OK to switch 8 month old puppy to Acana singles?

[Kamela & Beckett]

Beckett, our 8 month old Aussiedoodle is often itchy. I KNOW he doesn't have fleas. We are currently feeding him Blue Buffalo puppy which I realize is not on the recommended list. I'm going to switch and was thinking we might try the Acana Singles line on the off chance his skin issues are food related. (We live in the TN Valley which is notorious for causing horrible seasonal allergies so I really think that is at least a component.) Breeder estimated he would mature to 28-30 lbs and he's 31 now, so I think he's done the majority of his growing. Is it ok to feed a puppy that age the Acana Singles even though it's not a puppy formula?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, it's perfectly fine to switch him. It's a much better food and the superior Omega 3 fatty acid content and ratio may even help with the itching slightly. You are correct that he's pretty much done with his skeletal growth, so he doesn't need a "puppy" formula any more.

You're unfortunately also correct that the chances that the skin issues are related to food are slim. The odds that it would be due to food allergies rather than seasonal (inhalant) allergies is 10 to 1. 

But even if there were no skin issues, it would be a smart switch. 

[Laura and Angus]

We have a very itchy puppy who definitely suffers from seasonal-type allergies. We saw a marked improvement in "itchiness" when we started giving him Welactin pills each morning. They are Omega-3 supplements (see below) that we just buy on Amazon (cheaper than the vet). We give him them daily (he is 60lbs so he gets 2) with a little peanut butter. If you're hoping to help allergies/itchiness with food - I'd recommend going with a food that has fish as the main protein source for the same reason as the Welactin - what Karen mentioned. We saw an improvement when we started giving our pup the Earthborn Holistic Coastal Catch food. Now we rotate the protein sources to keep our pup interested, but still give him the Welactin daily.

[Kamela & Beckett]

Thanks Laura! I've ordered the food from Chewy.com and the Welactin from Amazon. Karen, while I was ordering from Chewy I also got the Duoxo shampoo that I saw you'd recommended on another post about itchy dogs. Thanks to both of you! I'm hopeful this will make Beckett more comfortable!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Douxo Calm is a great shampoo. Be sure to leave the lather on for 5-10 minutes before rinsing, and don;t use any leave-in conditioners or other products. It really makes a difference.

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

Karen - do you recommend diluting Douxo Calm or just use as directed?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Use as directed. It would sure save money to dilute it, but don't. :)