Advice on an elimination diet?

Dog food and feeding Feeding dogs with health problems
1

Hi Everyone.

I’m reaching out as I’d like to hear from anyone who has put their dog on an elimination diet.

my 1 year old lab shows all the signs of a food intolerance; repeat ear infections, gassy, loose stools & itchiness.
I have spoken to the vet about this but left feeling very overwhelmed with all the different options. I understand I need to put my dog on an elimination diet and why. But deciding what/how is where I’m struggling
Option 1 is hydrolysed protein - The vet recommended this but couldn’t recommend a specific brand. I guess the pros are that this is convenient and is more likely to be nutritionally complete. The cons are its expensive, I’ve read that some are sceptical of the science & dogs don’t find it very appealing!
Option 2 a novel protein based commercial food - we’ve tried lamb and turkey based dry food with mixed results - how do you know that the other ingredients aren’t the cause? I’m considering trying a raw food instead but I’m struggling to find something appropriate. Any recommendations for a suitable commercial food?
Option 3 home cook - Does anybody have any recipes for a homecooked novel protein elimination diet? How do I know this is nutritionally complete?

If you’ve had to put your dog on an elimination diet, what did you choose and why?

Option 3

2

Hello and welcome to the forum. We have discussed elimination diets in the this thread so have a look as there - you might find something that is of use.

You are correct about the various methods of completing an elimination diet. Of those, the hydrolyzed protein is probably the easiest. My personal opinion is that I would not attempt a raw food elimination diet because you have indicated that your dog has a compromised, inflamed digestive system. In such cases the dog may not be able to handle the bacterial load that is found in raw food.

My preference would be for a home cooked elimination diet. However, it needs to be balanced and all home cooked diets need certain supplements in order to be complete. If you are minded to go down this route it would be best to seek out the services of a qualified canine nutritionist. It will incur a cost but the pay off is that you will know exactly what your dog is having problems with. Your vet may know of a nutritionist but if not, have a look on here - use the search box. Information about home cooking for dogs is in this section of the forum.

Consider adding in a canine specific probiotic - again, we have some information on this so use the search box if interested.