Homemade dog food for allergies: rabbit with pumpkin and rice

Homemade dog food for allergies: rabbit with pumpkin and rice, a single-protein recipe for elimination diets: what it is, how long it lasts, how to do it.

Time
45 min + 15 min resting
Makes
About 1.35 kg / 3 lb (2 days for a 15 kg / 33 lb dog)
Type
Main meal
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Homemade dog food for allergies: rabbit with pumpkin and rice
The recipe at a glance
  • 42 % boneless rabbit
  • 35 % white rice
  • 23 % pumpkin
  • 1 % extra virgin olive oil

Follows THE RULE. All 5 ingredients are on our safe list: nothing that could harm your dog.

This homemade dog food for allergies uses a single protein, rabbit, which few dogs have eaten before, with a single carbohydrate source (rice) and a single vegetable (pumpkin). That simplicity is exactly what an elimination diet needs: if your dog improves eating only this, you know the problem was something in their previous diet.

Cooked rabbit turns out white and tender, with a mild flavor almost every dog likes. Always make it the same way, with the same weighed ingredients, because in an elimination diet consistency is part of the treatment: no treats, no table scraps, no “just a little bite”.

Why it works

Rabbit is the single protein: lean, digestible and uncommon in kibble and treats, so your dog's immune system is less likely to recognize it. White rice provides energy with a very low allergy risk, and pumpkin gives soluble fiber and beta-carotene. Olive oil adds some fat and flavor without introducing another animal protein. Well-baked ground eggshell corrects the calcium.

Talk to your vet first. An elimination diet should be done with your vet: they rule out other causes of itching, choose the protein and the duration, and guide the reintroduction. Done on your own, it usually gives confusing results.

Step by step

  1. Cook the rabbit

    Put the rabbit pieces in a pot with 1 liter (about 4 cups) of water. When it boils, lower the heat, skim off the foam and simmer for 25 minutes, until the meat comes away on its own.

  2. Cook the rice with the pumpkin

    In another pot, cook the rice with the diced pumpkin and 550 ml (2⅓ cups) of water (or skimmed rabbit broth) for 18-20 minutes.

  3. Double-check for bones

    Shred the rabbit with your fingers and check every piece: even when it comes deboned, small splinters are sometimes left.

  4. Mix

    Combine the rabbit, rice and pumpkin, mashed with a fork. Add the olive oil and let it cool for 15 minutes.

  5. Add the calcium and weigh the portions

    Sprinkle over the ground eggshell, mix and divide into weighed portions: in an elimination diet, your dog should eat exactly the same thing every day.

How much should I feed?

Approximate daily portion for a "spayed or neutered adult" profile. Split it into two meals (three or four for puppies).

— g a day

Weight3 kg5 kg10 kg15 kg20 kg30 kg40 kg
Grams/day2053005056858501,1501,425

Puppy, senior, very active or on a diet? Calculate the exact portion.

Energy
125 kcal/100 g
Protein
37 % dry matter
Fat
12 % dry matter
Calcium:phosphorus
1.4 : 1

Values estimated from the ingredients (BEDCA/USDA data). An everyday meal. To feed it daily as the only food, add a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets.

Storage

Fridge: 3 days. Freezer: up to 3 months. For an 8-week diet, the practical approach is to cook 7 days' worth every weekend and freeze half. Thaw in the fridge and serve lukewarm. Label the containers: if there are other dogs at home, keep their food from getting mixed up.

If you don't have…

You can't find rabbit
Another protein from the list your dog has never eaten (for example, lean lamb or hake), chosen with your vet
Your dog doesn't tolerate rice
550 g (1¼ lb) of peeled, well-cooked potato instead of the rice
You don't have pumpkin
Zucchini in the same amount

Cooking tips

  • Elimination diet: 8 weeks eating only this and water. No treats, no dental chews, no flavored toothpaste, and no flavored chewable medications without asking first.
  • Keep a diary: itch from 1 to 10, condition of ears and paws, stools. You'll see progress with data rather than by eye.
  • If your dog improves, your vet will tell you how to reintroduce the old foods one at a time to find out which one triggers the reaction (the food challenge).
  • To keep it going beyond 8 weeks as a regular diet, your dog needs a vitamin and mineral supplement for homemade diets that's compatible with the elimination diet.

Safety

  • During the trial, not a single thing outside the recipe: one chicken-flavored treat can undo weeks of work.
  • Rabbit always boneless and cooked: its cooked bones are thin and splinter.
  • No salmon oil or fish supplements during the trial unless your vet says so: they can also contain protein.
  • Single protein
  • Freezer-friendly

Frequently asked questions

What is an elimination diet for dogs?

It's a test to find out whether a dog has a food allergy or intolerance: for about 8 weeks the dog eats only one protein it has never had before (or a hydrolyzed diet) with one carbohydrate, and nothing else. The key is that the protein is new to the dog; the carbohydrate is up to your vet (this recipe uses rice, which rarely causes problems). If symptoms improve and come back when the old food is reintroduced, it's confirmed. It's the only reliable test; blood and hair tests aren't.

How long does an elimination diet take for dogs?

At least 8 weeks, because skin takes time to renew and itching takes time to settle. Many dogs improve at 4-6 weeks, but stopping early can give a misleading result. If the symptoms are digestive, the change sometimes shows sooner. Your vet will decide when to move on to reintroduction, the phase that confirms which food is the culprit.

Is rabbit good for dogs with allergies?

Yes, because very few dogs have eaten it, and the immune system can only react to what it already knows. It's also lean and digestible. But it isn't hypoallergenic in itself: if your dog has already eaten rabbit in kibble or treats, it isn't a new protein for them and won't work for the trial.

What are the symptoms of a food allergy in dogs?

Above all, year-round itching: scratching, licking the paws, recurring ear infections, or red skin on the ears, armpits, groin and around the anus. Sometimes there's also vomiting, soft stools or lots of bowel movements a day. These symptoms look like those of other allergies (fleas, environmental), so they need to be ruled out with your vet.

Does spinach help with skin problems in dogs?

There's no evidence that spinach improves a dog's skin, and it also contains oxalates that aren't good in excess. If your dog has itching or skin problems, what helps is finding the cause (allergy, parasites, yeast) and, if it's food-related, doing an elimination diet like this one. The omega-3s in fish can help the skin, with your vet's approval.

What's in it, in detail

If they liked it, try

The fridge list

The foods your dog can eat, can have in moderation and must never eat, on a single printable page.

Download the list (PDF)