Itching on raw diet??

[NewHouseFreshStart10]

I switched my dog from kibble to raw about 5 weeks ago, he was on a high meat chicken based dry food, so I moved him on to raw chicken (with bone), mixed with vegetables.

My main reason for switching was that he had never been interested in eating his kibble and would pick at it and sometimes leave it all together whereas with the raw he can't get enough!

However, in the past few days he's started really itching, to the point where his skin is now starting to go red.

Could this be due to the raw diet? Nothing else has changed so this is all I can pin it on, I thought raw was supposed to be better for their coats and generally would be a healthier diet for him!

How long have you had your dog? Just wondering if it could be a seasonal allergy to something environmental like grass pollen.

Consult your vet first, but I know some people give their dog human piriton - if that calms it, it would be a good sign it's an allergy, though you'd still have to identify what the allergen is.

Is it just raw chicken and veg you have him on, he needs offal as well.

@Bunnybigears he has liver/kidney/heart as well but he had this before the switch so I don't think that is the cause! We've had him 3 years and never noticed anything like this before, his skin isn't flaky and he has a lovely coat, the redness is mainly on his stomach/groin, not around his ears, eyes or face at all.

He has coconut oil too but again he has always had this, I didn't know whether to remove the raw food to see if that changed his itching before a vets trip or just take him straight there?

It could be that he's allergic to chicken (most common meat allergy in dogs due to the intensive rearing involved). Can you try him on venison (most hypoallergenic raw meat) and see if that resolves the issue?

What breed is he? Some dog breeds are allergic to chicken maybe having it raw instead of cooked or dry is making him itchy.

@MumUnderTheMoon @Madvixen thanks for your help. He's a working cocker spaniel, the main reason I was unsure as to it being the chicken was because he had had it in his kibble but with it being cooked I guess there is a difference! I will try switching meats, trip to get some venison tomorrow I think

Any ideas on how to soothe his itching currently? I've seen coconut oil could help!

I've just been reading a thread regarding sudocrem. Some posters use it on their dogs when their skin is irritated and said it works. Worth a try maybe?

I am no vet but itchiness on stomach and groin could be a contact allergy eg grass and clover is quite common.

However if it has just started after changing food (and I am a raw feeder) in your case I would put my dog back on the kibble he was ok on and see if that makes an improvement. If it does then I would introduce one meat at a time to see which food is the one causing the itching .

Itchy dogs are a nightmare to solve and it is so uncomfortable for the dogs - good luck