Help, my dog is itching! – on Sensitive

Is your dog frequently scratching? Does he have so-called ‘hot spots’ (acute pyoderma) or is he gnawing away at his front legs? Then he might have a food intolerance or allergy. Meaning you’ll have to find out what exactly it is that he’s intolerant to.

Causes of itching

‘Itching is worse than pain’, they say, and the same goes for dogs. Obviously you’ll be wanting your dog to get over his itching as soon as possible. Unfortunately, there are so many different causes that identifying the right one can be tricky. For example, a flea bite could cause some issues, or an excessively hot sleeping place could result in a kind of ‘greenhouse effect’. Food, too, can play a role. Consider in this regard all unnecessary artificial additives or chemical preservatives.

Problems with wheat

In recent years, wheat is increasingly being cited as a cause of itching too. Many dry food producers include wheat as a source of energy and as a binding agent for the kibbles. If your dog does not react well to wheat, then a lot of food brands have a so-called ‘Sensitive’ option. This kibble often contains lamb and rice. Lamb is more readily digestible, you see, and rice is a good substitute for wheat and doesn’t produce allergic symptoms.

Better life

If, as an organization, you stand for a better life for all animals, then you won’t be keen on the idea of animals being slaughtered prematurely. Lamb is readily digestible, but we think that a lamb should be allowed to live long enough to grow into a sheep. As an alternative, we choose chicken. Chicken is also readily digestible, hence our Sensitive kibbles contain chicken & rice. Just as effective and (even more importantly) every bit as tasty.