Samoyed still itching after duck food? Next steps

Six weeks on a duck-based novel protein with no improvement is actually useful information — it tells us duck either isn't the right switch, or your Samoyed may need a hydrolysed protein diet instead of a novel one. True food allergies in dogs are less common than intolerances, but when they do occur, hydrolysed foods — where the proteins are broken down too small for the immune system to react to — often succeed where novel proteins don't. Before I point you in the right direction, can you tell me a bit more: whereabouts is the itching worst — paws, belly, ears? And has your vet confirmed this is likely food-related rather than environmental?

Paws, belly, and ears is a classic triad — and honestly it does fit food allergy more than seasonal environmental. The fact you ran it strictly with no cheating for six weeks and saw zero change suggests duck may have already been in her diet history, or she has sensitivities to something else in that food like the carbohydrate source. The key next move is a hydrolysed protein diet, where the proteins are enzymatically broken down so her immune system simply can't mount a reaction. Did the duck food you used contain any grains like wheat or maize? That's worth knowing because it may not have been the protein at all.

It absolutely could. Maize and wheat are among the more common dietary triggers in dogs, and a lot of people focus only on the protein source while the carbohydrate flies under the radar. So you may have had the right protein all along but the wrong carb. Given that, I'd recommend moving to a hydrolysed protein food where everything — protein and starch — is tightly controlled. My specific recommendation is Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets HA Hydrolysed dry food. It uses hydrolysed soy protein and a single highly digestible starch, so there's almost nothing for her immune system to react to. It's been well-studied, vets use it for proper elimination trials, and it's free from the common triggers. Run it strictly for 8 weeks — no treats, no table scraps, nothing else — and you should see a meaningful change in the paw-chewing and ear issues if food is genuinely the driver.

It's readily available on Amazon UK — search Purina Pro Plan HA Hydrolysed and it comes up in a few bag sizes. On the long-term question: it's nutritionally complete, so yes, she can stay on it indefinitely if it resolves the symptoms. Some owners do the 8-week trial, confirm food is the cause, then try reintroducing single ingredients one at a time to identify the specific trigger — that way you might end up on a simpler long-term food once you know what she actually reacts to. But there's no harm in just keeping her on the HA food permanently if it works and you don't want to risk reintroduction. Given Samoyeds are already prone to skin sensitivity, keeping things simple often pays off.

That's exactly the right approach — strictness is everything with an elimination trial, and it sounds like you already know how to do it properly. If after 8 weeks you're still seeing significant itching, it's worth going back to the vet to investigate environmental allergens more seriously, because atopy does overlap with food allergy symptoms. But I'd be optimistic given the paw and ear pattern. Good luck with her — Samoyeds are worth the effort.