I hope someone will be able to help. Heres the story - 2 cavalier king charles spaniels, both male and neutered. 1 itchy with hot spots and both have fairly sensitive tummies and I struggle to maintain their weight. In the past we have fed Nature diet - caused terrible mucusy dire rear. Natures menu - ok but could only feed a tiny amount in order to control weight gain and they appeared starving. Arden Grange - again ok but problems maintaining weight on the normal diet yet on the AG light their condition suffered (dry skin). Wafcol salmon and potato light - poor coat and they really didn't like the food - wouldn't touch it. James Wellbeloved senior/light lamb - this is what I am feeding at present - they like it but Harvey is itching like crazy :(
Now my vet told me that I need to be feeding a light diet rather than the normal diet because by feeding small amounts of the normal diet to control weight, much below the recommened amounts, my dogs wouldn't be getting their required balance of nutrients - I have took this on board hence the Wafcol and JWB light diets. Nothing seems to be suiting my boys especially Harvey and I'm wondering if their are any foods out there left to try that could answer my prayers?? I have looked at Burns High oats but the 'oats' put me off as I don't know if they will add to Harvey's problems??
I do hope someone can help - perhaps you have an itchy dog and have found a good suitable food - I know that what suits one won't necessarily suit the other but I will try anything.

I have had great sucess with burns  high oats with regards to weight gain am now maintaining weight on burns adult, burns does tend to be good for dogs prone to putting on weight.  Why not give burns a ring, tell them your dogs issues and im sure they will help, the nutritionist are really nice and helpful :)

HIYA
Not sure if you ever read my posts on Lillie, but she has been on royal canin hypoallergenic now for about a year and she is finally spot free(touch wood) and no tummy troubles. it is expensive but it seems to be working well on her, at first it just cleared the sickness and diareah, and she still had the dry skin and spots, the last 2 times she has been bathed i have bathed her in malaseb and the combination seems to have worked wonders.
just thought i would mention this, to see if its any help. her weight is very good too on this diet
marie

Thanks Claire, I will give Burns a call. I have been digging around the internet and come across the Royal Canin prescription diet - moderate energy hypo allergenic - does anyone have any experience with this food?

See above - just posted to ask about this food!

If normal diet works for your dogs but your vet is concerned with nutrients would a vitamin supplement help? My dogs get Vit-2000 made by Animal Health a couple times a week to help ensure they're getting all the vitamins and minerals they need. It's just a spoon of powder on their food. Worth asking your vet? Seems a shame to have to change something that works for your dog.

Have you tried fish 4 dogs? A few people I know have tried it had had very good results, if you phone them they will send some sample packs out, burn's is also good at sending sample packs out as well.

Why not try a natural diet like the Barf diet, all these processed foods are rubbish, would you like to eat
this sort of thing?

There's loads of info available on the net and your dogs will be much better for it.

There is a new dog food out which is salmon based called Challenge Dog Food that was advertised in this weeks Dog Papers. Quite competitively priced too.

I have been reading quite a lot of good things about Orijen a canadian complete dry food roughly 70% meat and the rest veg. Has no cereal
I have just started some as a back up to raw meaty bones and have got it fom a company called Bern Digtial in Redhill Surrey.

Not cheap but seems to have good pure ingredients. They have a website and it is also available from Zooplus. 

I got Orijen from www.orijenpetfood.co.uk

or go to www.championpetfoods.com/orijen/storeLocator to get a list of UK stockists

Just checked out the orijenpetfood site and discovered it is Bern Digital how have now got their own website. They were very good and refuned me the price of the small pack when I put in an order so I effectively got a free sample.

I too feed orijen - used to get it from zooplus, but now use bern digital. I have tried the original and the ocean fish. Louis prefers the latter :)

The good thing, for me, about orijen, is that Louis being so fussy and often not finishing his meals, the xtra protein in the orijen goes some way to makeing up for him not clearing his bowl if you get what I mean.

I feed Orijen(from zooplus)...they do a light food.I would highly recommend it!

Thanks to everyone for your replies - I really do appreciate the advice and input. After stumbling across the Royal Canin Hypoallergenic  vetenary food and then having it recommended in my thread, I had a chat with the nurses at our vets and they have told me that they have seen good results with it so I am going to give it a try. I have ordered a bag which shall be here tomorrow. The good thing about it is that it comes in a 'diet' variety which is great - lets just hope that we get good results.

The best food is a natural diet, you know what they are eating and it is as nature intended.  Personally I do not trust any processed dog food.  A little brown bit of kibble which is full of what? People trust what is on the packet, I dont! Diet is usually the cause of most skin & digestion problems.  The BARF diet is the best solution. Follow it properly and you will never look back.  I know of dogs that have had skin problems for ages and have had every dog food going and steriods n creams galour, they took their dogs of the rubbish we call 'dog food' and switched to a natural diet of raw meat, bones raw fruit n veg etc and saw a change in a matter of days......
Good luck with what ever you decide.
L

1 itchy with hot spots I would be avoiding Burns if your dog has hot spots and itching it is full of rice.

Walfcol Salmon and potato or better Adren grange fish and pototo all good for sensitive dogs.

burns do a pork and potato.

Yip with loads of maize in it!!!!!!!  

Have you tried the JWB fish & rice rather than lamb? My Cavaliers love it!

Yes, we've had the JWB Fish and rice but my boys are not as keen on that as the lamb?? Both varieties make no difference to the degree of Harveys itching. I've ordered the Royal Canin hypoallergenic prescription diet now so will give it a try - hope it helps him. Blue - is rice a major trigger with allergies? The reason I ask is because I have the JWB low fat little rice cake biscuits and Harvey has 1 or 2 every day - always 1 at bedtime and sometimes another during the day, could these be contributing to his problems?

Grains are a problem for some dogs and that includes rice.   Change his treats to the fish skin ones.  Dogs love them. You can pick them up at shows or order from fish4dogs.

yes, we have sea jerky - also my boys love crab/seafood sticks which are mega low in calories and I assume wont trigger any problems although they do contain potato and wheat starch........this is hard work :(