Look Beyond the Itch: How Snoop Became “Like a New Dog”

Snoop had been itchy for years. By the time the 9-year-old Labrador and his owner Eileen came to Raw Essentials in June 2025, his family had spent thousands with vets and skin specialists trying to manage recurring hot spots, infections, redness, scaling and a strong skin odour.

“We were at our wits’ end and were considering putting Snoop down.” – Snoop's owner Eileen

The itch was the part they could see

It is tempting to treat itchy skin as a problem sitting on the surface. But skin works as a barrier. When a dog scratches repeatedly, that barrier can become more damaged, allowing irritation and secondary infection to keep the cycle going.

Food can be one contributor for some pets. Environment, parasites, infection and individual immune responses matter too. Digestive health is often part of the wider picture, which is why our team did not begin by promising that one food would fix everything.

We began with questions:

• What was in every meal?

• What treats, chews, supplements and flavoured medications was Snoop receiving?

• Which proteins had he eaten before?

• Were there seasonal or environmental patterns?

• What did his veterinary history tell us?

These questions did not give us an instant diagnosis. They helped us understand what might be contributing, reduce the variables and build a nutrition plan we could assess over time. We believed food was an important part of Snoop’s picture – but it needed to be approached with care.

We start by simplifying the diet

Behind the scenes, the nutrition approach was straightforward: remove unnecessary variables, support normal digestive and skin function, then build back a balanced diet that suited Snoop.

For some dogs, we may begin with our Gut Healing Protocol: a highly simplified transition using gently poached meat, broth and careful monitoring. The aim is to reduce dietary variables, support normal digestive function and give us a clearer picture of how the dog is responding.

But for Eileen, preparing a separate protocol alongside meals for three other dogs would have been difficult. All four dogs were moving to Raw Essentials at the same time, so the plan needed to work in real life as well as on paper.

The team instead started Snoop on a novel protein feeding plan: Raw Essentials Venison Mix, together with bone broth and Megaspore (a helpful probiotic). Raw Essentials Venison Mix contains venison and turkey, and this was selected because his feeding history suggested they were new proteins to him. Goat was held back in case a stricter single-protein plan was needed later.

A novel-protein plan reduces exposure to familiar proteins that may be contributing to a food-responsive reaction. Keeping the diet simple and consistent also reduces dietary “noise”, making changes in itching, odour and skin condition easier to interpret.

Eileen started to notice changes

The early weeks were not linear.

20th July:

Snoop was doing OK, but he had a bad eye infection. The other dogs had been responding very well, with shinier coats already.

Then as the weeks passed, Eileen began noticing meaningful changes.

5th August:

“We are very happy with Snoop's new diet. He is looking amazing, feeling better, more active.

His fur is smooth, and skin is good. Probably what I notice the most is he doesn’t smell bad, like he used to.

I let him sleep on the other dogs’ beds now, because it doesn’t seem like his fur is full of bugs!”

6th September:

“Snoop is still doing well. He is a new dog! No itching, no smell, soft smooth fur. Everyone who knows him is astounded!

I have not given him any Cytopoint for about 2 months now.”

Eileen waited before calling it a success

Eileen did not want to just celebrate a few good months and call it a transformation. She waited to share the story publicly.

“I wanted to be sure the change in his skin was not just temporary before I advocated for the new diet. It’s been six months. He really is like a new dog.”

What Eileen did brilliantly was sticking to the plan, and making sure that those old trigger proteins were not present in Snoop’s diet. Raw Essentials continued to support along the way, with help in-store and a direct line to one of our Nutrition Support experts.

What Snoop’s story means to us

Snoop’s story is not proof that every itchy dog needs the same diet. It is an example of what can happen when the bowl is investigated properly: fewer variables, a plan the family can follow, regular check-ins and an owner who sticks with it.

For Eileen, the result was much more personal. After years of frustration, she reported no itching, no smell and soft, smooth fur. Snoop was more active, more comfortable and welcome back on the other dogs’ beds.

Food mattered. So did the questions, the planning and the support around it.

Is your pet stuck in the itch cycle?

Food is not the cause of every itch, but it can be an important part of the picture.

Our trained nutrition team can review everything your pet eats, help reduce unnecessary variables and build a practical feeding plan around your pet and your household.

Where infection, pain or significant inflammation is present, nutritional support should sit alongside veterinary care.