# Food for itchy skin?



## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

I just gotta know, is there a good food for itchy skin? I currently feed Midas the Chicken Soup for the dog lovers soul, but he always seems so itchy. He has the occasional hot spot and just seems overall itchy. Not sure if its related to his food, weather, or what, or maybe he is just an itchy dog with allergies. He will be two this coming December and I also have a 14 week old golden, Graham. I would like to eventually feed them the same food if possible. So, is there a good food out there for sensitive skin that would be good for both my Midas and my Graham? Not looking to break the bank, but want a good quality food that will maybe help with the itchy skin. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Unfortunately, there is no one food that relieves itching for all or even most dogs. You could try the Fromm 4 star line which is an all stages (ages) food which has a single protein source and is generally good for allergy dogs. It is very moderately priced. I get the duck and sweet potato formula for 30 lbs for $45. You can read about it here. www.frommfamily.com A good fish oil can also help with itching.. one high in EPA/DHA. You can do a search and find many threads about it. Also, Eqyss Micro-tek shampoo can work wonders on itching and help the skin heal. www.eqyss.com Good luck in narrowing down the source of allergy and doing the trial and error so often associated with getting them some relief.


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## Heidi36oh (Feb 27, 2007)

I had pretty good results with Lamb and Rice for Chloe after her hot spot episode earlier this year. I also added Fish Oil to her diet..so far she is doing good, no new hot spots :crossfing


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## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Ranger seems to be perpetually itchy, especially on kibble with grain. I saw a drastic improvement when I switched him to Orijen 6 fish - grain free and a different protein source (chicken is a common ingredient and a very common allergen). I also started giving him 3 salmon/fish oil pills (human grade) per day and baths with a good quality dog shampoo about once a week, plus brushing with a deodorizing/conditioning spray a few times a week.

I live in an exceptionally dry climate and the fall/winter season is hard on both him and I...I need to change moisturizers/shampoo/make-up every winter season from my summer stuff. I can't imagine it being any easier on him. 

Doing the above has really helped his coat and his itchies. His scratching has gone way down from when I first got him last year. Keep in mind if you do switch his food that it takes anywhere from 2-8 weeks to see a difference, so in the meantime you might want to bathe him to help relieve. The Eqyss shampoo Penny and Maggie's Mom recommended is really good for skin conditions. I use Earthbath and they have some anti-itch, anti-hot spot shampoos as well, here's their link: Pints :: earthbath® - totally natural pet care

I've only used the mango tango and the puppy, but both shampoos are super moisturizing and have stopped the flaky skin so I imagine the ones formulated for itchy skin would be fantastic!


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Thanks Ranger! I will have to give it a try. I am almost done with my current bag of the Chicken Soup so I will get a bag of the 6 fish and give it a whirl. I actually do give Midas fish oil 3 times a day as well, but still, we have the itchies. I am hoping the food change will help. Maybe its the chicken and the grains in my current food that are the culprit. I also do bathe him regularly with a chlorhex shampoo my vet gave me. It seems to help the hot spots and ease the itching. I actually tried the Earthbath and liked it however, Midas broke out into scabs everywhere. Not sure if it was related to the shampoo or him having a skin infection, but I stopped using it. I also used the mango tango spray and he also broke out into scabs, so again, I stopped using it. Anyway, thanks for the advice and I will be making the food switch. Keep your fingers crossed.


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

if he has a staph infection....(which can be VERY itchy ....) then i would address the infection first...


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

No infection, just over all itchy. He did have a infection over the summer which was treated and went away. This is when he broke out in scabs so I am not sure if the shampoo irritated an already existing infection or what so thats why I stopped using it. He is scab free and otherwise looking and acting fine as of right now


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

I have always fed Brooks the Nutro line (Large Breed Lamb and Rice, first puppy, then adult formulas and sometimes the Nutro Ultra). The price kept going up and so I started looking around for something else.
I read the Chicken Soup foods were better, nutritionally, than the Nutro so I started mixing some CS in with the Nutro. 
He has seemed very itchy lately, but I am not 100% sure if it started after I mixed in the CS.....(my son said yes)
So now I am trying to switch him to feeding raw!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

Has Midas been allergy tested...could be something in the environment...or the shampoo or the food... chasing your tail until you know what your working with.
Staph doesn't stay away if the source of the allergen stays present it can flare repeatedly.


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## MidasMom (Jun 2, 2010)

Funny that you mentioned allergy testing. I have been thinking of doing just that. It would be much easier than trying to figure out what the heck is bothering him. He is very active and I take him to my parent's property all the time where he swims, runs through woods, rolls in tall grasses, you name it. So who knows if its something in nature that is irritating him. I always rinse and/or bathe him thoroughly after swimming and when he gets really funky just as a precautionary measure. I also thought of switching to an all stages formula food as so I can feed it to Graham, my other golden puppy. Any takes on Taste of the Wild? Looks good and is grain free.


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## Enzos_Mom (Apr 8, 2010)

Enzo hasn't had the itchy problem except for when he had fleas, but our yellow lab, Hunter, had CRAZY itchies along with ear infections and a weight problem. We switched him to the Fromm 4 star line and his ear infections and itchies are gone. He's also lost about 5 lbs and has a nice little waist now.


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## EmmaDube (Aug 23, 2009)

I've found that Taste of the Wild Bison/Venison flavor has been good for my previously itchy girl.


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## guccigucci (Mar 3, 2009)

most goldens seems to have this kind of problem, so does Gucci, she itches and will scratch in the middle of a walk or jog, plus her coat was dull, therefore I have now switched her food to high fish protein base plus salmon oil (DOG ONLY) with itch relief shampoo, now she is doing much better...and i brush her like 5 times a week with coat polishing stuff and deordorize...now she looks so so pretty and healthy...

**PS: try to give her treats with high omega 3 and 6**


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## jenlaur (Jun 24, 2009)

MidasMom said:


> Funny that you mentioned allergy testing. I have been thinking of doing just that. It would be much easier than trying to figure out what the heck is bothering him. He is very active and I take him to my parent's property all the time where he swims, runs through woods, rolls in tall grasses, you name it. So who knows if its something in nature that is irritating him. I always rinse and/or bathe him thoroughly after swimming and when he gets really funky just as a precautionary measure. I also thought of switching to an all stages formula food as so I can feed it to Graham, my other golden puppy. Any takes on Taste of the Wild? Looks good and is grain free.


Riley was itchy from the day we brought her home. We did some food changes and she was on grain free (Acana and then TOTW) for many months with no improvement. We did allergy testing. She tested positive to a few things so we began her on allergy shots. We saw no change after a couple of months on shots. I brush her daily and always looked for fleas. I saw no evidence of any fleas on her. And besides she was on monthly topical flea control so I thought we were covered.

Finally I looked under the thick hair on the back of her hind legs. This is where I found the fleas. When I looked closely I found 5 or 6 each time I looked. The only thing that worked for us was Comfortis and it was like a miracle when we put her on it. Within a couple of days her itching disappeared. 

She tested only mildly allergic to fleas on her allergy testing and it was not included in her shots. But it is evident now that only one flea can drive her nuts.

Not saying this is what is wrong with your boy. But allergy testing and the subsequent shots is pricey. Before you go that route consider scouring his body looking for fleas (even if he is on flea control) and maybe consider a food change. It took us over a year to figure out with Riley. She is now on Fromm food and Comfortis flea control and it is working. An itchy dog is miserable for the dog and you. I hope you find an answer for your boy.


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