“Itchy and Scratchy” – Can diet help my sensitive dog? 

Did you know that we have a dedicated team of canine nutritionists, who are available to offer free nutritional advice for your dog. If you would like to get in touch with them, simply send them a message on the Skinner’s Facebook or Instagram pages, or call them on the below phone numbers:

Nutritional Advisor – Rebekah – 07903 632657
Nutrition Officer – Zoe – 07377 714486

Dogs scratch. Sometimes dogs scratch a lot! But when is that scratching a problem and when might diet be worth looking at as a possible way to help? At Skinner’s we know all dogs are different and this is why we formulate and produce a range of different diets so that you can make the best choice for your dog. We also know that some dogs are more sensitive than others and that sometimes, diet can help them.

Is it an allergy, an intolerance or something else?

Scratching is a sign of skin irritation. Sometimes that irritation has a simple cause and is a result of things not related to diet. In truth, adverse reactions to diet are less common that many people think and are more commonly to ingredients such as beef, dairy and soya than other substances. Indeed, skin irritation is also more commonly a result of exposure to environmental substances than to food and specific food ingredients!

Sudden scratching

If your dog is suddenly scratching much more and there have been no specific changes in their diet or living situation, it could simply be a reaction to something in their immediate surroundings. Indeed, seasonal changes in spring and summer often means that there is increased pollen in the environment. Certain insects become more prevalent and of course fleas become much more likely too. All of these can result in irritation for your dog. Many owners describe their dogs as being allergic to certain substances, but true allergies are rare (and are even potentially life threatening). However, more minor intolerance reactions are more common and can be short or long lived, with many being seasonal in the same way that many people have hay fever only at certain times of the year.

My dog seems much more irritated than normal – what should I do?

In the event of a change in levels of scratching, head shaking, digestive issues or any other symptoms or behaviours that might suggest a possible reaction to something, the first port of call should always be your veterinary surgeon for a full diagnosis, and treatment if need be. This is important as otherwise you could start making other lifestyle changes that have no impact at all, or even potentially could create more problems! If you have ruled out other potential causes, then diet might be worth exploring, either to eliminate possible causes of the irritation, or to support how your dog is responding to environmental challenges.

The Field and Trial Sensitive Range

The Field and Trial Sensitive range is an ideal choice for dogs that might be a little more sensitive. The range is based on rice to supply carbohydrate for energy, fibre and provides other key nutrients. Rice is highly digestible for dogs and can be useful for digestive systems that might be sensitive to grains such as wheat. The range includes different protein options for you to tailor your dog’s diet specifically too; duck, chicken, salmon, lamb and turkey. For some dogs, feeding a diet rich in a novel protein that they haven’t been fed before can be beneficial to manage sensitivities. For this reason, the Field and Trial sensitive range has many happy customers, both human and canine!