Pete the Vet: How to get rid of your dog's irritating itch

A change in diet can help but it's not the only answer

Diet can be a factor in 20% of itchy dogs

Itchy skin in dogs is common, and it isn’t always solved easily. It’s no surprise that there are internet-driven “quick fixes”: people want to help their pets as rapidly and easily as possible. It can be tempting to fall for any idea that sounds plausible.

The “raw diet” phenomenon is a good example of this. There are anecdotes of itchy dogs changing from a standard commercial diet to a raw meat diet, resulting in an instant resolution of the itchiness. As a vet, and as a scientist, I am interested to hear stories of cases like this, but I also want to explain the science behind them.