Dog food for Springers with chicken allergy

Ear scratching that tracks with a chicken-based food is a pretty classic sign of a protein sensitivity, and Springer Spaniels are genuinely one of the breeds that tend to show it. Choosing the right dog food is more complicated than the marketing makes it look — the right answer depends on your dog's age, size, breed, and health, and the priciest or most-advertised options aren't always the best fit. To point you in the right direction: what breed and age is your dog, are there any health issues or sensitivities you've already noticed, and what are you currently feeding them?

That pattern — chronic ear irritation, no infection, eating chicken long-term — points strongly to a chicken sensitivity that's built up over time. It's very common in Spaniels. The standard approach is a proper elimination: switch to a single novel protein she's never had before and give it around eight weeks to see if the scratching settles. Before I suggest something specific, is she a normal weight for a Springer, and is she currently on dry kibble only or a mix? And has she ever eaten duck, salmon, or venison-based food before?

Given she's a healthy-weight adult Springer with a likely chicken sensitivity and no prior exposure to duck, I'd go with Forthglade Complete Meal Adult Duck with Brown Rice & Vegetables. It's a wet food rather than kibble, which is actually an advantage here — it gives you a clean, simple ingredient list with a single protein source, no hidden poultry derivatives, and good moisture content that suits adult dogs well. Duck is a genuinely novel protein for most dogs who've been on chicken, and Forthglade's adult recipe is grain-inclusive with brown rice, which is easy on digestion. It's widely available on Amazon UK in multipack trays. Transition slowly over seven to ten days — mix a little in with her current food and increase the ratio gradually — and keep a note of whether the ear scratching reduces over six to eight weeks. If it does, you've found your culprit.

Yes, absolutely — and this is the step a lot of people miss. If she's still getting chicken in treats, chews, or toppers, the elimination won't be clean enough to tell you anything useful. Check everything she's eating during those eight weeks: treats, dental chews, any scraps. Duck or plain rice cakes make decent treat alternatives for the trial period. It's worth being strict about it, because if she improves and then you reintroduce chicken treats, you'll know for certain what the trigger is.

Good plan. Give it the full eight weeks and don't be discouraged if the scratching takes a few weeks to settle — skin and ear reactions take time to calm down even once the trigger is removed. If she's no better after a proper trial, it's worth going back to your vet to discuss a hydrolysed protein prescription diet, but most dogs with straightforward chicken sensitivity respond well to a clean novel protein switch. Hope it does the trick for her.