A wonderful part of our Happy Hounds business is that we get to personally meet many of our customers (both humans and dogs). We hear firsthand the problems that pet-parents face and how switching to a fresh food diet has helped their fur-children. One of the issues we hear about A LOT is itching.

Itchiness can be caused by a few things like:

• Fleas, fungi, bacteria
• Food allergies, intolerance, overexposure
• Nutritional deficiencies
• Environmental allergens like grass and pollen
• Other environmental factors like cigarette smoke, shampoo, certain fabrics
• Stress and boredom

Lots of scratching is a sign that something is not quite right with your dog’s immune system and can be a stressful situation for both dogs and pet-parents. Knowing your four-legged friend is uncomfortable and irritated can be disheartening, but we’re here to share some optimism! 

“OMG This food has been an absolute game changer. He doesn't itch at all and he doesn't ever turn his nose up to his bowl of food. We no longer need to give him any medication either.  SO grateful and relieved!”

- Jenna, Happy Hounds Customer

Ready to ditch the itch?

Nutrition is a great place to start!

Although itchy skin can be a symptom of many different things, diet and nutrition can have a huge impact. A nutritious diet is the cornerstone of health and a very good place to start if your dog frequently stars in the Itchy and Scratchy Show. Itchiness can come from your dog’s sensitivity to certain foods or a lack of nutrients. Your dog can also develop an allergy to food from over-exposure, which means feeding them the same thing everyday is not a great idea. Even if your dog’s itchiness isn’t directly caused by food, getting their diet right will build up their natural defences to environmental allergens and irritations.

Itch, please! How a Happy Hounds diet can promote healthy skin:

Rotational Feeding

We encourage rotating between different proteins to ensure your hound gets varied sources of protein and fats for a healthy, diverse gut microbiome. It also means they don’t have to eat the same boring meal everyday!
Variety is the spice of life after all…

Our food options include chicken, beef, fish, venison, lamb and venison (combo), and insect, so you can easily rotate proteins to avoid over-exposure and to keep your hound happy!

Balanced and complete

Our food is formulated with leading pet nutritionists to make sure your doggo gets their essential vitamins and nutrients in every meal. We’ve combined high-quality protein with fresh, locally-sourced veggies, herbs and fruit to cover all nutritional bases, and your dog gets to enjoy an appealing meal.

A few ways that balanced and complete pet food will help your best friend:

• A healthy diet balances protein, fats, and fibre to promote healthy digestion and support a healthier coat and skin.
• Vitamins and antioxidants will strengthen your dog's immune system and help fight off skin infections or irritations.
• Essential fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6 are necessary for a healthy coat and skin. A balanced diet will provide the necessary amounts to help alleviate skin dryness, itching, and irritation.
• Protein also carries amino acids which help to protect the skin and repair damage.

Fresh & lightly cooked

All of our food is lightly cooked (not raw). This improves the bioavailability of the food - which means our dogs are able to digest and absorb more nutrients! Healthy digestion will lend itself to healthier skin and a glorious, shinier coat too. 

Fresh food can help to alleviate itchiness because it usually contains:

• Fewer allergens than processed foods.
• More moisture than processed foods. A diet that contains more fruit and vegetables for example, can help keep your pup’s skin hydrated.
• Less inflammatory ingredients such as ultra refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. This can help reduce skin irritation. 

Healthy carbs 

Itchiness is an inflammation response so staying away from overly processed foods is a must. We avoid heavily processed starches to create healthier dishes for dogs. 

Our meals also include anti-inflammatory ingredients (like blueberries) that can help alleviate skin irritation and inflammation.

Because the only scratches should be love scritches!

We’ve put a lot of love and care into creating meals that focus on the health and happiness of our dogs. We want dogs to thrive and enjoy their lives without any discomfort brought on by a “fast food” diet. For more about this, read our nutrition philosophy

Our many happy customers have found our fresh food to drastically improve their dog’s itching and scratching. And while we believe a healthy, balanced diet is a strong foundation for overall health, please chat to your vet about any persistent issues your pup has!

If you’re ready to evict that itch and make the switch to fresh food, Happy Hounds makes it easy by delivering super nutritious meals from our kitchen to yours!

Join the Fresh Revolution!​