Stuck with what to feed, don't want to go against vet

Hi all,
Looking for some opinions here so first a bit of back story.
Before we got our puppy 4 years ago I did lots of research on diet, and holistic ways of keeping a pet. I decided I wanted to feed raw.

We found a lovely supportive sheltie breeder who also fed raw and gave us lots of info sheets on how and what to feed... although the puppies came on a main diet of Royal Canin so it would be the owner's choices. We kept him on the Royal Canin until it nearly ran out and then we switched to raw, although I still used the royal canin as clicker treats.

He was on it until he was 7 months old with no problems and then I moved back in with my parents and due to convenience and lack of space I switched him onto kibble, first Burns and then James Well Beloved and I also tried skinner's for a little while. I was back and forwards to the vets and he repeatedly got diagnosed with colitis. Diet recommendations were never made. I got fed up and decided to switch back to raw when he was about a year old and we've been on it since with no real problems.

About a year ago now he began scratching his chin area and it got infected and that was the start of our current set of problems. His ears or chin will go red and sore and his ears particularly get infected. (At first there were some other symptoms, a sporadic limp, listlessness etc) I did ask if it could be lyme disease but the vet wouldn't test for it. The vet declared an allergy and after about 4 trips and the vet trying to put me off I demanded and allergy test. It came back negative.

He's had another flair up on his ear and now by chance saw the head vet. My BF came with me and asked if it was like Exzma (sp?) and if it could be triggered by food. The vet asked what I feed and said he wouldn't feed raw.

i explained about the colitis and he said he certainly wouldn't want that to happen again but he would be more inclined to cook the food. His main reasons were that I probably get it from the butcher and feed the same thing and if I just ate mince meat all the time I would be like where is the potatoes. I did explain that I feed a wide variety of items and he does get table scraps of potatoes etc. But the vet said you get more nutrients from cooked meat and it's easier to digest and dog's need carbohydrates, anyway he eventually got round to if I were to spend that much time cooking the food I might as well buy a commercial food and the receptionist gave me a leaflet for Hill's prescription food and I was asked to make an appointment with the vet nurse who deals with dietitian. (although the vet did say one good thing was that I wouldn't get food mites which are often a cause of allergy and are found in kibble)

I was a bit uncertain as some things the vet said contradict the research I have done. But I don't want to be harming my dog obviously and my BF is now on my case wondering why I am questioning what a trained professional has told me! My main reason for questioning is really that it doesn't seem to have much to do with the actual problem because if it were a food allergy I would hope it would have shown on the test?

What should I do?

Personally I would stick with raw regardless of what the vet says if that's what you want to feed. It's one area I do not trust most vets advice to be honest since most of them recommend what they stock. Hills is crap imo and simply switching him to that doesn't get to the bottom of whatever is causing his problems.

I would be looking at going to a different vet and getting another opinion on the ongoing problems. I would have thought a food allergy would show on the tests but I'm no expert.

I don't think there are many vets that advocate feeding raw. I once got a very stiff lecture.

You have to stcik with what you feel is better for your dog. Funny about the carbohydrates with my previous dog no longer with me he carried excess weight and found it hard to shed we now know it was partly due to ill health I was told never to feed carbohydrates as dogs have no need for them and they put the weight on as their bodies cannot utilise them properly.

A vet once told me that feeding raw would kill my dogs. They are proving her wrong so far.
I`d change vets personally. Find one who knows more about nutrion or who is more up to date?

I recently mentioned to my vet I was considering feeding raw to my 16 wk old. He was horrified. He said dogs no longer have the necessary enzymes to digest raw food, there are risks- salmonella etc and it's unbalanced & not research based. It does leave you feeling a little confused and wondering what's best to do. I've decided to feed raw in the form of natures instinct and orijen. Raw some days orijen others, and hope this is the best.

Silly question, but did your vet rule out mites/dermatitis?

As far as I'm aware they haven't specifically looked for it and haven't mentioned it being a possibility.

I've considered changing vets but We're pretty rural and so they're all fairly similar. Plus they're chains so there's really only 2 to choose from.

if you like feeding raw and your dog likes it then stick to it, not many vets are professionals in nutrition, and alot try and get you to feed the food they sell there.

have you tried doing an elimination diet to see if its a certain meat that sets his allergies off?

I would insist on a Lyme test you are the one who is paying for it!! it will put ur mind to rest. How often does he get these flare ups? is it at a particular time of year? Could it be him putting his head down a fox hole and then ur flea treatment treating the mites? Orpossibly pollen from grass? I have to say I would not tolerate a vet who does not do as I ask within reason. Perhaps compromise and try the food for a period of time? Not all vets know everything.

raw is the way of nature for a dog.simple.as far as enzimes, let your dog eat grass, that how they get enzimes,all k9 will eat stomach lining of a graze animal first, they do this as they need to digest meat,it was a slow prosses to get my guys on raw and do fine with it.2 of them are raw.

Does your vets sell the foods they recomended to you?