My vet suggested a hypoallergenic diet for my dog. What is it?

I'm not Dr. David, but I'm still happy to help recommend a few options for hypoallergenic diets for Jasper. :-) All truly hypoallergenic diets are prescription based and would need to be prescribed by Jasper's vet. Some of these options include Royal Canin Ultimano ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32052 ), Royal Canin HP ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=32078 ), Purina HA, or Hill's Z/D ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=31574 ). It can take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to determine if a diet change is effective and these diets must be fed exclusively (i.e. no other treats or table foods). Novel protein diets (one protein source/one carbohydrate source) can be helpful for some cases of food allergies and are available over the counter. Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet is one example ( http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=30717 ). I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common food protein allergen is chicken. I tell clients they can try 2 different over the counter novel protein diets for 2-3 months each before trying a prescription hydrolyzed diet. A novel protein diet means the protein or meat is one that the dog or cat has never eaten before. Only pick one at a time. Examples are Venison, duck, fish, rabbit with green pea, sweet potato, etc. The animals need to eat this diet exclusively, meaning no table scraps, treats or bones, rawhides, greenies or pig ears. The only treats you can give the pet are ones that contain the new protein. You need to give the diet 2-3 months before trying a different protein. There are prescription novel protein diets as well. Hydrolyzed diets are prescription only. The protein is broken down to a very small protein size that isn't recognized as as an allergen by the immune system. Examples are: Hill's z/d, Royal Canin HP and Purina HA. If you find the correct protein that your dog is allergic too then she should only give that diet. Some dogs have food allergies and environmental allergies or atopy. So sometimes food isn't always the perfect fix. But if it is then yes it can help prevent skin and ear infections as long as they don't get anything else to eat that they may be allergic too. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! What exactly is in the hypoallergenic diet is somewhat dependent on which one you get. However, generally the idea is using a smaller protein that it is easier to digest. There is usually a good amount of antioxidants and vitamins as well. All in all these types of diets can help tremendously in patients with food allergies. There are many of them out there. My favorite is Royal canin's ultamino diet. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Dogs with IBD should definitely be on a hypoallergenic diet of some sort. The good news is that there are a wide variety of hypoallergenic diet options. Hill's i/d is actually NOT a hypoallergenic diet. It is a bland diet designed for sensitive stomachs, but not for food allergies. There are two main categories of hypoallergenic diets: 1) Novel protein diets, which consist of protein sources that most dogs have never been exposed to before. This includes venison, duck, kangaroo, rabbit, etc. You would choose the novel protein that you are sure Toby has never eaten before, including through treats or table scraps. 2) Hydrolyzed protein diets most often consist of hydrolyzed soy protein, where the molecule is broken down in such a way that the body does not recognize it as an allergen. These are a good option as well, but it is not guaranteed to work in all dogs. Both types of diets come in wet and dry options (e.g. Hill's z/d comes in wet and dry). I would talk to your vet about trying a brand with a wet option. Once he is weaned onto the new diet, he should be kept on it for a minimum of 8 weeks with no other treats or table scraps. I hope this helps, and that Toby gets better soon!

Dogs are omnivores and can get enough nutrition from a balanced commercial vegetarian food. If you would like to try a meat diet, you could consider a novel protein diet. A novel protein is one that Buddy hasn't eaten before. You could consider venison, bison, fish or duck. Natural Balance makes a number of limited ingredient diets that you could consider. https://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/dog-formulas/special-category-limited-ingredient-diets Another option would be to try a hydrolyzed diet. Those would be prescription only and would be more expensive, but might be a good option as well. I am attaching a handout with more information about diet trials for food allergies below. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952600 Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lino. I typically use a hydrolyzed prescription diet in the case of food allergies. Royal Canin options would be their Hydrolyzed or Ultimino formulas. Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets HA is another great option. In these diets, the protein source is chopped into tiny pieces that are too small for the body's immune system to recognize and react to it. I have had great success with all three. I hope this information helps!

Cooked salmon is fine. We typically recommend avoiding the frequent proteins found in regular diets. This may include chicken and beef mainly. For novel proteins, we typically recommend venison, duck, or rabbit. You can find commercial diets with these ingredients. Occasionally, pets may also be allergic to grains, so selecting something with a single ingredient such as potato and duck is usually the best option. Hope this helps and best of luck.