Rhodesian Ridgeback grain intolerance & hot spots

Recurring hot spots in a Ridgeback are miserable to deal with, and grain intolerance is a legitimate suspect — though it's worth knowing that true food allergies are less common than intolerances, and the two can look identical on the outside. The most reliable way to get answers is an elimination diet using a novel or hydrolysed protein source, which rules out the usual culprits methodically. To point you in the right direction: how long have the hot spots been recurring, where on the body do they appear, and has your vet confirmed a food link rather than environmental allergens like grass or dust mites?

That pattern — back and flanks, cyclical, with wheat in the current diet — does fit a grain intolerance picture quite well. Ridgebacks are also a breed that tends to do better on lower-carb, protein-led food generally. Before I suggest a specific product, a couple of quick questions: has he had any digestive symptoms alongside the hot spots — loose stools, excessive wind, or gurgling? And is he otherwise healthy weight, or has he lost condition?

Good — solid digestion means you're probably dealing with a skin-focused intolerance rather than a systemic gut issue, which is actually easier to address through diet alone. Given that chicken and wheat are both in his current food, I'd want to switch both the protein and the carbohydrate source simultaneously so you get a clean read. My recommendation is Canagan Grain Free Country Game dry food — it uses venison, rabbit, and duck as the proteins, which are genuinely novel for most UK dogs that have been raised on chicken or beef, and it uses sweet potato instead of grain as the carbohydrate. It's a high-meat-content kibble at around 70% animal ingredients, so there's no padding with cereals, soy, or wheat derivatives. For a 5-year-old Ridgeback you'd typically feed around 280–320g per day depending on activity. The key is sticking to it exclusively for a minimum of eight weeks — no treats, chews, or table scraps that contain wheat or chicken — otherwise you can't draw a clean conclusion. If the hot spots stop in that window, you've found your answer.

The elimination diet itself is the core tool and it needs to run cleanly, so don't layer in too many changes at once or you won't know what's working. The one addition I would make is a good omega-3 supplement — something like Yumega Plus or a pure fish oil capsule daily. Omega-3 reduces baseline skin inflammation and supports barrier function, which means if a hot spot does start forming you're more likely to catch it early before it becomes infected. Keep a simple log — photo the skin every two weeks and note any flare-ups. After eight weeks you'll have a clear picture to take back to your vet, and if the hot spots have stopped you can consider a controlled rechallenge with chicken to confirm that specifically. That's as scientific as you can get at home.

You're very welcome. Two years of recurring infections is a long time — eight weeks of a clean elimination trial is a small investment to potentially end that cycle for good. Canagan Country Game is widely available on Amazon UK and in independent pet shops, so it's easy to get hold of. Good luck with him — Ridgebacks are tough dogs but they deserve comfortable skin.