This is a specific conversation about Dog food allergies — identifying and fixing them — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A senior Cocker Spaniel with a pancreatitis history and suspected food allergies — that's a genuinely tricky combination, because most elimination diet foods are quite rich, and fat content really matters here. True food allergies in dogs are less common than intolerances, but either way an elimination diet using a novel or hydrolysed protein is still the right approach — you just need one that's also low in fat. What symptoms are you seeing — itching, loose stools, vomiting? And has your vet confirmed the pancreatitis is currently managed, or is it still active?
She's 9, a Cocker Spaniel, and she's had two pancreatitis flare-ups in the last year. The vet says she needs to stay on low-fat food permanently. But she's also been getting really itchy skin and loose stools, and the vet thinks it might be a food intolerance on top of everything. She's currently on a standard senior kibble and we haven't done an elimination diet yet.
inparticular.ai
That picture makes a lot of sense — Cockers are actually one of the breeds predisposed to both pancreatitis and skin-related food intolerances, so it's not unusual to see both at once. The challenge is that most novel-protein or hydrolysed foods aren't formulated with pancreatitis in mind. Before I suggest something specific, two quick questions: do you know what proteins she's been regularly eating in her current food? And has she ever reacted to chicken or beef in particular?
Her current food has chicken and rice. We're not sure about beef but she's definitely had chicken a lot over the years. The vet mentioned trying something she hasn't eaten before.
inparticular.ai
Right, so chicken is likely a sensitised protein at this point — you'll want to avoid it entirely during the trial. Given she needs low fat AND a novel protein, I'd recommend Burns Penlan Farm Duck and Brown Rice. It's a UK-made dry food with duck as the single named protein — genuinely novel if she's only had chicken — and it comes in at around 7% fat, which is low enough to be safe for a pancreatitis-managed dog. Burns as a brand is known for simple, short ingredient lists, which matters a lot here because you want to be sure nothing hidden is triggering her skin. It's also sized well for seniors and has a good digestibility track record. Run it as a strict elimination diet for 8–12 weeks with no treats, chews, or flavoured supplements, and you'll have a clear answer on whether diet is driving the skin and gut symptoms.
That sounds really sensible. Is there anything else I need to watch for during the trial given the pancreatitis history?
inparticular.ai
Yes — a few practical things. Transition slowly over 10–14 days rather than the usual 7, because her gut is more sensitive than average. Keep portions consistent and don't be tempted to add anything to make it more appealing; even a small amount of a high-fat treat can trigger a flare. Watch her stools in the first two weeks — some looseness during transition is normal, but if you see vomiting, lethargy, or she goes off her food entirely, contact your vet promptly as those can be early pancreatitis warning signs. If she tolerates the food well and symptoms start clearing after 6–8 weeks, that's a strong signal you've found the culprit.
Really helpful, thank you. I'll look up the Burns Penlan Farm Duck and Rice on Amazon.
inparticular.ai
Good plan — it's available in 2kg and 6kg bags on Amazon UK, so worth starting with the smaller bag in case she turns her nose up at it initially (some dogs take a few days to accept a new protein). Keep a simple diary of her stools and skin condition through the trial — it'll be really useful information for your vet at the follow-up. Good luck with her; she's lucky to have someone paying this much attention.
