Shih Tzu food allergy diet: vet-recommended picks

A blood panel showing inflammation markers in a 10-year-old Shih Tzu is worth taking seriously — your vet is right to push toward a limited ingredient diet. True food allergies in dogs are less common than intolerances, but chronic low-grade inflammation often does have a dietary trigger, and a simplified ingredient list makes it much easier to identify and eliminate the culprit. Before I point you toward something specific, a few quick questions: what symptoms prompted the blood test in the first place — skin, digestion, coat, something else? And what is she currently eating?

That picture makes a lot of sense. Facial and paw scratching combined with intermittent loose stools is a classic presentation of a food intolerance, and chicken is actually one of the most common triggers in dogs because it's so widely used — most dogs have been exposed to it repeatedly by the time they're her age, which is when sensitivities tend to surface. Rice is generally fine, but the chicken is the likely culprit here. Has she ever eaten a food with a genuinely different protein source — something like duck, salmon, or venison — for any extended period?

That's exactly the right direction. For a 10-year-old Shih Tzu with confirmed inflammation and these symptoms, I'd recommend Canagan Small Breed Grain-Free Dry Dog Food in the Scottish Salmon variety. It's a single novel protein source, completely grain-free which removes another common irritant, and the small breed kibble size is well suited to a Shih Tzu's jaw. The omega-3 content from the salmon is genuinely useful for a dog already showing inflammation — it has an anti-inflammatory effect that chicken-based foods simply don't offer. The ingredient list is short and transparent, which is exactly what a limited ingredient diet requires. It's widely available on Amazon UK and well-reviewed by owners managing similar issues in small breeds.

Realistically, give it eight to twelve weeks of strict feeding before drawing any conclusions — skin symptoms in particular are slow to resolve because the immune response takes time to calm down. You should see digestive improvement sooner, often within two to three weeks. The critical thing during this period is no treats, chews, or table scraps that contain chicken or any other protein she's had before. Even a small amount can reset the clock. Keep a simple log of her symptoms week by week so you have something concrete to show your vet at the follow-up, and they can compare it against the original blood markers.

Good plan. The transition matters too — swap over gradually across seven to ten days, mixing increasing amounts of the new food with the old, to avoid upsetting her digestion further during the changeover. Given her age and the vet involvement, you're doing this the right way. The combination of a confirmed inflammation marker and a proper elimination trial gives you a real chance of pinpointing what's been bothering her.