Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has some advice on dog food, the reason I am asking here is because I am hoping to get dog food from Ireland at the best price .

I have a 3 year old German Shepherd and in the last few weeks he has developed a skin allergy which is not uncommon in his breed, he tends to scratch himself a lot and will react with scratching when you touch him in certain spots.
I have been to the vet loads of times with him, he has been on anti histamines tablets and an expensive injection.
I wouldn’t mind spending the money on the injection if it helped but it doesn’t.
The last advice the vet could give me is keep him indoors all the time but as a large active dog who lives in the country, this would be cruelty.
The allergies don’t let up during the winter so this makes me think outside is not the issue.

I was buying him his dog food when I thought maybe there was something in his food.

I feed him the dog food below
[https://petworlddirect.ie/products/nice-n-natural-chicken-dinner-adult-dog-food](https://petworlddirect.ie/products/nice-n-natural-chicken-dinner-adult-dog-food)

And was thinking of switching him to the premium version of it
[https://petworlddirect.ie/products/nice-n-natural-pure-chicken-brown-rice-dry-adult-dog-food](https://petworlddirect.ie/products/nice-n-natural-pure-chicken-brown-rice-dry-adult-dog-food)

I would like to keep feeding him this brand if possible as he is a picky eater and he loves this stuff.
Any advice would be appreciated especially from dog owners with food allergies and money isn’t an issue when it comes to him.

11 comments

  2. Chicken can be an allergy for small dogs but might be with your dog too?

    We have a shih tzu and feed him Nodens. It is from Decs Pets (Wexford). They have grain free versions as well, some dogs can be allergic to grain.

    They have different flavours too. What we do is change to a new flavour each month to give him some variation. The odd time he will get an egg, mince or a bit of cheese on his food.

    We stick with kibble as Shih Tzus can have issues with their teeth.

    They do large and small bags as well as samples and delivery is next day.

    With changing your dogs food, do it gradually. Otherwise it can lead to an upset tummy. Cleaning up after a shih tzu isnt bad but I could see a German Shepherd being a bit messier haha.

    You could also try salmon oil on their food to help with their skin and coat. Can also do tinned sardines but rinse the oil off. Wouldn’t do this everyday either (as in the sardines)

    Check their eyes. If you gently pull down the bottom lid. (Like you did to yourself as a kid when pulling a face). If they are more red it can be a sign of irritation. We have found less carpet/steaming our rug helps. Before anyone gives out, its a cheap one. You can also check to see if their ears are more red.

    However, I would recommend a vet visit if it is out of no where. I would also say that insurance can be helpful if it turn out to be a skin condition.

  3. I had an Australian Shepherd that chewed himself to bits with allergies. Spent thousands at the vet to only make it worse. I put him on a raw diet, all raw meat – no rice or grains – and it worked like magic. He stopped itching and chewing, his coat grew back and most of all he was happy and healthy! He lived to 15 which is a good age for an Aussie and never had another health issue. Here’s some more info on it. You can ask your butcher for chicken necks and whatnot. [https://www.rawfeedingadviceandsupport.com/canine-starterguide](https://www.rawfeedingadviceandsupport.com/canine-starterguide)

  4. Are you sure it’s actually allergies? We had a dog with skin problems, three vets didn’t know what to make of it, antibiotics, steroids, lots of different medications, had him shaved at the suggestion of the vet and nothing helped. Poor thing was covered in sores from scratching.

    Then one of the neighbours suggested sheep dipping him. We’d tried pretty much everything else (including a kinesiologist vet, which we didn’t know but he came recommended) so we figured it probably wouldn’t hurt any.

    Brought him over, sprayed him with sheep dip and it was gone in a week. Never came back.

  5. Chicken is a common allergy in dogs. Changing to a premium version of the same food won’t help.
    If you want to see if food makes a difference, you will need to feed them a hypoallergenic food like this https://www.zooplus.ie/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/royal_canin_vet_diet/567854 for at least six weeks with no other food, scraps or treats. Alternatively you could feed him a protein that he’s never had before like kangaroo meat.
    After 6 weeks of only that food and no other foods, you can introduce things back into his diet one at a time.

  6. Loads of dogs are allergic to poultry, mine included by the looks of it. I have him on gain kindness salmon and sweet potato and it’s been brilliant. I put some salmon oil in the food too for his skin and coat

  7. Chicken is the most likely meat allergen but a lot of breeds also react badly to high grain feeds. You can try change to a different meat or a grain free feed. If you go to the vet they will recommend and push you towards science plan or royal canin. After years in the animal care industry I highly recommend avoiding royal canin.

    Also if you read the ingredients, they don’t give percentages but what ever comes first is what’s used most etc

  8. Chicken is a very common allergy. You could trial a diet with hydrolysed proteins such as royal canin hypoallergenic/anallerrgenic

  9. You should be able to buy specialized dog food with regards to his allergies. They have it for cats, I feel like they should have it for dogs.

    I have 2 cats with different allergies, one used to get what your dog does, an expensive injection, pills and has been on a specialized diet. I kept up her care like this for about two years ( it meant getting her specialized food that had no cross contamination to grains, reducing her ability to go outside into the catio by a lot, keeping the environment as dust free as possible and buying detergent that was good for allergies and keeping up the meds and shots) and as of right now, her allergies have disappeared entirely and she no longer needs the expensive shot, or those pills. The other was only diagnosed before Christmas, so I’ve had her bloods done, the test confirmed and now I’m adjusting her care as needed.

    Have you had an full allergy test done for your dog?

    I had it done for my cats (it involves a blood test, which is sent off to a lab) and the one cat was unfortunately allergic to several categories (soy, certain grains, grasses, different types of trees, etc) while the other was thankfully only allergic to flea bites. The allergy tests can be pricey but they define clearly what your dog is allergic to, which is how you then treat it for sure.

    If the injection isn’t working, it sounds like your dog is still strongly exposed to what might be causing the reaction. Could you get a full allergy test done?

    The way my vet explained it is that allergies act like a door, and once the door opens, one allergy can become more than one, which is why it’s better to isolate the exact cause and know what you’re treating.

  10. Our dog is a collie and we discovered the red rash he had was mange which subsequently lead us to discovering he had a gluten intolerance. Gluten can sometimes bloat dogs or high artificial protein can also affect them as well. We switch between there two brands of dog foods https://www.petconnection.ie/autarky-dry-dog-food-working-adult-chicken-with-rice-veg-12kg-c2x24226610 and https://www.themilefarmshop.co.uk/arkwrights-sensitive-complete-extra-chicken/ which have worked wonders for the scratching and itching of the rash

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