Just like their human companions, dogs can suffer from allergies caused by different environmental factors – from dust mites and cleaning products in the home, to pollen and grass while out on walks in the great Gloucestershire countryside.
Telling symptoms include itchy skin, weepy eyes and yeasty ears, as well as stomach problems, which are not only uncomfortable for dogs but can be unpleasant for owners to deal with, too.
Local pet food provider, Cotswold RAW, has a solution for allergic pups: switching up their diet to raw food could be the answer to soothing their symptoms.
Chris Brierley, co-founder and company director at Cotswold RAW, said: 'Clients often contact us with dogs with skin issues: they're itchy, biting their skin, with yeasty ears.'
An antidote to ultra-processed pet food, Cotswold RAW is made fresh, using high quality and high welfare, locally-sourced British ingredients – all contributing to a happy and healthy pet.
As well as environmental factors, certain foods can cause issues for dogs. It's been well-documented that grains can be problematic, but some pups can be allergic to specific proteins, too.
Brierley continued: 'Often with allergies, we look to a single-protein diet, which our Butcher’s Block range has been created to serve.'
Straight from the butcher's block, the range uses fresh ingredients from a single source of protein, including raw meat, bone and offal – with chicken, turkey, beef and lamb varieties to choose from.
Cotswold RAW recommends picking a single flavour to feed for four weeks, making sure that any treats given are from the same protein, too. A food trial should help owners work out what protein their four-legged friend might be allergic or sensitive to and using pure, single-protein raw food means there are no unspecified 'meat and animal derivatives' muddying the water.
Cotswold RAW advises anyone who is concerned about their dogs' health to seek advice from their vet and always consult them before changing their dogs' diet.
To find out more and browse the full Cotswold RAW Butcher's Block range, visit cotswoldraw.com/butchers-block.
