetising than it should be, for some dogs this formula appears to be easier to digest.

Related: Real Meat vs Meat Meal in Dog Food.

If you are looking for the absolute best in terms of wet food to help your dog’s tummy, you can, once again, turn to Ziwi Peak, our number three choice mentioned above.

The Tripe & Lamb formula, in particular, is no. 1 from Ziwi for picky eaters and sensitive dogs alike. Why you ask? Well, that’s because this particular recipe has the highest amount of tripe (over 25% according to the Ziwi Peak website).

Green tripe is the lining of the stomach of a cow or sheep (in this case it’s lamb). In terms of flavour, the dogs on our panel of experts seemed to love it, and it has a surprising number of nutritional benefits:

Of course, tripe is not the only ingredient in this food, but over 90% of the contents of this can is just lamb meat & offal plus New Zealand Green Lipped Mussels, similar to the recipes in our number two and number three spots. The only other additions are chickpeas, dried kelp, some salt, and vitamin & mineral supplements.

Ziwi Peak recipes are suitable for dogs of all ages, which is why this is a good sensitive stomach puppy food too.

What Causes Food Intolerance in Dogs?

The key to getting the right food for dogs with sensitive stomachs is understanding the root cause of their problem. What are the possible causes of stomach sensitivity? Our independent panel of experts note that it's typically due to one or more of the following:

• Allergy to certain food or diet ingredients: some dogs develop food allergies to specific ingredients that seem to be harmless, but your dog’s immune system reacts to them. This can show up as skin problems or indigestion.
• Food intolerance: this can happen when dog’s body reacts to chemicals coming from certain ingredients or food. Or your dog’s body can’t digest that substance.
• Imbalanced diet: dogs need to have a balanced amount of nutrients to digest food.

The main symptoms of stomach sensitivity are diarrhoea, vomiting, and flatulence (1).

Related: The Best Antihistamines For Dogs.

It’s important not to write off your dog’s symptoms as a food intolerance before getting a health check. Vomiting occasionally is not a big deal for most dogs, for example, but if symptoms persist, it’s important to consult the vet to rule out possible causes of the problem that are not related to food.

Many people struggle to identify which foods are causing allergies or intolerance in their dog. This is because they haven’t made any changes to the diet, and the dog has never shown any signs of stomach upset in the past. In fact, allergies are more likely to develop against something commonly found in the diet compared to rare ingredients your dog hasn’t eaten before.

Because of that, there are two underlying principles to feeding a dog with sensitive stomachs: gentle foods that aren’t too rich for the digestive system, and “novel” or different proteins and carbohydrates that your dog probably hasn’t eaten before and hasn’t yet developed a reaction.

Related: How To Calculate Carbohydrates In Dog Food.

In the end, it doesn’t matter too much which type of reaction it is, because in any case, you’ll want to get to the root of the problem and eliminate the food ingredients that are bothering your dog.

How I Choose Sensitive Stomach Dog Food

There are various aspects of a dog’s diet that can cause gastrointestinal difficulties. But the goal of a sensitive stomach dog food should always be to eliminate those problematic aspects.

While any ingredient could cause a problem for a dog, the culprits often hide in plain sight.

Related: How To Choose The Right Dog Food?

For example, a common type of protein like chicken or beef can become a problem for some dogs. On the other hand, some dogs' digestive tracts might be thrown off by too much fat or too little fibre in their diets.

That’s why finding the right food for our sensitive pooches can be hit or miss, and it might take some experimentation to find the right formula.

In any case, our panel of experts note that there are types of dog food you might want to consider getting to calm your pooch’s belly. Which one will work for your pup ultimately depends on the cause of their problem.

Related: How Is Australia's Dog Food Industry Regulated?
Related: What is AAFCO? The Association of American Feed Control Officials
Related: What Is the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA)?
Related: AAFCO vs PFIAA: Dog Food Standards Comparison Australia

Specialised Formulas for Sensitive Stomachs

You’ll easily find various options on the market formulated and advertised specifically for dogs with easily irritable stomachs. Some options come from big brands, and others from smaller ones.

As a rule, these recipes will be formulated in such a way that they are easier for dogs to digest than standard food. They might also include various anti-inflammatory and soothing additions.

Limited Ingredient Formulas

Your dog’s stomach might be upset by any ingredient in their food, but when the ingredient list has 50 items, it’s hard to determine what exactly is causing the problem. Limited ingredient diets have helped me identify what it is that is triggering my dog's illnesses. It took time to figure out, but afterwards, I was of course able to help him stay away from it.

Related: What Is A Limited Ingredient Dog Food Diet?

Novel Protein Formulas

Some of the most common triggers of allergies and sensitivities in dogs are certain types of protein, like chicken, for example. Moreover, these sensitivities can develop at any point in a dog’s life. What’s fine one day might not work the next. In such cases, switching to a novel source of protein can be beneficial. The “novel” proteins, not so often used for dog food, are kangaroo, duck, or goat, for example.

Grain-Free Diets

Grain-free diets for dogs are quite popular these days, but keep in mind that grains are not necessarily bad. Feeding grain-free food is not necessarily better for a sensitive stomach. However, some dogs can be allergic to grains, in which case a grain-free diet can help.

My Final Say

It’s almost impossible to decide on the best dog food for sensitive stomachs because every dog is a little different and so are their food preferences. However, for many dogs, switching to a high-quality diet with limited ingredients is often all it takes to get them to feel better.

If that’s the case for your dog, our panel of independent experts say the Petzyo kibble is a good idea. If you’d rather try wet food, then we think Ziwi Peak Wet Tripe & Lamb Recipe does wonders for upset tummies.

References

1. Stilwell, N. December 10, 2019. “What’s the Best Food for Dogs With Sensitive Stomachs?”. PetMD. Retrieved June 11, 2023. https://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/whats-best-food-dogs-sensitive-stomachs
2. Gallagher, J. March 21, 2016. “5 Common Dog Vitamins and Supplements”. PetMD. Retrieved June 11, 2023. https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/5-common-dog-vitamins-and-supplements#slide-1