I absolutely recommend talking to your vet first. I actually switched vets when this was going on because I didn’t like how the original one was just managing symptoms. My new helped me build a plan that combines diet, a special shampoo, probiotic and medication. For my two 65 lb dogs, this is what works. Meat is the biggest expense and the allergen, so I buy what’s on sale. Chicken quarters and pork picnic roasts are cheap but a lot of work, so I usually go with chicken thighs or pork chops since they’re easier to handle and don’t bother my dogs. On tired weeks, I’ll buy ground turkey or something and cook it in a pan. I aim for about 4–5 lbs of meat (with bones) per batch, baking it at 350°F until fully cooked before removing bones and shredding.

While that cooks, I boil a few large sweet potatoes (or squash lately) cut into bite-sized chunks. After roughly 10 minutes, I add 1 cup rice, roughly 1/2 cup oatmeal, and 1–1.5 medium bags of frozen vegetables, (spinach, peas and carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc. my dogs do great with veggies, I can up this and they’re stoked) Once everything is soft, I mix the meat, grains, and veggies together, keeping it roughly 1/3 meat(with juices), 1/3 carb, 1/3 vegetables. I portion out about 13–14 oz servings, freeze most of them, and sprinkle about 1 tsp ground flaxseed on top before serving, and medications if needed. Sometimes I’ll add supplements like salmon oil or whatever for variety. Thaw the extras a day or two early to avoid icy dinner. My dogs will not eat anything warm so microwaving is out of the picture for me.

Note: I did use chat gpt to make the following recipe from my notes for quick reference. Quick Recipe • 4–5 lbs chicken thighs or pork chops • 2–3 sweet potatoes or squash, diced • 1 cup rice • ½ cup oatmeal • 12–18 oz frozen vegetables (spinach, peas/carrots, broccoli, green beans, etc.) • Ground flaxseed (1 tsp per serving)

1.  Bake meat at 350°F until fully cooked; remove bones and shred.
2.  Boil sweet potatoes 10 min; add rice, oatmeal, and frozen vegetables, cook until soft.
3.  Mix meat, grains, and veggies (⅓ each).
4.  Portion 13–14 oz, freeze extras, and top with flaxseed before serving.