Dogs Journey: Healing Itchy Skin, One Bowl at a Time (Honest Kitchen

A few years ago, one of our dogs started to have itchy skin. At first, it looked like harmless flakes, but soon his back was covered. The flakes turned to patches, and then the hair loss started. What began as a small irritation quickly became a long and often stressful journey.

The First Signs

I’ll never forget running my hand down his back and seeing flakes fall like snow. Before long, I was brushing out clumps of hair. It wasn’t just about looks — he was uncomfortable, itchy, and restless. Nights were the hardest. He couldn’t sleep, which meant I couldn’t sleep either. And through it all, I was always trying to untangle the web: Why is this happening? What can I do?

Trying Everything We Could

We started with our holistic vet — blood tests, fecal tests, herbs, and non-toxic shampoos. Each helped a little, but nothing brought real relief. I took him to my naturopath, and we tried homeopathy. That eased some of his pain but wasn’t enough.

I cooked meals for him at home. We tried elimination diets. We cycled through foods and remedies, hoping to find the missing piece. But his skin stayed raw, the flakes persisted, and his fur never grew back.

Complications Along the Way

About a year in, I started to wonder if maybe it wasn’t just his skin — maybe it was his teeth. Small dogs are notorious for dental issues, and I knew that dental bacteria can spread through the bloodstream, affecting organs, skin, and overall immune health.

In January of 2024, he had his teeth cleaned under anesthesia, and several were removed. I was hopeful this might ease the itching, but it didn’t make much difference. Still, I was grateful knowing he wasn’t dumping bacteria into his body anymore — at least one piece of the puzzle was addressed.

All of this, of course, unfolded during COVID, when access to care was slower and harder. Even when we had answers, everything felt delayed.

Still No Relief

By this point, he had seen two vets, my naturopath, and we had tried countless diets and remedies. I even took him to a skin specialist vet, hoping for answers. But he remained so furless it broke my heart.

We also pursued allergy testing, hoping it would reveal something concrete. The results led us to allergy treatments, but instead of helping, the treatments sent him into a spiral. His symptoms flared worse than before. It felt like every step forward was followed by two steps back.

The Digestive Piece

As the skin issues continued, his digestion began to suffer. He alternated between diarrhea and constipation, and I was constantly adjusting meals and second-guessing everything I gave him. I felt like nothing I did was right.

One day, while buying food for my other dog at our local Healthy Pet store, one of the women suggested I try duck. At the time, I brushed it off. After everything we had tried, I doubted one simple protein change would do anything.

The Turning Point: Duck

A month or two later, I decided to give it a try. I carefully transitioned him over, introducing the new food slowly so as not to shock his system. And then — almost unbelievably — it worked.

The itching began to cam. His digestion stabilized. The flakes lessened, and for the first time in years, I saw his hair begin to grow back. The improvement wasn’t overnight, but it was steady, and with each passing week, I felt hope return.

We landed on The Honest Kitchen as our trusted choice. Their whole-food, human-grade recipes gave me confidence in the quality of what I was feeding him. After so many failed attempts, I could finally see him healing from the inside out.

Now, a year on duck, almost all of his hair has grown back. His skin looks healthier, his energy is stronger, and he finally sleeps through the night — which means I do, too. After such a long, winding journey, he feels like himself again.

I don’t suggest this will work for everyone. Every dog is different, and every journey is unique. But this worked for us.

What I Learned Along the Way

• Food can be medicine. Sometimes the solution isn’t topical — it’s in the bowl.
• Trust your instincts. As a pet parent, you know when something isn’t right. Don’t stop asking questions.
• Persistence matters. Healing isn’t always linear. There were setbacks, spirals, and heartbreaks — but keeping at it made all the difference.
• Trusted voices matter. In the end, it was a simple suggestion from someone at Healthy Pet that gave us the breakthrough.

If your dog is struggling, know you’re not alone. Our Honest Kitchen journey gave us back a healthy, happy pup — and peace of mind I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel again.