My dog looks sick, but Im not sure...

Question
My little Pomeranian toy dog Cole, is four, almost five years old. He is up to date with all of his shots, except he won't get his rabies shot again until next week. His diet consists of a dog food brand named Innova Evo, and occasionally a few little pieces of apples. He recently went to the groomers and started scratching his right side and biting at it. I tried to make him stop, but when I woke up in the morning, he had made his skin bleed and plasma was making his hair in that spot stick together. After I got home for work, I filled his food dish, but he wouldn't eat! He just sat around, looking depressed, and tired even though he usually sleeps all day. Could that itchy spot on his skin make him feel that way he's feeling? And for a few months now he's been feeling like this on and off. He had some diarrhea and wasn't eating for a few days, so I brought him to the vet, and they didn't know exactly what was wrong, and thought he had gallstones. A friend heard about how my dog was acting and suggested that I changed his diet because her dog felt the same and had a bug. I gave my dog rice, chicken, and some green beans and he started acting normal again. After a few weeks I started giving him his old food again. Could it be his food that's making him feel sick? I know what I'm trying to describe and ask is a lot, but I'm just really scared for my dog. I love him to death!

Answer
I would hesitate to say that the hot spot on his skin is from his food but that is usually what causes them along with flea problems.

Too much grooming can also cause hot spots. If he is doing well on the chicken/rice diet then get him on a natural diet with chicken and rice or lamb and rice.

I would be very careful about what he eats and switch him over slowly over a 7 day period.

Science Diet makes a natural food that has no additives or preservatives and is balanced for optimal nutrition.

http://www.hillspet.com/products/sd-canine-natures-best-chicken-and-brown-rice-d...

This is what I would use on him. Innova is very high in fat and protein and since they don't make their food the same from batch to batch, (open-formulation vs. fixed-formulation) it is easy to see how a dog can get sick from it.

So make the switch slowly and in three weeks your dog will be a much happier and healthier dog.