what dog food is good for dogs with itchy skin
Why Is My Dog So Itchy? Possible Causes & Treatment
Are you thinking about your dogs frequent scratching, licking, and rolling around on the rug? You may be feeling itchy yourself, just from watching all this activity!
There are many reasons your dog may be itchy. Many veterinarians believe its best to find the cause of the itch sooner rather than later. While occasional scratching can be normal for dogs, frequent scratching could indicate a medical condition that may get worse over time.
According to a 2023 Nationwide Survey on pet insurance data, for the eleventh year in a row allergic dermatitis (skin allergies) was the top reason dogs were brought into the vet. This condition can make your dog itchy and cause them to show signs like frequent scratching, recurrent ear infections, and skin changes. Continue on to learn more about allergic dermatitis and why August is such a special month.
Possible Cause of Your Dogs Itchy Skin
So, whats behind your dogs itchy skin? It may be caused by a medical condition called skin allergies. This means your dogs body overreacts to an allergen in the environment or to food, which makes them feel itchy. There are several potential culprits:
- Flea allergy: Flea bites can create extremely itchy areas on your dog. They can be found anywhere on the body, but are most common at the hind legs, tail base, and rear end. Just because you dont see any fleas on your dog does not mean they arent there keep in mind that a bite from a single flea can make your dog very itchy.
- Food allergy: Your dogs itching might be caused by a food allergy. Some dogs are allergic to common dog food ingredients such as beef, chicken, and dairy products.1 Food allergies in dogs can lead to changes to the skin around their paws, face, armpits, and belly.
- Environmental allergy: Your dog may be allergic to environmental triggers like pollen, mold spores, or dust mites. Environmental allergens can cause allergic itch during certain seasons, or even year-round. Dogs with environmental allergies will often have changes to the skin around their face, belly, and paws.
- Contact allergy: Your dog may be allergic to substances it encounters daily. These can include things like household cleaners, shampoos, insecticides, and plants. Dogs with contact allergies will often be itchy in the area that touched the contact allergen.
Skin allergies can make your dog uncomfortable. They can also lead to secondary health problems if there is a delay in treatment. When a dog licks or scratches an area excessively, it can damage the skin and lead to skin infections and wounds. These can cause changes like hair loss, body odor, and inflammation. Severe skin infections and wounds may even be painful for your dog.
How to Relieve Your Dogs Itchy Skin
When your dog experiences these skin changes because of skin allergies, it can be tempting to try an over-the-counter treatment or home remedy. However, using an OTC or at-home solution may not relieve your dogs itch. The following treatment options are commonly available and may offer some itch relief but may not be the best option for your dog.
- Over-the-counter shampoos and oils. Treatments like coconut oil and itch-relief shampoos only provide temporary relief. Your dogs itch may come back because the root cause has not been addressed.
- Antihistamines. While studies have shown that antihistamines may relieve allergies in humans well, antihistamines are less helpful in relieving itch in dogs with environmental allergies. In fact, it has been shown that antihistamines likely offer little to no benefit in treating environmental allergies in many dogs.
- Prescription steroids. Steroids prescribed by a vet can be effective in reducing itchiness in your dog, but they may cause side effects5 in your furry friend. Dogs on prescription steroids often experience increased urination, thirst, and weight gain. They can also experience behavior shifts such as increased aggression.
August is Itchy Pet Awareness Month. If your dog is scratching frequently in August or any time of year, schedule an appointment with your vet to discuss the most effective ways to relieve your dogs itch. If your dog has skin allergies, then a prescription treatment from your vet may be needed to get your favorite sidekick feeling better. So, call your vet today!
American poet Ogden Nash said, Happiness is having a scratch for every itch. For your dog, happiness is relieving the source of every itch.
Best Dog Food for Skin Allergies
Key Things to Look for
Stop! Dont read any further until you have been through this section. Below, you will find everything you need to be keeping an eye out for when you buy food for your dogs skin allergies. Its an important segment and one that will make the selection process easier.
Age. Even with skin allergies, you need to make sure that they are being fed the right dog food for their age. Puppy food is rich in fat and protein, causing stomach upsets and weight gain in older dogs that could be mistaken for an allergic reaction. Not to mention the nutritional differences.
Grain/Wheat. A huge number of food allergies are caused by grains and wheat. It can lead to stomach upsets, bloating, excessive wind, and feelings of lethargy. Rice tends to be a good grain, however, settling stomachs and providing a gentle and delicious meal.
Dairy Protein. These proteins often cause reactions, leading your dog to feel sick as well as causing itchy skin. Much like people, many dogs are lactose intolerant and cant handle dairy proteins, so try and avoid this where possible.
Protein Content. You want your dog food to be rich in protein as it is exceptionally good for them, but you also want them to have the right proteins so that they dont suffer from a reaction.
If you know what they are allergic to, this is easy to do, but if you dont then you can either go through the process of elimination or stick with gentle proteins like fish.Get Your Dog Tested. The best thing to do is to take your dog to the vet so that you can get them tested. This means that you have a clear understanding of what they should be avoiding in their diet so that you can make an informed choice. The testing process is quick and easy, a lot like when a human goes to be allergy tested.
Best Dog Foods for Allergies
Farmers Pork is one of 3 fresh recipes included in our review of the The Farmers Dog product line.
The Farmers Dog pork recipe gets the bulk of its animal protein from fresh pork. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 28% fat and 28% estimated carbs which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 78%.
A top pick. Enthusiastically recommended.
See all 3 available recipes
Read our review of the full The Farmers Dog Food (Fresh) range here
Main Ingredients Pork, sweet potato, potato, green beans, cauliflower Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Best For All dogs including large breed puppies Pork Potluck is one of 4 fresh human-grade recipes studied in our review of the Nom Nom cooked-then-frozen product line.
Nom Nom Pork Potluck derives the bulk of its meat protein from fresh ground pork. Dry matter label analysis reveals a wet recipe containing 28% protein, 20% fat and 44% estimated carbs with a fat-to-protein ratio of about 71%.
If youve ever wished you could feed your dog a fresh, home-cooked meal but you didnt know how to make sure it was nutritionally complete and balanced then Nom Nom makes a smart choice.
The first time you visit Nom Noms website, youll answer a few questions about your dogs age, weight, breed and suspected allergies. Nom Nom will then create a customized, single protein diet designed to keep your dog at optimal weight.
Expertly designed by Dr. Justin Shmalberg, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist (DACVN).
An excellent limited ingredient recipe and a solid place to start an at-home elimination diet. Enthusiastically recommended.
See all 4 available recipes
For More Choices: See our Best Fresh-Cooked Dog Food page
Read our review of the full Nom Nom Dog Food (Fresh) range here
Main Ingredients Ground pork, russet potatoes, green beans, squash, kale Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 28% AAFCO Standards All life stages Best For Adults + puppies (including large breeds) Turkey and Potato Formula is one of 6 recipes included in our review of the Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient dry product line.
Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Diet Turkey and Potato derives the majority of its animal protein from fresh turkey and turkey meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 29% protein, 14% fat and 49% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 46%.
An excellent limited ingredient option for adult dogs with food and skin sensitivities. Easily recommended.
See all 6 available recipes
Read our review of the full Wellness Simple Limited Ingredient Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned turkey, turkey meal, potatoes, peas, dried ground potatoes Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 29% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Raised Right Beef is one of 11 fresh recipes included in our review of the Raised Right product line.
Raised Right Beef derives the lions share of its animal protein from fresh beef. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 61% protein, 24% fat and 8% estimated carbs delivering a fat-to-protein ratio of about 39%.
One of the best fresh, human-grade dog foods on the market. Unusually wide recipe selection can be a major plus especially for picky eaters. Highly recommended.
See all 11 available recipes
Read our review of the full Raised Right Dog Food (Fresh) range here
Main Ingredients Beef, beef heart, carrots, beef liver, cranberries Type Grain-free (carrots, cranberries) Protein Percentage 61% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adult dogs only Turkey Patties is one of 6 frozen raw recipes included in our review of the We Feed Raw product line.
This We Feed Raw Turkey Patties derives most of its animal protein from turkey. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 49% protein, 25% fat and 18% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 52%.
High quality ingredients. Highly recommended.
See all 6 available recipes
Read our review of the full We Feed Raw Dog Food (Raw Frozen) range here
Main Ingredients Turkey Tails, turkey gizzards, turkey wings, turkey liver, WFR vitamin + mineral mix Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 49% AAFCO Standards All Life Stages Sample buyer review...
Read more buyer reviews at WeFeedRaw.com"I have been feeding my dogs We Feed Raw for 3 years now and they love their food, their coats are always shining. They are active, happy, healthy dogs."
Real Salmon and Sweet Potato Recipe is one of 10 formulas included in our review of the Canidae Grain-Free Pure dry product line.
Canidae Grain-Free Pure Real Salmon and Sweet Potato gets the majority of its meat protein from fresh salmon, as well as salmon and menhaden fish meals. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 20% fat and 36% estimated carbs creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 56%.
A high-quality recipe ideal for adult dogs.
See all 10 available recipes
Read our review of the full Canidae Grain Free Pure Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, salmon meal, menhaden fish meal, sweet potatoes, peas Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Angus Beef Recipe is one of 3 dry formulas included in our review of the Taste of the Wild Prey Limited Ingredient product line.
Taste of the Wild Prey Angus Beef receives most of its animal protein from fresh beef. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 17% fat and 45% estimated carbs which yields a fat-to-protein ratio of about 57%.
Highly recommended.
See all 3 available recipes
Read our review of the full Taste of the Wild Prey Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Beef, lentils, tomato pomace, chicken fat, natural flavor Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 30% AAFCO Standards All life stages Best For All adults + puppies Chicken Flavor is one of 2 recipes included in our review of the Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Dog Food dry product line.
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Chicken Flavor gets most of its protein from hydrolyzed soy protein isolate. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 20% protein, 11% fat and 61% estimated carbs which creates a fat-to-protein ratio of about 53%.
An exceptional selection for sensitive dogs. Highly recommended.
See all available recipes
Read our review of the full Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Corn starch, hydrolyzed soy protein isolate, partially hydrogenated canola oil preserved with TBHQ, coconut oil, powdered cellulose Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 20% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Real Turkey and Brown Rice is one of 4 wet recipes included in our review of the Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet wet product line.
This Merrick Limited Ingredient formula derives the bulk of its meat protein from fresh deboned turkey. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 36% protein, 27% fat and 28% estimated carbs which results in a fat-to-protein ratio of about 75%.
A balanced, wet alternative to dry kibble. A practical option for those seeking to pin down a possible offending ingredient. Plus its available in 4 other featured proteins. Highly recommended.
See all 4 available recipes
Read our review of the full Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet Dog Food (Canned) range here
Main Ingredients Deboned turkey, turkey broth, turkey liver, brown rice, oatmeal Type Grain-inclusive (brown rice, oatmeal) Protein Percentage 36% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hydrolyzed Protein Adult HP is one of 4 recipes included in our review of the Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hydrolyzed Protein dry product line.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Hydrolyzed Protein draws the bulk of its protein from hydrolyzed soy protein. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 21% protein, 19% fat and 52% estimated carbs producing a fat-to-protein ratio of about 89%.
A solid all life stages option for dogs with allergies.
See all 4 available recipes
Read our review of the full Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Hydrolyzed Protein Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Brewers rice, hydrolyzed soy protein, chicken fat, natural flavors, dried plain beet pulp Type Grain-inclusive (brewers rice) Protein Percentage 21% AAFCO Standards All life stages Best For All adults + small or medium breed puppies Z/D is one of 2 dry recipes included in our review of the Hills Prescription Skin Food Sensitivities product line.
This product gets the majority of its animal protein from chicken liver. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 19% protein, 14% fat and 59% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 75%.
Hills Z/D is made with hydrolyzed protein derived from chicken to help avoid adverse food reactions and promote healthy skin.
A time-proven, hypoallergenic formula thats been recommended by veterinary professionals nationwide for years. Ideal for dogs diagnosed with food and skin allergies. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Hills Prescription Diet Z/D Canine Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Corn starch, hydrolyzed chicken liver, powdered cellulose, soybean oil, calcium carbonate Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 19% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only, including seniors (not for puppies) This Salmon and Brown Rice Formula is one of 26 recipes included in our review of the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets dry product line.
This Natural Balance Limited Ingredient formula derives most of its animal protein from fresh salmon and fish meal. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 27% protein, 17% fat and 49% estimated carbs which produces a fat-to-protein ratio of about 63%.
Enthusiastically recommended.
See all 26 available recipes
Read our review of the full Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets High Protein Dog Food (Dry) range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, menhaden fish meal, brown rice, brewers rice, rice bran Type Grain-inclusive (brown rice, brewers rice) Protein Percentage 27% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Sensitive Skin Salmon and Rice is one of 19 recipes included in our review of the Purina Pro Plan dry product line.
This Purina Pro Plan formula derives the bulk of its animal protein from fresh salmon. Dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 30% protein, 18% fat and 44% estimated carbs yielding a fat-to-protein ratio of about 62%.
We also note the inclusion of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids from sunflower and fish oils designed to help support dry, itchy skin.
An exceptional over-the-counter, non-prescription dog food that may provide symptomatic relief from chronic skin allergies. Highly recommended.
Read our review of the full Purina Pro Plan Dog Food range here
Main Ingredients Salmon, barley, rice, oat meal, canola meal Type Includes grain (barley, rice, oat meal) Protein Percentage 30% AAFCO Standards Maintenance Best For Adults only (not for puppies) Zignature Turkey is one of 13 wet dog food recipes included in our review of the Zignature canned product line.
Zignature Salmon extracts the bulk of its meat protein from fresh turkey. Our dry matter label analysis reveals the recipe contains 52% protein, 23% fat and 17% estimated carbs creating a fat-to-protein ratio of about 43%.
An exceptional, simple ingredient formula. Recommended with confidence.
See all 13 available recipes
Read our review of the full Zignature Dog Food (Canned) range here
Main Ingredients Turkey, turkey broth, turkey liver, peas, turkey meal Type Grain-free Protein Percentage 52% AAFCO Standards All life stages Best For All adults + puppies 15. Zignature Dog Food Review (Canned)
