Scratching is common to dogs, but excessive scratching could be indicative of skin allergies. If your dog has been obsessively scratching through the day, there may be an underlying reason that needs immediate treatment. Note though that scratching is just one symptom of skin allergy. The skin could also look red, flakey, and with a few sores on the surface. Allergies can also lead to hair loss, scooting, and obsessive chewing or licking of the skin. Did you know that there are certain raw dog food for skin allergies that you can make at home? Experts believe raw feeding can be an answer to skin allergies in dogs.
Once you notice these symptoms, you need to take action immediately! If left untreated, skin allergies can easily worsen and leave your dog feeling incredibly uncomfortable. Serving special raw diet is one thing, but consulting your vet is another.
Skin Allergy in Dogs
As with people, dogs can have allergies over different things. The best way to find out his trigger for skin allergies is by consulting a veterinarian. The vet can perform tests which can help eliminate the specific ingredients or products that could be causing the problem. Note though that a dog’s allergies doesn’t always refer to food. In some cases, the allergy can be because of ticks, fleas, shampoo, soap, or some other environmental factor. Once you eliminate all of those however, there’s nothing left but to look at your own dog food. A common approach to identifying food triggers is through the Dog Elimination Diet.
This elimination diet happens by serving your dog food that have a low allergy risk. Turkey liver, lamb, and carefully chosen vegetables are usually the components of this diet. Once your dog gets used to this food, you start adding one new ingredient at a time that could “possibly” trigger the allergic reaction. By doing this, you can figure out exactly what ingredient your pet is allergic to. The downside of this feeding approach is that it takes longer to figure out exactly what food is causing the problem.
After you’ve found out what’s triggering allergies for Fido, you might want to consider getting customized meals from dog food delivery service platforms such as We Feed Raw, to avoid these ingredients. But if you are into homemade meals, below are some recipes you can try.
Homemade Dog Food Recipe for Skin Allergies
So let’s say you’ve narrowed down the allergies due to poor diet. From there, the next step is to create raw dog food recipes that do NOT contain any your dog’s trigger for skin allergies. Here are some homemade dog food recipes you can try out for skin allergies.
Pork Based Recipe
Grind the meat products and puree the fruits and vegetables in this recipe.
- 5 lbs ground pork
- 3 lbs pork heart
- 1 lb pork liver
- 1 lb oily fish
- 12 oz mixed berries
- 8 oz kale
- 5 oz broccoli
- 4 oz dandelion greens
- 6 tbsp seaweed calcium
- 3 tsp wheat germ oil
- 1 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1.5 grams kelp powder
Turkey Based Recipes
Chop or use a food processor for the following ingredients:
- 2lbs chicken heart
- 1lb beef liver
- 5lbs ground turkey
- 6 eggs
- 6 oz brocolli
- 6 oz kale
- 8 oz dandelion greens
- 12 oz blueberries
- 1/4 tsp kelp
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seed powder
- 6 tbsp bone meal
In this recipe, the turkey is the least likely allergen. If chicken poses to be a trigger, you can swap the liver with chicken liver and skip the eggs entirely.
Beef and Lentil Recipe
Cut up the meat first and then puree the vegetables and eggs before combining all of them together.
- 5 lbs ground beef
- carrots
- sweet potatoes
- spinach
- 1 to 3 eggs
- salmon oil
- sunflower oil
Getting Veterinary Input
Note that the raw dog food recipes you find online are not 100% reliable. You want to get the input of a veterinary nutritionist to give you better direction. Depending on the results of the recipe, you may also want to swap some ingredients for items like carrots, brown rice, or other vegetables. It’s also common to mix vitamins into the homemade dog food in order to make up for some missing ingredients. Some dog owners like to add sunflower oil, olive oil, or fish oil to help with skin issues. Calcium and other minerals may also be added. If you are wary about feeding raw meat to your dog, you can try fresh dog food or gently cooked meals as an alternative.
Note that no matter what great alternative you choose, it’s always a good idea to look into AAFCO [1] when checking dog food. This is especially true if you’re buying customized raw meals as opposed to making them yourself. The AAFCO minimum nutrition requirements pup growth or for maintenance should serve as your guide when making raw meals. For maintenance, the minimum standard is typically 18% protein, 5.5% fat, and the essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, copper, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, and others.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much homemade food to feed a dog
The general rule is that serving size should be around 2 to 3 percent of his body weight. However, if you’re following a recipe with precise instructions or calorie count, you’d want to rely on the calorie count especially if you’re serving a nutrient-dense meal.
How to make raw food for dogs?
There are actually tons of raw dog food recipes you can follow online for dogs. If you’re not ready to jump into raw food yet, you can find cooked homemade dog food recipes too.
Is raw meat good for dogs with skin allergies?
It depends. The argument for raw dog food recipes for skin allergies is that it contains no fillers or preservatives which can trigger the allergy. However, the deciding factor is really the allergy trigger for the dog. If the pooch is allergic to ground chicken or ground beef, then offering these foods, even if raw, can still cause itchy skin.
What raw meat is best for dogs with allergies?
The most common muscle meat triggers include chicken, beef, and pork since they’re the ones usually added in commercial dog food. Following an elimination diet, you can try serving turkey meat, lamb, rabbit, or even kangaroo meat. Since these aren’t usually part of a dog’s diet, there’s a smaller chance for an allergic reaction.
What food is best for dogs with skin allergies?
Fish is usually the best protein source you can use if your dog is showing skin problems. It also contains fish oil which helps contribute to overall skin and coat health. Since a pure fish diet can be expensive however, it’s usually best to mix this with other protein sources.
