# itchy dog is itchier!



## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

I switched my two to Raw, (prey model raw) 2.5 weeks ago. Poo's are perfect. they have started on chicken leg quarters and I recently introduced pork and feed 1-2 meals of pork then 1-2 meals of chicken. 

My GSD has always been itchy (part of the reason I decided to go raw). My husband said it was the dry winter. However, since switching her to raw 2.5 weeks ago, she's now itchier than ever! 

In the past 2 days or so I've resorted to giving her a bit of Benadryl to help, and it does somewhat. I just don't want to have to give her this full time and I thought raw was supposed to do the opposite! 

I've also started adding grizzly salmon oil to at least one meal a day. 

Any advice? 
**I'm also noticing my older dog licking his front legs/paws but he has arthritis so I'm not entirely sure he's not licking because he's sore.


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

Did you have an allergy test done before switching to raw. Not that raw is bad but your dog may have other allergies than grain. My girl is allergic to pork, lamb, turkey, and duck as well as most grains. Maybe try sticking with the chicken at first to see if that makes a difference. I don't have any experience with feeding raw so I don't know the requirements of organ meat and regular meat but I do know they need both to some extent. Also, paw licking can signal an allergy as well as it gets itchy between their toes sometimes. If you live up north another thing that can cause itchy feet is the salt they put down to thaw the ice. We don't have that problem here but I thought I would throw that in - you could wash his feet with warm water when he comes in from outside.


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

It could be detox. This can be normal with some dogs when they switch from kibble to raw. 

It also could be just a lack of balance in the essential fatty acids. How much of the salmon oil are you feeding? I tend to feed 1000 mg to 20-30# of boy weight. I also feed eggs from free ranging hens (another good source of omega three), grass fed lamb and tripe from grass fed cows. Are you feeding a source of vitamin E with the salmon oil?

I also find my dogs do best when fed more red meat Vs. chicken. We use chicken because the bones are easy for the dogs to digest and it is cheap. I would look for beef and pork heart (I like using more of the former) to go along with the chicken and then eventually find more RMB/protein sources for your dog.


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

Thank you for the replies!!


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

just wanted to update... I'm starting to think I may have learned a valuable lesson in buying grocery store meats. 

I had been purchasing large bags of leg quarters from the store, and I can't recall if the info on the bag said it had normal sodium levels or if it didn't state it at all (I'm thinking the latter). But no where on the bag did it state "enhanced" or anything similar. 

I recently bought packages of leg quarters from the local butcher. I started feeding those yesterday since I ran out of the store chicken. I didn't even have to give Riley any benadryl at all yesterday. She's still itching here and there, but it's more like her usual "dry weather" itching. A marked decrease in scratching. 

I guess the store chicken had more sodium than she could handle.


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## counter (Feb 20, 2009)

Nara used to be very itchy. I had to rule out allergies to certain meats, and allergies to flea bites. I remember reading that the GSD breed as a whole is more prone to an allergy to chicken and poultry, so we switched to fish and beef for a while. Her allergy ended up being from the flea bites, so we're grateful for that, as chicken seems to be the cheapest meat on the market.

But I would recommend trying to get rid of all poultry for a few weeks or months and see if she improves. And yes, like you said, when feeding raw you have to pay close attention to packaging and salt contents, etc.

I was also going to say you should add various supplements, like the fish oil you already mentioned, that will directly help with skin and coat.

Hope it all works out.


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