Belgian Malinois-Itchy Skin Discussions

Hello All,
My name is Cristina and I have a 2 year old pure Belgian Malinois. Of late I have noticed he is scratching like crazy! We have been told it could be food allergies so we have switched him to new foods and kept him on the food to see if there were any improvements. Has anyone else experienced this issue with their Mallys? I have noticed his actual skin is very dry and flaky. I have also read about taking Mallys in for routine grooming. I just don't know what to do within budget.

I take it that you have excluded fleas as a source of irritation? if so, have you tried grooming out all of the dead coat, and bathing him with a mild shampoo? There are several supplements based around Omega3 oil, which can help with flaky skin, Yumega and Velcote are two that I have used, and found effective.

If simple treatment like this doesn't control his itching, then it is possible that there is a food allergy. You should test feed to find out what the allergen is, starting with a bland diet with as few ingredients as possible and adding additional ingredients one at a time. However, a short cut could be to look for a quality grain-free food - again with as few ingredients as possible - and a single protein source. I would choose a protein source that your dog has never had before - duck, white fish, rabbit or lamb being typical examples. Unless you have an extreme reaction, test feed each new food for at least a month.

Yes I have excluded fleas, etc. But thank you for the recommendations. I will try them for sure!