My dog won't eat his hypoallergenic food. Are there other options?

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!

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!

For an ideal diet trial for a suspected food allergy, it is typically recommended to feed a hydrolyzed protein diet (proteins are broken down to the point where they can't trigger the immune system) exclusively for 6-8 weeks. After that point, some dogs are rechallenged with their original diet to see if signs recur or started on a novel protein diet (one protein source/one carbohydrate source). If signs of a food allergy are still present, some dogs need to remain on the hydrolyzed diet indefinitely. The hydrolyzed diets are prescription based and include Royal Canin Ultimano, Royal Canin HP, Science Diet Z/D ultra, and Purina HA. There are many pet food companies online that can also dispense these diets with a prescription from your vet (chewy.com is one example). If the cost of a hydrolyzed diet is still not feasible for a diet trial, talk to your vet about starting Rico on a novel protein diet. Many of these are still prescription based, but I have also been impressed by the Dick van Patten Natural Balance limited ingredient line, which is available over the counter. With any diet trial, it can take 2-3 months to determine if it is effective and you need to be strict in that Rico would only receive his dog food with no other treats or table foods. I hope this helps! :-)

I would try hills z/d ultra or royal canin anallergenic (an even more restricted version). Ensure also she is not receiving any additional treats, flavored tablets, bones, table scraps or raiding any garbage bins. She may also require prescription medication to resolve the current flare up. A home prepared diet may be an option but would have to be formulated with the help of an expert nutritionalist and can only comprise of novel ingredients (foods she has never eaten before such as kangaroo/venison/sweet potato etc - these are very difficult to supplement sufficiently and are very expensive to maintain in the long term)

Royal canin makes other hypoallergenic diets such as rabbit and potato or Iams makes kangaroo and Oats. Purina and science diet have their share are hypoallergenic diets also it might be worth trying one of these and possibly rotating some so she does not get bored. Food allergy testing through blood is it very accurate, typically trial and error with food is more reliable

A hydrolyzed therapeutic diet might be the best option for a dog with food allergies and potential heart disease. Hills makes a version called z/d, Royal Canin makes HP and Purina makes HA. Your vet would know more details however and might make a different recommendation based on Champ’s history so you should contact them before changing the diet.

If she won’t eat the food that is being offered, keep trying alternative suitable diets until you find one that is palatable to her. There are many options for novel protein or hypoallergenic diets. You can also try a home Cooked diet as an alternative.