Food trial for Labs with intolerance

So your vet has confirmed a food intolerance and wants you to run a novel protein trial — that's actually a good place to be, because you have a clear direction. The key now is finding a food with a single, genuinely novel protein source your Lab has never eaten before, no hidden ingredients, and no common allergens like chicken, beef, or wheat muddying the water. Before I point you to something specific: what proteins has your dog eaten regularly over his life? That matters a lot for picking the right novel protein.

That pattern — paw chewing, belly irritation, recurring ears — is classic food intolerance in Labradors, and chicken is one of the most common culprits because it's in almost everything. Duck is a solid choice for a trial because it's genuinely novel for a chicken-fed dog, and it's easier on older digestive systems than some fish options. The one thing that can derail a trial is cross-contamination from other protein sources in the ingredient list, so the food needs to be grain-free and single-protein. Has he been on any other foods or supplements lately, or is it purely been chicken-based kibble?

Good — stopping the treats is exactly right, and you'll need to hold that for the full 8–12 weeks of the trial. For the food itself, I'd go with Forthglade Complete Grain Free Adult Duck with Brown Rice & Vegetables. It's a wet food with duck as the single named meat protein, no chicken, no beef, no artificial additives. Forthglade is transparent about their ingredients, the portions are clear for an 8-year-old Lab's calorie needs, and it's widely available on Amazon UK. The wet format is also useful during a trial because there's less risk of undeclared ingredients compared to some cheaper dry kibble. One 395g tray covers roughly one meal for a Lab his size, so you'd be looking at two trays a day. The transition should be gradual over 5–7 days even though you're switching for allergy reasons — his gut still needs time to adjust.

At 35kg and 8 years old, Forthglade's feeding guide puts him at around 2–3 trays a day depending on his activity level — so roughly 790g to just over 1kg of the wet food daily. That's nutritionally complete on its own, no need to add anything during the trial. In fact, adding anything — even a fish oil supplement — risks introducing a new protein variable that could confuse the results. Once the trial is done and you've identified the trigger, you can look at adding omega-3 support for his coat and joints, which is worth it at his age. But for now, keep it clean: just the Forthglade duck, fresh water, and no treats or table scraps for the full trial period.

The main signs to track are paw licking frequency, belly redness, and ear discharge or odour. Most owners start seeing some improvement in skin symptoms around weeks 4–6, but ear infections can take longer to fully resolve because the inflammation builds up over time. Keep a simple log — even just a note on your phone every few days — so you can report back to your vet accurately. If there's no improvement at all by week 8, go back to the vet before the 12-week mark; occasionally the novel protein isn't novel enough, or there's an environmental component running alongside the food issue. But duck is a good first move for a lifelong chicken-fed Lab.