Peas are a staple of countless dry dog food brands and formulas. They provide a source of high-quality carbohydrates and fiber while still being relatively cheap.
They also contain a modest range of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin A, C, and K. Some examples of brands that make consistent and widespread use of peas include Taste of the Wild, Acana, Orijen, Zignature, Fromm, Nature’s Variety Instinct, Merrick and many more.
So what do you do if your dog has a severe allergy or intolerance to Peas? Finding a high-quality and nutritious dog food recipe without Peas can become an intense challenge.
To add to this challenge, if your dog has an allergy to other legumes, such as Chickpeas and Lentils, and not just Peas, then finding an appropriate dog food without any Legumes can be an arduous task.
This is because ingredients such as Lentils, Peas, and Chickpeas are a staple of almost all high-quality dog foods.
If allergies aren’t your concern, then perhaps you have become aware of a possible link between legumes, such as Peas, and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
We will discuss the fine details of this link later on, but for now, it’s important to know that this link has pushed many vigilant dog owners to search far and wide for alternatives.
Not only are whole Peas a common ingredient in dog food, but so are Pea by-products like Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber.
These can often be seen further down the ingredient list. Not only are these ingredients considered to be lower-quality or fillers, even in lower quantities, but these ingredients can also cause the same adverse allergic reaction that Whole Peas can.
For more information about Peas and all of the Pea By-products used in dog food, check out our Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food article. The article will break down what all those by-products are and why it is best to avoid them.
Peas And Heart Disease
In July 2018, the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration)announced that it had received reports about a type of heart disease called Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy, which can cause an enlarged, weakened heart and eventual heart failure in dogs.
These reports suggested a link between grain-free dog foods high in Potatoes, Peas, and other Legumes could be the cause.
The heart disease occurred in select breeds such as Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers, Whippets, Shih Tzus, Bulldogs, and Miniature Schnauzers.
None of these dog breeds are genetically prone to the disease, which suggests that there must be another cause, and the reports pointed the finger at legumes like Peas.
To learn more about Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy, check out this in-depth explanation from Washington State University.
If true, this could have enormous consequences and massively shake up the commercial dog food world as almost all brands, especially premium brands, utilize Peas and other legumes as their primary carbohydrate source. However, at this time, this link is far from conclusive and may be unfounded.
Unfortunately, a significant amount of research and studies conducted concerning pet food are funded by pet food manufacturers and, therefore, can be biased or misleading.
Nevertheless, this claim should be taken seriously and further investigated. However, until there is indisputable evidence to link heart disease and a diet high in Peas, we will not negatively review or exclude dog food recipes that contain Peas.
However, we will continue to mark down dog food recipes that use inferior quality pea ingredients like Pea Protein and Pea Flour as we believe these are not a positive addition to dog food.
But for those of you who want to act upon this information now, this article will provide you with information on the alternatives to Peas and suggest some fantastic quality Pea-free dog foods.
Update June 2019
Until now, the FDA has avoided mentioning any specific dog food brands, but on Thursday, June 27, 2019, they did provide an update on their findings and named 16 dog food brands that were most frequently associated with the cases that they have studied and analyzed.
However, at this time, the FDA has still not found any concrete or conclusive evidence that the dog food brands in their report are the direct cause of these reported DCM cases.
The 16 Brands mentioned are:
- Acana
- Zignature
- Taste of the Wild
- 4Health
- Earthborn Holistic
- Blue Buffalo
- Nature’s Domain
- Fromm
- Merrick
- California Natural
- Natural Balance
- Orijen
- Nature’s Variety
- Nutrisource
- Nutro
- Rachael Ray Nutrish
You can read the FDA’s update here.
The Best Alternatives to Peas in Dog Food?
Alternative Legumes – Lentils or Chickpeas
As mentioned previously, legumes are very commonly used as a source of carbohydrates in dog food. If your dog suffers from an allergy or intolerance to Peas but is fortunate enough not to have the same adverse reaction to other legumes such as Lentils or Chickpeas, then the task of finding nutritious dog food can be far less challenging.
Alternative legumes such as Chickpeas and Lentils share a similar nutritional profile to Peas, which is what makes them so attractive to dog food brands.
They are relatively high in protein for a vegetable and contain dietary fiber to help promote and sustain healthy digestion.
Chickpeas also provide a high level of Manganese and Copper, while Lentils can provide Iron and Folate(Vitamin B9).
Unfortunately, many dog foods tend to use a mix of legumes rather than just one source. This mixed approach is used in order for the legume ingredients to appear lower down the ingredient list.
This technique is sometimes known as Ingredient Splitting and is one of the more sinister methods employed in the pet food industry.
Despite this, there are a large number of formulas available that only contain a single type of legume. Find out more about this subject in our article Ingredient Splitting in Pet Food – Exposed.
Once again, it is worth noting that the link to Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy was implied to be all legumes and not just Peas.
Therefore, if the reason you are looking to change formulas is to help prevent this, then a formula with alternative legumes, such as Chickpeas and Lentils, would not be up to the task.
Pumpkin & Squash
Beyond legumes, alternative high-quality carbohydrate ingredients can be more difficult to source.
Pumpkin is one great example of a high-quality carbohydrate ingredient that does see widespread use in some dog food brands’ products.
Pumpkin contains high levels of micronutrients such as Beta-Carotene and Potassium. It also contains vitamins C and E, which are essential for healthy skin and eyes. Pumpkin also provides lots of dietary fiber, perfect for regulating a dog’s digestive system.
Many products designed to aid a dog’s digestion have pumpkin as an ingredient, and veterinary professionals will sometimes expressly prescribe dogs pumpkin to promote healthy digestion.
Sadly, Pumpkin is most commonly combined with other vegetables, such as Peas. Therefore there is only a limited number of Pea-free formulas that also utilize Pumpkin.
If Pumpkin appeals to you, check out our article Best Dog Food With Pumpkin to see a broader range of recipes that utilize Pumpkin.
Pumpkins are members of the Squash family of vegetables. While the use of Squash vegetables, excluding Pumpkin, is limited, there is some limited use.
Butternut Squash and Acorn Squash are the most common forms of squash that are used behind Pumpkin.
Squash has very similar nutrition to Pumpkin and is high in carbohydrates, fiber, and some beneficial Vitamins like Vitamin A, E, and B Vitamins.
Starches – Sweet & Traditional Potatoes and Tapioca
Another common alternative to Peas or Legumes is starches. This is especially true of Sweet Potatoes, which are often considered the most nutritious and beneficial of all the commonly used starches.
Sweet Potatoes contain a similar nutrient profile to Pumpkins, with high levels of Vitamin A and dietary fiber. In addition to this, they also provide above-average levels of Calcium and Iron.
They are, however, a very dense source of complex carbohydrates and, as a consequence, should be eaten in moderation.
Potatoes, on the other hand, have an even stronger focus on complex carbohydrates with little-added nutrition beyond that. However, Potato skins do contain some fiber.
On a similar note to Sweet Potatoes, we don’t encourage high levels of carbohydrates in dog food.
However, if other vegetable ingredients such as Peas are not an option, then dog food containing Potatoes is a very acceptable solution.
Tapioca, which can also be known by the name of Cassava Root, is not a commonly known ingredient in the western world but is very popular in South America.
Tapioca is a root vegetable that provides similar nutrition to other starches with a high level of complex carbohydrates and limited micronutrients.
It is doubtful that your dog would have encountered it before, as it is not a common ingredient. Tapioca is sometimes used as a binding agent.
Binding agents are used to ensuring that dog food stays in a consistent shape and texture. Find out more about Tapioca in our article Tapioca In Dog Food.
Tapioca and Potato By-products are sadly common in some dog food brands’ products. These are considered low-quality ingredients and should be avoided.
Examples include Potato Protein, Potato Starch, and Tapioca Flour. Find out more about these by-products in our article Potatoes, Potato Protein & Potato Starch in Dog Food.
Grains – Oats, Brown Rice, Or Millet
The last and more controversial alternative to Peas to discuss is Grains. While we do not strongly recommend high quantities of grains in a dog’s diet, others in the industry and supporters of the use of grains.
This includes the WSAVA, who discussed cereals on their FAQ page. Regardless of your stance on this, there are some circumstances where their use can be justified by both sides.
If your dog has a susceptible stomach and cannot stomach any of the traditional vegetable sources of carbohydrates, then grains may have to be considered.
Another potential circumstance that could arise is if you can not source an appropriate grain-free dog food in your local area or cannot afford the financial cost of some of the more premium limited ingredient formulas.
The last reason, as we discussed previously, is if you are looking for an alternative dog food formula because you are concerned about Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
While it is important to note that this link is not yet proven, recipes with grain ingredients look to be a realistic alternative, and some dogs saw improvement after transitioning to a diet with grains.
In any of the above cases, we suggest a formula that contains whole grains such as Oats, Brown Rice, or Millet. These are the whole grains that we consider to be most beneficial to a dog’s diet.
These grains are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and easily digestible plant-based proteins. Brown Rice is an excellent source of Magnesium and Phosphorous, while Oats contain Thiamin and Iron.
Find out more about Millet’s use in dog food and what nutrition it can provide in our article Millet In Dog Food.
If a recipe that uses Brown Rice sounds appealing to you and your dog, we recommend you check out our Best Dog Food With Chicken and Rice article for a rundown of the best recipes currently available.
To contrast this, we do not recommend grains such as Corn, Wheat, or Rye. We do not believe these are suitable grains for a dog’s diet and are incredibly dense sources of carbohydrates.
In addition, these ingredients are commonly associated with allergic reactions such as skin rashes and digestion issues.
Best Pea-Free/Legume-Free Dog Foods
Update June 2019 – We’ve made the decision to eliminate recipes that contain other legumes, such as Lentils and Chickpeas, from our recommendations to ensure that you have a comprehensive range of legume-free recipes to choose from.
Nature’s Logic Canine Pork Meal Feast Review
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Nature’s Logic is a lesser-known brand, but its recipes fill an essential niche in the premium and hypoallergenic dog food market. As we discussed earlier, we do not strongly suggest dog food recipes with grain ingredients.
However, if there are no alternatives, then there is a place for them, and an example of this could be with dogs with severe Pea and Legume allergies.
Nature’s Logic’s dry dog food recipes make use of the grain Millet. While we don’t consider Millet to be quite as advantageous as other grains, like Brown Rice and Oats, it is still far superior to low-quality and filler grains, such as Wheat and Corn.
Nutritionally, Millet provides carbohydrates, some fiber, and a limited range of vitamins and minerals.
The above-mentioned Pork Formula contains a mix of whole Pork meat and Pork Liver. This combination provides a very satisfactory proportion of protein and fat to fuel your dog’s activity.
The Pork Liver can provide some minerals and vitamins that traditional meat cuts can not. The proportion of protein and fat is very satisfactory and suitable for dogs of all activity levels.
There are a number of other formulas available that use a wide range of meat and fish ingredients.
Be sure to check out our reviews on their Canine Duck & Salmon Meal Feast and Canine Rabbit Meal Feast, which are some of their other recipes that we are big fans of.
Nature’s Logic is an excellent choice for those dog owners who are incredibly concerned about Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Nature’s Logic recipes are free of Peas, Legumes, and Potatoes while still providing excellent nutrition and avoiding questionable and low-quality ingredients. Check out Nature’s Logic’s Brand Page for more information.
Nom Nom Turkey Fare Review
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In the last few years, “Fresh Home Delivered” dog food has seen a surge in popularity. This style of dog food is drastically different from traditional kibble or canned food. It is prepared fresh, pre-portioned, and then delivered straight to a customer’s door.
Nom Nom, formerly NomNomNow, is one of the most popular providers of this service and is available in all 48 of the contiguous states. We’d recommend checking out their FAQ page for the full rundown of how the service works.
Nom Nom currently has four fresh dog food recipes available, and three of these are Pea-Free.
However, we think that the above-mentioned Tasty Turkey Fare is the most appropriate to showcase in this article as it does not contain Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, or any other Legumes.
Instead, the recipe makes use of Brown Rice and some unusual vegetable ingredients such as Carrots and Spinach.
This could be an ideal mix for dogs with severe legume allergies or for those dog owners who are concerned about Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
However, these aren’t the only ingredients present, and as you might have guessed, Turkey takes center stage. It is joined by a generous proportion of Eggs, which are one of the most bioavailable sources of protein.
These ingredients ensure that the nutritional profile of the formula is balanced, and it provides an above-average proportion of protein and fat.
If Nom Now doesn’t appeal to you, we’d recommend checking out some of the other Fresh Home Delivered dog food brands like PetPlate, Ollie, A Pup Above, and The Farmer’s Dog.
Earthborn Holistic – Venture – Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumpkin Review
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Venture by Earthborn Holistic is a high-quality Limited Ingredient range. No two formulas within this range are the same, and they utilize a variety of vegetable, meat, and fish ingredients.
While some recipes such as Rabbit Meal and Pumpkin and Pork Meal and Butternut Squash do contain Peas, others such as Squid and Chickpeas and Alaska Pollock Meal and Pumpkin are entirely Pea free.
They instead contain alternative legumes such as Chickpeas or vegetables and starches such as Pumpkin and Tapioca.
Do you remember how we mentioned that dog food formulas that contained Pumpkin but not Peas and other Legumes were extremely rare?
Well, Venture – Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumpkin is probably the best and most available of that very select list.
Pumpkin is actually the primary carbohydrate ingredient, which is extremely rare and, therefore, very appealing to those dogs who cope well with a large portion of Pumpkin.
Tapioca is the secondary carbohydrate ingredient and one which we have discussed in detail earlier.
Seafood ingredients such as Squid and Pollock aren’t commonplace in most dog food recipes but are highly nutritious and could appeal to your dog’s pallet.
Venture formulas also include a significant portion of Flaxseed, which can provide a healthy portion of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids are well known to offer a range of health benefits, such as preventing heart disease and helping to maintain healthy skin and coat.
Update Jan 2020
Earbhron Holistic has taken the fear of legume-heavy dog food recipes in its stride and expanded off the back of their pea-free venture recipes by releasing a brand new legume-free range.
The range is known as unrefined and has four recipes, each with unique meat or fish ingredients. These unrefined recipes make use of a mix of non-legume ingredients such as Quinoa, Pumpkin, Buckwheat, and Oatmeal.
These high-quality grains are perfect for dogs looking to avoid legumes while resorting to low-quality fillers.
Earthborn Holistic Unrefined – Smoked Salmon Review
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Of the four recipes from the unrefined range, our favorite is the Smoked Salmon recipe. This is thanks to the extremely high levels of the Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids it can provide.
This comes from the large portion of large salmon at the core of the recipe. I’d highly recommend you check it out.
If you want to see the other unrefined recipes released, we’d recommend you head over to Chewy.
Victor – Hi-Pro Plus Review
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Victor is another successful brand to feature in this article and one which many of you will be familiar with. Victor is commonly found in local or large pet food stores as well as at a myriad of online retailers.
One of Victor’s greatest advantages is that they sell their range in very high volumes. This allows Victor to be more affordable, which may appeal to owners of large dogs or multiple dogs.
Victor produces a number of high-quality and nutritious formulas, some of which contain Peas and Legumes, but there are others that include some of the more preferred grain ingredients, such as Brown Rice or Millet.
A noteworthy example of such a formula is the Hi-Pro Plus. It contains a substantial variety of meat and fish ingredients, all of which are meat meals.
While meat meals may sound scary, they are, in fact, very nutritionally dense. This is as they have had their moisture removed.
As long as the meat meal is named, we consider it to be a satisfactory ingredient. Examples of meat meals used in Hi-Pro Plus include Beef Meal, Chicken Meal, Pork Meal, and Menhaden Fish Meal.
The formula uses two sources of carbohydrates, Grain Sorghum and Millet. While not quite as preferred as some other carbohydrate-providing ingredients, these are two very realistic options for those dogs with severe allergies associated with Peas and other legumes.
Besides, the sum of carbohydrates provided by the portion of these two ingredients is modest and satisfactory for the majority of dogs.
Hi-Pro Plus from Victor is another formula that we would highly recommend to those dog owners who are deeply concerned about Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy or have a dog breed that is prone to Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy.
Once again, we will mention that Victor could be advantageous when compared to other formulas in this article, as it is very affordable and cost-effective. Victor’s use of huge bags allows them to make use of economies of scale.
Farmina N&D Cod, Spelt, Oats & Orange Review
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Farmina is a premium dog food brand, and its N&D range contains some extremely high-quality and nutritious formulas. We are particular fans of their puppy recipes, but their adult recipes are not to be brushed aside.
They make use of a select few meat and fish ingredients, including Chicken, Cod, Duck, and Lamb. The Cod formulas use a mix of whole Cod and dehydrated Cod to ensure that the total proportion is significant. This Cod provides an ample portion of protein and fat that is significantly above average.
Most of Farmina’s dog food range makes extensive use of the legume by-product: Pea Starch. Pea Starch is a vegetable by-product that we discuss regularly. It acts as a source of carbohydrates and as a binding agent to hold the kibble together.
Thankfully, this particular recipe from Farmina is Pea and Legume-free. Instead, it makes use of a range of grain ingredients, including Spelt and Oats. These provide carbohydrates and fiber.
Farmina recipes also contain much smaller portions of a large range of fruit and vegetables. Examples include Blueberries, Carrots, Apples, and Pomegranates.
These could give the kibble a unique flavor and provide some less abundant micronutrients.
The only downside to Farmina recipes is that they tend to be very expensive. For those of us on a tight budget, they may not be a realistic option; however, for those willing to splash the cash, they could be one of the best foods money can buy.
Sport Dog Food – Sporting Dog – Whitefish Formula Review
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Sport Dog Food is a brand that many readers will likely not be familiar with. The brand aims to fill the sporting and working dog food niches such as sled dogs, K9 dogs, and tracking dogs.
As a consequence, many of their formulas provide very satisfactory nutrition, which is a requirement to ensure that working dogs can perform their jobs and remain active and healthy throughout their working lives.
In addition to their nutritional content, all of Sport Dog Food’s formulas are entirely free of Peas and Pea By-products, which could make them an ideal choice for those dogs who react poorly to Peas.
An example of one of Sport Dog Food’s formulas is Sporting Dog – Whitefish Formula. It contains a minimal number of ingredients, including a single core fish ingredient in Whitefish Meal.
While Whitefish may sound a little vague, it is a high-quality ingredient and provides satisfactory nutrition.
The formula also contains a large portion of starches like Sweet Potatoes and Tapioca. These provide carbohydrates and dietary fiber.
The protein proportion of this formula is not as impressive as some of the other formulas in this article or from Sport Dog Food, but I have chosen to include it due to the high level of the Omega Fatty Acids it contains.
As we know, these fatty acids can provide a range of health benefits, especially to those dogs with allergies.
Some examples of other Pea-free formulas available from Sport Dog Food include Working Dog – Turkey Formula, Sled Dog – Buffalo Formula, and Cub – Buffalo Formula.
Sport Dog Food would be an excellent choice for those dogs who are very active but suffer from pea or legume allergies. It may, however, not be an ideal choice for those dogs who are less active or senior in age.
Health Extension Chicken & Brown Rice Review
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Health Extension is a family-owned company based in the United States. Health Extension has very impressive transparency about the source of their ingredients, including an interactive map for visitors of their site to explore.
This level of transparency is unprecedented in the pet food industry and is something that many brands could learn from.
Health Extension has a moderately sized product range, which includes some very common recipes, like Chicken & Rice, but also some less common ones.
The Health Extensions Chicken and Rice recipe makes use of a mix of Chicken ingredients, including Chicken, Chicken Meal, and Chicken Fat.
The recipe’s primary plant-based ingredient is Brown Rice. As we regularly discuss on our site, Brown Rice is preferred to White Rice or cheaper rice-based ingredients.
However, Health Extensions Chicken & Brown Rice recipe does contain some other meat and non-meat ingredients in notable portions. Examples of these ingredients include Lamb Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, and Oatmeal.
While all three of these ingredients could be considered high-quality to most dogs, this recipe may not be suitable for those who need a simple diet of just Chicken & Rice without additional ingredients.
Merrick – Grain Free 96% Real Beef + Lamb + Buffalo Review
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Another solution to a severe Pea or legume allergy could be to try Canned Dog Food. Canned dog food tends to contain far fewer vegetable ingredients, such as Peas and other legumes.
This lack of legumes in canned dog food often means there is a greater variety of formulas available that could be suitable for your dog’s unique allergies and sensitivities.
One of our favorite canned dog food brands is Merrick. Merrick produces a wide range of canned dog food formulas that utilize a variety of meat and fish ingredients such as Buffalo, Lamb, Duck, Salmon, and many more. They also produce unique holiday-themed recipes, including Christmas and Thanksgiving formulas.
While not holiday-themed, the Real Beef + Lamb + Buffalo formula contains a core of highly nutritious red meat ingredients that provide a very healthy portion of protein and fat. While a little obvious, these include Beef, Lamb, and Buffalo.
The only other ingredients in the recipe are a small number of gums and minerals. The complete lack of any vegetable ingredients, such as Peas or other Legumes, makes this formula a fantastic option for those dogs with severe allergies.
However, there are other things to take into account when considering canned dog food, one of which is its significantly higher price when compared to dry dog food.
Check out our Best Canned Dog Food Article for all the information you might need to know on the subject.
Wellness Core – 95% Turkey with Spinach Review
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Wellness also produces a range of high-quality Canned Dog Foods alongside more traditional dry food recipes.
Their Core 95% range not only has a similar name to the above Merrick recipes but similar ingredients and nutrition. They have three unique formulas with a choice of meat ingredients, including Beef, Chicken, and Turkey.
By constituting the vast majority of the content of the formula, these meat ingredients provide a very satisfactory sum of protein and fat.
This may make these formulas extremely appealing and enjoyable to your dog, who is not used to such a concentrated diet.
While the Merrick canned dog food formulas only contain meat ingredients, these Wellness formulas also contain a small amount of a less commonly used vegetable ingredient.
In the case of the Turkey formula, they include Spinach. Spinach can provide a wide range of Vitamins and Minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, and K, as well as high levels of Iron.
Other formulas in the Core 95% range include Broccoli and Carrots, and all three varieties are entirely pea and legume-free.
Once again, it is important to discuss that canned dog food is significantly more costly than dry food. This is the case for both the Merrick and Wellness formulas mentioned above.
Some dog owners use a mix of dry and wet food as a consequence of the higher price in an attempt to make it more affordable.
Crave Chicken & Beef Pate Review
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Crave is a relative newcomer to the pet food market and is owned by Mars Petcare, which produces other recognizable brands such as Pedigree dog food and Whiskas cat food.
The brand was launched to cater to consumers who demand higher-quality pet food. The number of consumers who have become more aware and better informed on dog food nutrition has increased significantly in recent years, and we believe it will continue to grow.
Crave is often available at large brand pet stores or grocery stores, such as Walmart & PetSmart, and is surprisingly affordable.
While wet dog food is still more expensive than dry food, Crave’s products won’t break the bank or make you flinch.
Crave’s Pate range is one of their best and offers a small variety of wet dog food formulas. Each formula contains both traditional meat cuts alongside organ meat.
This organ meat provides beneficial Vitamins and Minerals that standard meat cuts lack. This combination of meat ingredients offers fantastic nutrition, high in protein and fat.
Finally, and most importantly, none of their Pate recipes contain a significant amount of vegetable ingredients, including legumes like Peas and Lentils.
This is in stark contrast to Crave’s dry food recipes, which make extensive use of legumes and legume by-products.
This crucial fact, combined with crave’s affordability, could make it a vital lifeline for those of you looking to explore pea and legume-free canned dog food.
Ziwi Peak – Air Dried Venison Review
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If your dog’s Pea and Legume intolerances are severe enough and none of the recipes mentioned above, with grains, are viable, then you might want to consider air-dried dog food.
Ziwi Peak produces a fantastic quality air-dried dog food range and is one of the leaders in this niche market.
The advantage of air-dried dog food is that it is almost entirely made up of meat and has no significant vegetable, grain, or fruit ingredients.
By eliminating these ingredients, your choice narrows to choosing a meat or fish ingredient that your dog can enjoy safely.
As you can imagine, air-dried dog food is highly nutritious and contains a plentiful supply of protein and fat.
If the above-mentioned Venison formula doesn’t appeal to your dog, alternatives such as Air Dried Lamb, Air Dried Beef, or Air-Dried Mackerel and Lamb are also available.
The weight of the packaging that these recipes are sold in is very low, which may confuse some consumers.
But it is important to remember that the moisture from the meat has been removed. If you re-add this moisture, then their total weight is more reasonable.
The disadvantage of Air Dried Dog Food is that it is incredibly costly and not a realistic solution to provide complete nutrition to anyone but the super-affluent.
However, if you consider feeding your dog a mixture of Air Dried Dog Food and fresh ingredients, the cost can be a lot more realistic.
Ingredients such as fresh fruit and vegetables are ideal to combine with a diet of air-dried dog food. This would also enable you to feed your dog specially selected vegetables that do not cause allergies or contribute to other health concerns.
Homemade Dog Food
The final and most often overlooked solution to any severe allergy is to create and feed your dog homemade dog food.
When you are making the dog food yourself, you have complete control over what ingredients it will contain, their quality, and the overall nutrition of the food.
Making Homemade Dog Food is one way you can provide a diet that is entirely pea-free without having to travel long distances or wait for deliveries.
The downside is that making homemade dog food requires planning and hard work. You can no longer come home after a long day at work and refill your dog’s food and water bowl.
Many dog owners think that creating homemade dog food is easy, but a study by a team of researchers at the University of California found that 95% of homemade dog food recipes were deficient in at least one essential nutrient.
But for those willing to put in the time and research that is required, it is viable.
However, we find the time to plan, prepare, and cook food for ourselves and our families, so why can’t we put the same amount of effort into our dogs?
Related Articles
Peas aren’t the only ingredient that dog food owners struggle to avoid. We are building up a range of articles to cover the most commonly queried ingredients. Here are some of our articles that cover other ingredients or allergies in general.
Thank you for this thorough explanation, it was extremely helpful!
Thanks Chelsea, I am glad you found it helpful.
Very well-researched and well-thought-out post, James!
A couple of points to make:
1. I would second you, in particular, on the Earthborn Holistic Venture formulas, but particularly the Alaska Pollock one, especially because all the other 5 have either peas, chickpeas, or both (Earthborn is notorious for having fantastic meat meal ingredients in their basic (vs. Venture) line, but with massive pea content!). Their Pollock formula has, in addition to the Pollock meal, pumpkin, tapioca, flaxseed and sunflower oil (WAY better than canola oil). I think this is pretty darn good for a kibble. My dog, who has digestive issues, does GREAT on this. I do have a bone to pick with Earthborn as they are so damn stubborn in feeling the need to use so much peas or chickpeas and have encouraged them to make more of their formulas similar to how they do the Pollock.
2. Nature’s Instinct — my only problem with this one is that they don’t use a meat meal so you could say that the vegetables/binders are the main ingredients — the chicken, when the water is removed during processing, makes that ingredient fall much lower on the list.
3. One more brand you need to add: Sport Dog Food. sportdogfoood.com This pertains in particular to their grain-free Elite series, but their other formulas are great too, but with grains.
Fantastic formulas, no legumes whatsoever, no white potato (with one or two exceptions). They are big on sweet potato, and I’m not so sure the FDA report, when they say “potatoes,” is referring to just white potato, or both white and sweet. I think sweet is very different from white and probably shouldn’t be clumped together with it.
Unfortunately, my dog’s delicate system doesn’t always agree with Sport Dog’s current formula — their old formula, which they discontinued six months ago, worked fabulously for him.
Thanks, again, for a terrific piece.
Thanks for the very detailed feedback on the article. I will investigate the formulas you suggested, especially Sport dog food as this is not a brand I am familiar with. If they are worthy of inclusion I will be sure to add them in a future update.
I don’t understand. All the foods on this list still have legumes, which are essentially the same as peas. The only true legume free food I have ever found is farmina grain free. No peas or legumes whatsoever. Farmina uses dehydrated whole meats for protein concentrates and fruits like pomegranates and oranges, full of antioxidants, instead of peas. A truly top of the line food with 95 percent of the protein, 37 to 42 percent or higher depending on the recipe, coming from animal sources. I don’t know the cause of the heart disease, maybe it’s from too much Omega 6, without the requisite amount of Omega 3. But I am sure the grain free is still the best option and so are limited or rather no legumes.
Based on your comment I assume you didn’t take the time to look at each of the suggested formulas in significant detail. Of the ten formulas suggested in this article, only three of them contain other legumes like Chickpeas and Lentils. Those three formulas are included to meet the needs of those dogs who are only allergic to Peas and not other legumes. The other seven formulas in this article are completely legume and pea free.
Just checked Farmina’s website based on your recommendation. You are misinformed, they do indeed use peas. “vegetable of peas, dried carrots, ” https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/n&d-grain-free-canine/102-lamb-&-blueberry-adult-mini.html
You also need to look into it more. They only use the fiber nothing else. It’s so broken down it’s not really a pea. It’s like saying hemp rope is marijuana. Sure it came from thatt plant but it’s not and in that situation the fibers were taken out, no different in this case
The article I read said that chickpeas, Lentils, and potatoes and other legumes were also linked to heart disease… what do you suggest with these restrictions?
I had a long talk with my holistic vet about this new study and she recommends (always has) foods with grains like barley, oatmeal and/or brown rice for dogs.
I agree with your vet. This grain band wagon may be the death of our pets. A legume is a legume. Who’s to say this is a pea intolerance and not just a legume issue. As they are hypothesizing, it may be the legumes binding with the taurine to cause the DCM in dogs. Let’s take a step back and see why grains are so bad. Maybe they aren’t?
I’ve always wondered if it wasn’t the Extremely High protein content of these foods that was going to cause issues down the road. Way back when. We fed Ol’ Roy and Mainstay which is basically meat flavored corn which is the devil of course. But none of my dogs growing up Ever had any troubles?? That food was also never super high protein. Maybe dogs don’t actually require a 33% protein content? The 16 brands listed I believe are all in that high range. (I could be wrong I have been once or twice 😉
I am aware of the recent controversy around Potatoes, Peas and other Legumes. While this article was not produced to specifically combat that new information, I made sure to reference this within this article and a few others. If further conclusive evidence comes out against Peas I will be sure to modify the recommendations throughout this site.
In the meantime, if you are strongly concerned by this, I would suggest a formula with a focus on Sweet Potatoes or Tapioca. Unfortunately, these are few and far between but there are a few of them reviewed on this site.
Victor Hi Pro Plus is another AWESOME dog food without any peas or lentils, which was left off this list. It has a 4 star rating Dog Food Adviser Rating. It has 30% protein, with 20% fat – definitely worth looking into!
Thanks Jennifer, I will be sure to take a look at Victor Hi Pro Plus in the near future to see whether it is worthy of inclusion in this article.
Grain Sorghum is the second ingredient. Also has millet, flax, oatmeal, alfafa. All the grains I am trying to avoid.
Dr. John — agreed! Also, millet, in particular, has been found to be hard on the thyroid and should not be fed on a regular basis — this is research done by a veterinary researcher who specializes in thyroid issues. So that also makes unacceptable two legume-free foods that actually are not on this list: Nature’s Logic and Canine Caviar. Although both use great protein meals as their first ingredient, their second ingredient is millet and, so, at least for me, that’s an instant no-no.
This whole FDA study has me in panic. My dog is currently on Merrick Grain Free chicken and sweet potato, but she’s recently not been eating. She’s picky and will perk up to eat a burger or something we would eat but after sniffing her food bowl will turn away. However, I was intending in trying Canidae’s new dog food formula “Ancestral Raw Coated Avian formula or Raw Coated fish formula”. The raw coated aspect has me thinking that my dog might actually be enticed by the smell and taste. While the ingredients list meats and fish, they also show legumes, so now that has me cautious. Have you any thoughts on this new formula?
Why did you not include farmina grain free on your list? The majority of foods on your list still contain legumes. Farmina grain free has no legumes and instead uses fruits like pomegranates and oranges. They have dehydrated whole meats for meat concentrates, instead of meat meals. And all recipes are high protein, low glycemic index….with 95 percent of the protein from animal sources and not peas, legumes or starches. It is a worthy inclusion and given the topic, by far the most worthy in my opinion.
Hi Sara,
Currently, we have only reviewed the puppy formula’s produced by Farmina. If and when we review their adult formulas we will make a judgment on whether they are worthy of inclusion in this article.
This list of Pea free Dog foods was so thorou, well organized, to the point and saved me hours,….. no, days of research. Thank you! Our dog developed itchy red feet and pink tummy- will first start with Victor Dog food.
Wow this was so helpful!! You saved me weeks of trial and error. Learning about the possible pitfalls of different proteins seems to be something we were missing in our search to keep our dog from severe allergies. Thank you!! We will try Victor dog food first as it is reasonably priced, or I may slow cook meats of all types and mix with organic pumpkin, and amount of brown rice- place in small containers and freeze. Thanks!!!!
What about Natural Balance Lamb and Brown Rice Formula L.I.D? Also has Taurine which study said was needed.
Unfortunately, Natural Balance Lamb and Brown Rice contains some low-quality ingredients like Brewers Rice. Brewers Rice can best be described as floor sweepings and does not belong in dog food. In addition, the formula has a poor nutritional profile that is very high in carbohydrates which is a poor reflection of a dog’s natural diet.
My young dog is allergic to oats, peas, eggs, rice, wheat, corn and yeast. Her test did not address other legumes, but this has been such a challenge! So far the Instinct Ultimate Protein Chicken, and 2 of the Canine Caviar formulas ( Lamb formula and Duck formula) look the most promising. Thank you for you research!
Now there is so many articles about dry kibble being junk but-so many canned food have carrageenan. Is there any besides Chicken Soup for the Soul? Or is this all hype to sell wet food?
There are a lot of canned dog food recipes that don’t make use of ingredients like Carrageenan. We’d recommend checking out our Best Canned Dog Food Guide to learn of just a few of these.
It is my understanding that you DO recommend a grain free diet but in reading your article about grains, I think there may be a typo?? It reads as follows:
“Grains – Oats, Brown Rice, Or Millet
The last and more controversial alternative to Peas to discuss is Grains. While we do strongly recommend grains in a dogs diet, there are some unique circumstances where their use can be justified.”
Should this read “While we strongly DO NOT recommend grains……”
Please clarify. Thank you.
Thanks for picking up on this, this is indeed a typo. It has now been corrected.
Thank you for your research. I just got my dogs allergy panel back and what a task this has become to find him kibble that doesn’t have allergy triggers. He’s allergic to all proteins except whitefish (but no shellfish), venison, rabbit. He’s allergic to peas, beans, nuts, wheat, barley, oats and tomato. I tell you I have been reading labels like crazy. it is SO hard trying to find food for this guy. He’s a Gr Dane so trying to keep the cost in line as well.
OH MY! I have a gr dane that is also allergic to all proteins but fish, rabbit and venison along with peas, beans, nuts etc too!!! I’ve been feeding him earthborn pollack. he seems to like it…but i’m trying to find something else because you KNOW they will discontinue it or change the ingredients.. what are you using?
Unfortunately – the shift to foods heavy in sweet potato, potatoes, brown rice, rice are subjecting dogs to HIGH VOLUMES OF SILICA, which in turn results in silica bladder stones. If you google this condition – you’ll see that it often refers to it as “rare” – however — not so much anymore. It USED to be rare. Now, I’m coming across other pet owners whose dogs have ALSO had to have the very expensive surgery to remove silica stones. My dog’s stones were fierce – and deadly. In my research on possible causes – I believe it was our steady stream of sweet potato laden foods that did him in. Now, I’m on the near-impossible mission to find foods that are safe for dogs with silica stones — meaning NO ROOT VEGETABLES, no rice, no potatoes, no carrots, no apples, no flax, no spinach — and the list goes on. It truly feels endless. Foods high in proteins for many dogs is dangerous as well — so when you eliminate the “fillers” (vegetables and fruit), you now subject your dog to other health issues. My advice to pet owners – go easy on the potatoes and rice… avoid them.
I need help finding a pea free USDA certified organic dog food with no brewers yeast/yeast (allergies)
Do anyone know of any dry dog foods that do not contain chicken, beef, peas, or legumes (lentils, chick peas, etc)? Looking for a new food for a 2 year old labrador.
Many thanks!
Kathy
Kathy: I’ll chime in for James here since he may have missed responding to you. The article above covers everything you need to know, it is a very thoroughly researched and extremely comprehensive piece written by James, whom I applaud. But, if I may, I will chime in here that my top choice is Earthborn Holistics’ limited ingredient line called Venture, and, of the six flavors in that line, specifically the Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumpkin, which has just fish, pumpkin, tapioca, sunflower oil and flaxseed. Sounds like it would be a winner for your Lab! (note: the other five flavors in the Venture line, unfortunately, have either peas or chickpeas)
Hard to find, right? The Pollock and Pumpkin does work, but it’s expensive. I am using Sport Dog Food. They have the Elite series, that has four different types. One of them should be perfect for you! The price seems high, but it’s 30 pounds, so divide it and see how much per pound, it’s also about $25 off the first bag if you sign up for auto ship on Chewy.com and you can cancel that anytime you want. Or you can order directly from sport dog food online and the lowest price for the 30 pound bag is $59 shipped tax and all. That’s 2 bucks a pound for the best dog kibble available. Try to beat that! No rice no peas no beans or legumes no chick peas no pea meal or protein no barley alfalfa millet bird seed no oatmeal no grain no canola no flax!
Maybe you can have a look at Farmina Quinoa Foods
The ingredients are quite good
Great article! Been thinking of getting Ziwi Peak Venison for my allergy prone dog whose leftovers are typically eaten by his younger IBD brother. So I have to be careful on a couple of fronts!!
You mentioned homemade food. I do this for my IBD pup, per my vet’s recommendation, because it is the only thing that he will consistently eat that doesn’t cause him incredibly severe bouts of IBD symptoms.
With some planning it doesn’t take much time and isn’t too expensive.
We use the BalanceIT formula to figure out measurements of the ingredients as well as order their mineral/vitamin supplement that goes into the food. It’s all highly balanced and nutritious but best of all he does great on it. (If I were a Rockefeller then I’d have both pups on the homemade diet)
FDA announces which dog foods are related to grain free and DCM link.
“DCM itself is not considered rare in dogs, but these reports are unusual because many of the reported cases occurred in breeds of dogs not typically genetically prone to the disease. Additionally, most of the cases ate diets that appear to contain high concentrations/ratios of certain ingredients, such as peas, chickpeas, lentils and/or various types of potatoes. Some of these were labeled as ‘grain-free,’ but grain-containing diets were also represented,” the FDA said.
Between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2019, the FDA received 524 case reports of diagnosed dilated cardiomyopathy. Some of these cases involved more than one animal from the same household. In the reported cases, there were 560 individual dogs diagnosed with DCM and 119 of those dogs died. There were 14 individual cats, 5 of which died.
The FDA identified these dog food brands as the top-three most frequently reported DCM cases:
Acana
Zignature
Taste of the Wild
They actually list about 15 brands and break it down from the worst offender to the least with regard to the 500 + cases they studied. See article below.
June 29,2019
https://abc7.com/pets-animals/fda-certain-dog-food-possibly-linked-to-canine-heart-disease/5368946/
How about Dr Gary’s best breed German dog food?
https://www.bestbreed.com/product_detail/german-dog-diet/
Why title the article “Best Dog Foods Without Peas” and then list dog foods with peas?? I mean seriously.
American Natural Premium is another grain inclusive affordable food without peas legumes or potatoes
You are absolutely correct Stephanie. While I have chosen not to include American Natural Premium in this article, you can check out my review of the brand at https://petfoodreviewer.com/reviews/american-natural-premium/
Some of Petsmarts Simply nourish is also pea, lentile and potatoe free. Also some of the Nutro Ultras! ANd they both have the good grains
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!!! You have taken something that scares me in making the right decision for my puppy who is close to turning 1yr old. My parents used to go buy Purina Dog Chow and that was the best for the dogs. You didn’t have to worry about what would possibly cause heart disease and other issues.
Your article was easy to read and skip to a brand you might have been thinking was a good choice. Also appreciate you having the information from the FDA.
Why is Wysong Epigen 90 not on this list? It seems to be legume, potato, and grain free.
Hey James! Adding on to my previous comments from earlier this year and last year…
A couple of new things on the market, legume-free, for you to investigate to include on this list (as well as, at least for the first one below, for inclusion within your “Best Pumpkin Dog Foods” piece):
Essence Limited Ingredient (or “LIR,” as they put it) — https://essencepetfoods.com — three flavors (one contains red meat, the second poultry, the third fish), each which have two fresh meats + two meat meals (all compose the first four ingredients), just one good grain — quinoa!, as well as the ever-wonderful pumpkin, and either an animal fat or oil. And that’s it! Actually, they have also decided to not include probiotics in their food so, if your dog needs that and you want to use this food you’ll have to supplement. They do, however, include vitamins and minerals, including taurine. Essence also has their “Original” line but it has plenty of legumes, so staying away from that one. I’m newly trying their LIR formulas and, so far, my dog seems to be doing well on it. Unfortunately, one of the three formulas, their fish one, uses cod as one of the two proteins, so I won’t use it because cod has been named a moderately unsafe fish in terms of mercury content by the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), so that should not be fed on a daily basis (heads up, Farmina fans, as they have a cod flavor too). The other fish is pollock, which is low mercury but the cod cancels that out. That is why for my dog’s “fish flavor” kibble I’ll stick with my aforementioned Earthborn Holistics Venture Alaska Pollock Meal & Pumpkin. And speaking of Earthborn…
Earthborn Holistics just came out with a brand-new, legume-free line called Unrefined. I’m quick to inject here, however, that it is a GRAIN formula — and lots of it — it’s their “ancestral grain” entry into the market. Four flavors in the line, all which contain the following grains: Quinoa, Buckwheat, Oatmeal, Flaxseed, and Chia, they all also have eggs, which some dogs may not agree with. One of the four flavors, however, Roasted Lamb, has, for some odd reason, one additional grain, barley, so that makes for a whole lotta grain. Also, of the four, only one, again the Lamb, has both the fresh meat and meat meal as the first two ingredients, a good thing. However, the other three, Rabbit, Salmon and Turkey, do have the fresh meat first, but the meal is further down the list (and Rabbit uses lamb and salmon for the meals) which means that the grains are very much the dominant factor in those formulas because the fresh meats, once you process them for the kibble, which involves dehydration, the actual content that is left falls down the list and which is why meat meals being high on the list are important. For that reason, I MAY try my dog on the Lamb one; but I’m a bit hesitant as I’ve been trying to keep him away from so much grain, albeit these grains are WAY higher quality than found in most grain dog foods. But this formula may work very well for other dogs and their owners who actually do prefer higher grain content but without the legumes. Obviously, with the above-mentioned Essence LIR, I have relented a bit on complete grain-free given that it uses quinoa — but that’s ONE grain, rather than four, five or six and I’m monitoring my dogs “output” and potential scratching to see how it affects him.
Thanks again, James!
Thanks for the feedback, Merrick.
I too noticed the new range from Earthborn Holistic. It looks very promising and offers excellent nutrition from whole ingredients. I’ve updated the article to mention it.
As for Essence Pet Foods, this is not a brand I was familiar with before however from a quick look it looks promising. I have chosen not to include it for now but I will likely write a review of the brand when time allows.
Thanks,
James
Hi James 🙂
Thank you so very much for a great work 🙂
I have a Bouvier des Flandres with DCM I’m not sure that I beleive the FDA before they have some real evidense!….BUT untill this I use food whitout peas, lentils and potatoes.
The spanish Alpha Spirit (New Edition) has none of this and no grain, no rice etc. in their food, this is link to their Wild Fish engredients list:
https://www.aspiritpetfood.store/collections/alimentacion/products/alimento-the-only-one-wild-fish
Best Regards
Iben/Denmark
I wanted to thank you for this article 🙂 I’ve been hunting for a long time for a kibble for my pup. He’s been allergy tested and is pretty much allergic to EVERYTHING! I’m hoping that If I really look in-depth in you suggestions I’ll find a kibble that works!
The top things my pup cannot eat are all grains, peas, all starch (potato, sweet potato etc), beets, flaxseed, pork, beef and about 100 more things…
This is a good spot to start! Thanks!
I have a 9 year old 20 pound dog has conestive heart failure needs a lower sodium fresh air dried refridgerator type of food.he needs to switch asap he got si k not long after i switched him to a diet with pease rice sweetpotatoes so no peas rice legumes or potatoes and i need lower sodium for heart healthy please let me know thanks Nancy
I absolutely love all the articles I have read so far on this site, so informative. But my head is reeling! My dog Piper, is a poodle who is 13 yrs. old. For her age, she is quite spry and playful. Most of her life I have fed her Natures’ Recipe, grain free, chicken, sweet potato, and pumpkin. It also has garbanzo beans, peas, pea starch. I felt she has always done well on it. However she also has had an allergy problem, which we mostly accredited to seasonal changes. I also give a tablespoon of canned pumpkin and 1/4 coconut oil once a day. In the last 6 months, she has become obsessive digging, chewing and scratching herself. When I make her stop, her skin sometimes is quivering, just breaks my heart. So I started to think it could be something in her food she is allergic to. Which brings me to the question what? How in the world does a person determine what they are allergic to? I have spent hours pouring over all this information, foods, ingredients, but I don’t know what she is allergic to. Please Help! Thank you.
After looking at the different recommendations you have for pea free dog food I only found one that is truly pea free, Elliot’s.
All the other ones only provide pea free for chicken. If you do a check into chicken and dogs you will find that unlike cats dogs do not eat chickens. They will kill them but not eat them. A vet and natural pet person informed me of studies showing that chicken is not good for dogs even though all dog food companies use it as their staple ingredient.
Every dog that has come into her office with diabetes was told to remove ALL chicken from the dogs diet. ALL of the dogs no longer have diabetes. This prompted her to do further research which she found proof of chicken’s harming dogs.