# best dog food to prevent hot spots



## katelyn29 (Jul 21, 2010)

Hi everyone! I haven't logged into this forum in years. I used to come on all the time when my dogs were puppies, they are now 3 and 4. Anyways, the purpose of my post is that my older male dog is always getting hot spots to the point where we had to go out and buy a cone because he does not stop licking. He has very sensitive skin and I'm really considering switching his dog food to a grain free kind and see if it helps. Both my dogs eat the same food, but my female dog has never had any skin issues whatsoever. I am looking for any suggestions for a good premium grainfree food. My mom recently switched her border collie to grain free that she purchased at Costco. Not sure of the brand, but I want it to be high quality. Thanks in advance!


----------



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

My two Goldens are eating Purina Pro Plan for Sensitive Skin and Stomach-it's salmon and does not contain corn.

Neither of them have ever had a hot spot, not yet anyway. They've been eating it for the last two years. It was recommended by several members here on the forum when I adopted my boy two years ago and he was having some stomach issues inspite of several prescriptions from my Vet. His stomach problems cleared up immediately and as I said, neither of my two have had a hot spot yet.

There are several Grain free forumulas on the market, Wellness makes one. 

I'm sure you'll get some other suggestions.


----------



## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

Kirkland is Costco's brand. I know nothing about it. There are many choices for grain free. I'm assuming you do kibble. Just make sure there are no current recalls out there. I'd also stay away from things processed in Diamond's plant as they are constantly having issues. Fromm is a good food, Acana/Orijen are good as are many others. I don't feed kibble any longer so I am not watching recalls as much. I feed a freeze dried food that you add water to make it like a stew and I also add raw organ meats and beef heart to her dinner. When we get our second dog later this year I may have to tweak it a bit because of price, but unless they have a recall I'm sticking with my current food.


----------



## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

I have never heard of dog food being a cause of hot spots.


----------



## katelyn29 (Jul 21, 2010)

thanks! I might try the purina pro plan. We have two dogs so as much as I would love to feed them the best there is, but its just not a possibility price wise. I will do some more research and try to find an affordable yet premium brand.


----------



## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

katelyn29 said:


> thanks! I might try the purina pro plan. We have two dogs so as much as I would love to feed them the best there is, but its just not a possibility price wise. I will do some more research and try to find an affordable yet premium brand.


There are quite a few choices out there. You should be able to find something in your price range.


----------



## Goldens R Great (Aug 19, 2010)

goldensrbest said:


> I have never heard of dog food being a cause of hot spots.


I've had goldens for over 20 years and none of them ever had a hot spot until I got Finn. He's had some digestive issues so the vet put him on Hills Prescription Diet z/d food which is supposed to be allergen-free. He wasn't on it very long before he started itching like crazy, got a hot spot and then a rash around his groin area. I stopped using the food and the itching stopped and the hot spot and rash went away. We'll see how it goes in the future with him, but right now I believe the food caused the skin issues.

OP - I would second Fromm, Acana and Orijen. I've heard good things about Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin and Stomach too. I recently read through the list of dog food brands The Whole Dog Journal endorses and if memory serves me correctly Merrick Grain Free was on the list. I don't have the list with me, but I will double-check it and let you know if I am wrong.

I wish you the best with your boy!


----------



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

katelyn29 said:


> thanks! I might try the purina pro plan. We have two dogs so as much as I would love to feed them the best there is, but its just not a possibility price wise. I will do some more research and try to find an affordable yet premium brand.


I would have never considered the Purina Pro plan if it hadn't been recommended by several members here on the forum that are feeding various formulas of Purina Pro Plan. I was to the point where I had nothing to lose with my boy. I'd tried several different brands/formulas, he was still having stomach issues and he was 15-20 lbs. underweight when I adopted him. 

Hope you are able to find a food that works for you and your pups.


----------



## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Is the dog getting hot spots 12 months out of the year. If not it is probably environmental allergies.


----------



## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

The first two years Brady got a lot of hot spots. I changed him to grain free Wellness Core and he has not had one since! Over four years. Problem now is my husband does share some of his meals with him - bread and pizza - and if he has had too much, a few days later he will have ear issues.


----------



## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

It depends on what's causing the hot spots... dogs are sensitive to different things so what works for one may not for another. Ironically, Hank got bad itchies which resulted in a hot spot from the licking, after I tried switching him to the PP Sensitive Skin & Stomach. After some trial & error I figured out he is sensitive to salmon.


----------



## Lilliam (Apr 28, 2010)

katelyn29 said:


> Hi everyone! I haven't logged into this forum in years. I used to come on all the time when my dogs were puppies, they are now 3 and 4. Anyways, the purpose of my post is that my older male dog is always getting hot spots to the point where we had to go out and buy a cone because he does not stop licking. He has very sensitive skin and I'm really considering switching his dog food to a grain free kind and see if it helps. Both my dogs eat the same food, but my female dog has never had any skin issues whatsoever. I am looking for any suggestions for a good premium grainfree food. My mom recently switched her border collie to grain free that she purchased at Costco. Not sure of the brand, but I want it to be high quality. Thanks in advance!


I recently switched Max and Billy to Wellness Core Grain Free. I always had my border collies on Evo, which is grain free, but after my second border collie, Dru, died in 2011, I switched Billy to Innova at the same time that Max turned one and I switched him to Innova as well. 

Max has had two hot spots in three years. He is recently on Wellness Core Grain Free, as I mentioned. Too soon to say if there is a difference for the hot spots, but there has been a definite difference in my border collie's coat.


----------



## sabrinamae12 (Mar 22, 2013)

My breeder feeds Infinia Zenfood to dogs prone to allergies and skin issues. It seems to work very well. I believe three of the four varieties are grain-free. It may be worth a look: Infinia Holistic™ Pet Food - Home


----------



## maizy's mom (Nov 21, 2012)

I feed Maizy Fromm. I honestly do not know if it helps skin, but I will say her coat has never been softer and shinier than after I switched to Fromm.


----------



## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

There soooo many foods to choose from these days that it can be very confusing. 

It's hard to beat the PP SSS for price, quality and length of time on the market. I fed it successfully to my dogs off and on for years. Recently, my vet asked me to switch Bella to grain-free. She'd gotten a hot spot and had an ear infection and vet thinks she may be allergic to something. I did a whole lot of looking around and found a new food and decided to try it. It's Diamond's (I know, I know) new grain free line. The dogs like it a lot, it fits in my budget and so far Bella has done well on it. I know many people are very down on Diamond because of all their production problems and their slow responses. IMO they've learned their many lessons--they were very responsive and accommodating to my questions and seemed eager to talk. The biggest problem I've had is there's only only one shop in my town that sells it. 

Good luck--there are many food discussions on here. It would probably save you some time to poke around and read through some of them


----------



## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

Switching to grain-free six years go definitly reduced Bentley's hotspots and yucky ears. It is rarely a probem anymore. The money you save in vet bills can cover the cost of a little more expensive food. Take a look at Acana Pacifica, Earthborne Coastal Catch, or Nutrisource seafood.


----------



## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

My seven are on Wellness Chicken....no hot spots...


----------



## bonacker (Jun 30, 2009)

goldensrbest said:


> I have never heard of dog food being a cause of hot spots.



Me either, but I am now a firm believer that a sensitivity to a certain ingredient will bring on a hot spot. Hunter is very hot spot prone and when I made my final switch to Wellness Super 5 Mix Lamb/Barley/Salmon, the hot spots stopped completely. I never made the connection until I tried a different Wellness flavor (it was their chicken variety) and within a week, Hunter had a hot spot. I switched back permanently almost 2 years ago, and he has been hot spot free since. Not sure if it was a sensitivity to the chicken or what, but I will never change foods again. Both Hunter and Mako are thriving on it and they love it ... although being the food hounds they are, I'm sure they would show the same enthusiasm for bird seed.


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

It really depends on the dog.

Many dogs don't do well w/ corn.

Others have a sensitivity to poultry.

Some can't handle starchy foods like potatoes.

I'd start with making sure the food is corn free ... and over a few months, try eliminating other things if you're still having problems.


----------



## dogloverforlife (Feb 17, 2013)

Fromm GF or Earthborn GF.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Buddy eats FROMM dog food and no hot spots this year!!!


----------

