Food Intolerances in Dogs and Itchy Skin
If your dog is endlessly scratching, licking their paws, rubbing their face, or dealing with recurring ear flare-ups, it can feel like you’re playing whack-a-mole—shampoo here, ear drops there, another diet change… and the itch keeps coming back.
From a science-meets-holistic perspective, persistent skin issues are often a clue that the body is dealing with chronic inflammation—and the gut–skin axis is a major part of that story. The digestive tract influences immune activity, the microbiome, nutrient absorption, and inflammatory signalling. When the gut is irritated, the skin can become one of the first places that imbalance shows up.
Below, we’ll explore how food intolerances can drive skin problems, the most common triggers, the difference between food allergies and intolerances, and why fresh, whole foods are the most effective place to start on the right track.
Why Skin Issues Often Start in the Gut
The gut isn’t just where food is digested—it’s also where immune regulation and microbiome balance are shaped. In many dogs, chronic dietary irritation can contribute to:
• Increased systemic inflammation
• Microbiome imbalance (a shift in beneficial vs. opportunistic microbes)
• Barrier disruption (gut lining and skin barrier are both “frontline” tissues)
• Secondary yeast/bacterial overgrowth on the skin or in the ears
This helps explain why an “outside” problem like itching often needs an “inside” strategy too.
Skin Signs Commonly Linked to Food Reactions
Food-related reactions don’t always come with vomiting or diarrhoea. In many dogs, the skin is the loudest clue.
Common signs include:
• Constant itch (often paws, face, ears, belly, armpits, groin)
• Paw licking/chewing and staining between the toes
• Recurring ear infections or “yeasty” ears
• Hot spots, hives, rashes, redness
• Dandruff, dull or greasy coat, increased shedding
• Sometimes digestive signs (gas, soft stool, reflux)—but not always
A key pattern is symptoms that are present year-round, rather than purely seasonal.
Food Allergy vs Food Intolerance: What’s the Difference?
These terms get used interchangeably, but they’re not the same.
Food Allergy (Immune-Driven)
A food allergy involves the immune system reacting to a food (usually a protein) as if it’s a threat.
• Can be triggered by very small amounts
• Often causes persistent itch and recurrent ear/skin infections
• Tends to be consistent and long-lasting until the trigger is removed
Food Intolerance (Digestive / Functional Reaction)
A food intolerance is typically not primarily immune-driven. It’s more about the body struggling to digest or cope with an ingredient.
• Can be linked to gut imbalance, low-grade inflammation, or ingredient sensitivity
• May be dose-dependent (a little might be okay; a lot causes symptoms)
• Can show up as digestive upset and/or skin flare-ups
Science-meets-holistic view: both are signals that your dog’s system is under strain. The goal is to reduce the total “inflammatory load” so the gut and skin barriers can recover.
The Most Common Dietary Causes of Itchy Skin
1) Wheat, Corn, Cereals, Soy, Gluten (the First Things to Remove)
One of the most overlooked triggers—especially for kibble-fed dogs—is the cereal/grain and gluten load.
Wheat, corn, cereal grains and gluten-containing ingredients are present in the majority of dry foods, often as major components. For many itchy dogs (especially those prone to yeasty ears and paws), these ingredients can contribute to gut irritation and make inflammation harder to settle.
If your dog is kibble-fed and dealing with chronic skin issues, a strong first step is:
Remove wheat, corn, cereals, soy, pasta, rice, bread and gluten-containing ingredients before changing anything else.
Why? Because if these remain in the diet, it’s difficult to assess whether proteins (like chicken) are truly the main trigger—especially when the gut is already inflamed.
2) Repeated Exposure to the Same Proteins (Chicken Often Leads the List)
Once the cereal/grain triggers are removed, the next layer to explore is protein sensitivity—especially to proteins dogs eat most often:
• Chicken
• Beef
• Dairy (for some dogs)
Chicken is particularly common across kibble, wet food, treats, chews, and even flavoured supplements—so daily exposure can be high for months or years. In susceptible dogs, repeated exposure can increase the likelihood of sensitivity.
3) Hidden Ingredients in Treats & “Extras”
Processed treats can keep the itch cycle going even when the main food has been changed.
Common hidden sources include:
• Training treats (often containing chicken, wheat, cereals, gluten)
• Chews and dental sticks (often contain cereals, wheat, starch, or flavourings)
• Pasta, rice, bread/toast scraps
• Flavoured supplements
• Mixed-protein toppers
When you’re trialling a new approach, everything counts.
4) Ultra-Processed Diets & Additives
Some dogs don’t react to one ingredient—they react to the overall “load” of a highly processed diet, especially if it includes:
• Artificial colours/flavours
• Artificial preservatives
• Highly refined fillers
• Vague “digest” ingredients
This doesn’t mean all packaged food is harmful—but for dogs with chronic skin patterns, reducing dietary stressors can make a noticeable difference.
5) Gut Imbalance (Microbiome Disruption)
The microbiome can be affected by antibiotics, medications, ongoing stress, low dietary diversity, and recurring digestive upset.
An imbalanced gut can increase inflammatory skin patterns—especially yeast-prone ears, paw licking, and recurring flare-ups.
Why Fresh, Whole Foods Can Be a Game-Changer
You can’t expect the body to ‘heal’ on highly processed food. One of the gentlest (and often most effective) shifts you can make is moving toward fresh, whole-food nutrition, because it supports the foundations of health:
• More nutrient-dense, bioavailable ingredients
• Fewer additives and processed irritants
• Greater control over ingredients (so you can simplify cleanly)
• Support for the gut microbiome through higher-quality food inputs
Fresh feeding doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. Even adding whole foods thoughtfully can support the gut and skin—especially when you focus on simple, single-ingredient choices.
Whole-food options many sensitive dogs do well with (when appropriate):
• Lightly cooked single proteins (novel to your dog)
• Simple vegetable fibres (small amounts)
• Whole-food omegas (like sardines, fish oil, or hemp oil)
• Bone broth or collagen-rich additions for gut and skin support
Important: fresh feeding should be balanced long-term—especially for puppies or dogs with medical conditions. If you’re building your own fully fresh diet, it’s best done with professional guidance. There are also many pre-prepared raw options available; quality varies. Avoid mass-produced raw foods sold in national chain pet stores. Look for brands producing smaller batches with a focus on quality, with transparent sourcing and a nutrient analysis panel, and be cautious with unbalanced blends sold without nutritional breakdown.
A Gentle, Evidence-Informed Starting Plan
- Remove wheat, corn, cereals & gluten first
Start by stripping out the most common kibble-based irritants. - Simplify the ingredient list
Choose fewer ingredients and one clear protein. - Make treats part of the plan
Treats should be single-ingredient and aligned with your approach. - Support the gut (strategically)
Consistency matters—avoid constant switching. Consider gut-supportive whole foods and a high-quality canine-specific multi-strain probiotic. - Give it time
Skin takes weeks to settle. Many dogs need several weeks of consistency before changes become obvious. - Treat infections alongside nutrition
If there are hot spots, strong odour, or very inflamed ears, partner with an integrative or holistic vet. Food changes work best when infections are properly addressed.
The Takeaway
Chronic itch isn’t “normal,” and it’s not something your dog should have to live with.
Food intolerances can be a major driver of skin issues—especially when the gut is under stress from common kibble ingredients (wheat, corn, cereals and gluten), repeated proteins, hidden ingredients in treats, highly processed diets, pharmaceutical drugs and possibly chronic stress. A science-meets-holistic approach focuses on calming inflammation at the source by stripping back irritants, simplifying the diet, and nourishing the body with fresh, whole foods that support the gut–skin connection.
A 3-Step Food Reset (Treats Included)
If you want a simple plan to start calming the itch cycle:
Step 1: Remove the Big Kibble Triggers (Days 1–3)
• Remove wheat, corn, cereals, pasta and gluten completely
• Pick a simpler diet with a short ingredient list (or transition toward fresh)
• Remove dental sticks and supermarket treats
Step 2: Simplify to One Clear Protein or Remove a Protein (Weeks 1–4)
• Choose a single protein your dog hasn’t been overexposed to
• Keep meals consistent—no rotating flavours during the reset
• Watch for improvements in paws, ears, and redness
Step 3: Treats That Don’t Undo Your Progress (Ongoing)
• Treats should be single-ingredient and match your chosen protein
• Should not be imported (read the fine print)
• Avoid mixed-protein chews and flavoured supplements
• If you need training treats, keep them tiny and consistent
Tip: If symptoms improve, you’ve found a strong clue. From there, you can expand slowly—one change at a time—so you know exactly what your dog tolerates.
