ELIMINATION DIET FOR ALLERGIES
Share
Unfortunately, many allergy tests on the market are notorious for producing false positives. This can make it difficult to find safe foods for pets with food allergies. A properly executed elimination diet is a useful tool for determining which foods are safe for dogs and cats.
Itching, vomiting, gas, and loose stools can sometimes be the result of a food intolerance if other causes of these symptoms have been ruled out. Many pet owners attempt an elimination diet by randomly eliminating certain foods that they suspect may be the problem. However, this approach is not the right one, and the owner may eliminate one food while leaving other foods in the diet that may be causing the problem. A strategic approach must be taken to clearly identify the problem foods.
Rule out other causes of your symptoms before starting an elimination diet.
Set realistic expectations
Elimination diets are time-consuming and can be expensive.
There are several proteins that can be avoided in the initial stages of an elimination diet.
Start with a safe, protein-rich diet.
It is important to find a safe protein to use as a baseline for the elimination diet.
Introduce new foods slowly
Each new ingredient should be given a 2-4 week introduction period.
Strike a balance
Focus on strategically introducing new ingredients that will help balance the diet with all the essential nutrients.
Provide additional intestinal support
Dogs and cats with food allergies and sensitivities tend to have poor gut health and biodiversity.
Before starting an elimination diet, it is important to rule out other potential causes of your pet's symptoms. The same symptoms that may indicate a food intolerance may also indicate other dietary or medical problems. Identifying the underlying cause of the problem is essential in determining whether an elimination diet is appropriate.
Eat a balanced diet
Many homemade and even commercially prepared raw diets are deficient in several essential nutrients. Symptoms of these nutrient deficiencies can often be confused with allergies. The most notable are zinc, iodine, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Before you assume your dog or cat has allergies, read up on how to meet these nutritional needs.
Another potential cause of allergy-like symptoms is yeast. While yeast is a natural component of the microbiome of dogs and cats, certain factors can cause yeast to bloom and create a yeast infection. An elimination diet can be an effective tool when a yeast infection is triggered by certain foods. However, if the yeast infection is associated with other environmental factors, an elimination diet may not be helpful.
Environmental allergies
Many pet owners don't realize that there are many potential causes of allergies. Like humans, dogs can be allergic to a variety of things in their environment, as well as certain foods. Grass, pollen, household cleaners are just a few examples of the many possible environmental allergens. Unfortunately, an elimination diet will not help with environmental allergies.
By addressing the above factors, pet owners may find that their pet does not actually have a food intolerance, therefore an elimination diet is not necessary. However, if the above issues are ruled out and the dog or cat is thought to have a food intolerance, then an elimination diet is necessary to alleviate symptoms and build a diet of safe foods.
IDENTIFY REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
There are several factors to consider when attempting an elimination diet. It is important to set realistic expectations to avoid future disappointment. Caring for a special needs pet is never easy, but hopefully being prepared for the commitment will help prevent discouragement for the pet owner.
Long-term commitment
By nature, elimination diets take a long time to complete properly. Although the initial stages will not be nutritionally balanced, it is important not to rush the process. When a new food triggers a reaction, a period of resetting will be necessary. Preparing for this process will help to ease any irritation.
Moderate to high costs
Unfortunately, caring for a special needs pet is often expensive. Some pet owners may be lucky because their dog or cat does well on more common and affordable proteins. However, some pets may need more exotic proteins. These exotic meats are often more expensive and harder to obtain.
Source difficulty
Depending on the source available in your area, it may be difficult to acquire a safe new protein for your pet. Commercially made single protein, pre-prepared raw food may be easier to acquire than trying to source meat, bones, and organs separately.
“COMMON” FOOD ALLERGIES
While every pet is an individual, there are a few foods that tend to be “common” allergens. This does not mean that these proteins are “bad” per se, but due to various factors, there is a higher percentage of pets that are found to be intolerant to these proteins. Some proteins that should potentially be avoided are:
chicken breast
Chicken
blue mussels
Shellfish
sardines
Fish
When choosing a safe protein to start an elimination diet, these proteins offer guidelines on what to avoid first. However, if you know for sure that your dog does well on one of these proteins, then there is no reason to eliminate them from the diet.
START WITH SAFE PROTEIN “NEW”
The first step in starting an elimination diet is finding a safe protein for your pet. This is often a “new” or “exotic” protein that your dog or cat has never eaten before, although it may be a more common protein that does not cause a reaction. This depends on the individual animal and what proteins are readily available. The following is a list of suggested proteins other than beef and chicken, but each pet is an individual and may or may not react to a given protein.
Total proteins
Pork
Turkey
Rabbit
lamb
Duck
Exotic proteins
Bison
Goat
Emu
Deer
Once a new protein has been selected, begin building a basic diet for your dog or cat. It is important to follow the ratio guidelines. These ratio guidelines will serve as the basis for an elimination diet using the new protein.
Feeding duration
Start by feeding the basic diet of the new protein for 6 weeks with no other ingredients. This initial 6 week period is required as a “reset” period to allow the pet’s body to heal and reset. It can take up to 6 weeks for histamine levels to decrease. Therefore, the goal of this period is to reduce histamine levels in the body, which will reduce symptoms.
If additional treats are given during this time, it is important to ensure that the treats are single ingredient and in the same new protein that the elimination diet was created in. Otherwise, it is best to avoid treats with multiple ingredients to avoid possible reactions during the elimination diet process. It is also not recommended to add supplements at this time to have complete control over the individual ingredients, as many supplements have binders or alternative ingredients that can cause a reaction.
Realistic Expectations Tip 1
If symptoms begin to worsen on the new protein, a different protein choice may be necessary.
INTRODUCE NEW FOODS SLOWLY
After 6 weeks of feeding a safe baseline diet and your pet's symptoms have improved, slowly begin introducing new foods. Each new ingredient should be given one at a time and for 2-4 weeks to determine if the new food is safe.
Start small.
Some pets are sensitive to rapid changes in diet, not to the food itself. Start with small amounts of the new ingredient in the food and slowly increase the amount if no reaction is noted.
Follow closely
Monitor closely for symptoms. If there is a reaction to an ingredient, eliminate that ingredient from the diet entirely and find an alternative. Allow an additional period of time after a reaction before switching to a new food. This is individual and may not require 6 weeks.
Repeat the input steps
Give each new ingredient its own 2-4 week trial. It is essential not to rush the process at this point. If too many new foods are given at the same feeding and there is a reaction, then it will be difficult to figure out which element is the culprit.
Realistic Expectations Tip 2
This process can be tedious, but if followed precisely, it will provide the steps to identify which foods a pet can safely eat and which foods should be eliminated.
ACHIEVE BALANCE
In the early stages, an elimination diet will not be nutritionally balanced. This is temporary and will not have any harmful effects on adult dogs and cats! However, an elimination diet is not recommended for raising puppies and kittens without careful formulation by a nutritionist.
For adult dogs and cats, the focus should be on strategically introducing new ingredients that will help balance the diet. Which ingredients to try first may depend on which safe new protein is chosen to create the main elimination diet.
Red meat proteins
If the elimination diet started with white meat protein, it would be beneficial to focus on adding ruminant protein to the diet if possible. Ruminant organs are higher in some essential nutrients such as copper and vitamin A.
Minerals and fatty acids
Initially, try to focus on increasing essential minerals and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Try ingredients like seaweed, oysters, and fish to achieve this goal. Keep in mind that these are all seafood and it is important to monitor for reactions and find an alternative if necessary.
Additional alternatives
If an ingredient causes a reaction, eliminate that item from your diet and choose an alternative. While whole foods are ideal, supplementation may be necessary in some cases, as several essential nutrients have limited whole food sources.
It is important to identify these common deficiencies and choose the appropriate whole foods to ensure a complete nutritional diet.
Joint supplements
Many joint supplements are often derived from shellfish. If your dog or cat is sensitive to shellfish, then these supplements will likely cause a reaction and an alternative such as a vegan joint supplement will need to be found.
Provide additional intestinal support
Pets with food sensitivities often have poor gut health and biodiversity. Some additional gut health protocols may be helpful.
Fiber / Prebiotics
Adding prebiotics to the diet in the form of fiber can improve digestion by aiding probiotic colonization. Fermented vegetables can provide both prebiotics and probiotics. Always try new vegetables like any new ingredient when following an elimination diet protocol.
Soil probiotics
Probiotics may be beneficial in increasing the biodiversity of the gut microbiome. In dogs and cats with food intolerances, dairy-based probiotics may not be an option. Soil-based organisms may be a better alternative.
Bone broth
Bone broth contains properties that can heal the intestinal lining, but there are some precautions to keep in mind. Bone broth cooked for longer periods in a crock pot will have a higher histamine content. Using a pressure cooker will reduce the cooking time and therefore the histamines. Also, make sure you are making bone broth using bones from a safe protein that will not cause an allergic reaction.
Closing comments
If the steps in an elimination diet are followed correctly, then it is possible to eliminate problem foods and have a happier, healthier pet.
Choose a new protein
It is important to determine a basic diet using a protein that does not cause allergic reactions. The basic diet should consist of muscle meat, raw meaty bones, and secretory organs of the new protein, with no other ingredients.
6-week feeding duration
Feed the new protein diet for 6 weeks to allow the histamines in the body to decrease, which will eventually reduce all symptoms. (e.g. licking, scratching, redness, etc.)
Introduce new foods slowly
Begin building a balanced diet by introducing new foods and proteins once symptoms have subsided with the new protein diet. Each new ingredient and supplement should be given a 2-4 week trial period. The length of the trial period will depend on the individual and it is important to observe the individual pet for guidance. Eliminate any ingredient that causes a reaction.
Reset if necessary
Be patient with the process and give your dog or cat's body time to reset if a reaction occurs. This additional reset period may vary depending on the severity of the reaction.
An elimination diet is a long process and can be expensive for pets who require more difficult sources of ingredients. However, the effort put into achieving an elimination diet protocol will result in a pet with a better quality of life!
Itching, vomiting, gas, and loose stools can sometimes be the result of a food intolerance if other causes of these symptoms have been ruled out. Many pet owners attempt an elimination diet by randomly eliminating certain foods that they suspect may be the problem. However, this approach is not the right one, and the owner may eliminate one food while leaving other foods in the diet that may be causing the problem. A strategic approach must be taken to clearly identify the problem foods.
Rule out other causes of your symptoms before starting an elimination diet.
Set realistic expectations
Elimination diets are time-consuming and can be expensive.
There are several proteins that can be avoided in the initial stages of an elimination diet.
Start with a safe, protein-rich diet.
It is important to find a safe protein to use as a baseline for the elimination diet.
Introduce new foods slowly
Each new ingredient should be given a 2-4 week introduction period.
Strike a balance
Focus on strategically introducing new ingredients that will help balance the diet with all the essential nutrients.
Provide additional intestinal support
Dogs and cats with food allergies and sensitivities tend to have poor gut health and biodiversity.
Before starting an elimination diet, it is important to rule out other potential causes of your pet's symptoms. The same symptoms that may indicate a food intolerance may also indicate other dietary or medical problems. Identifying the underlying cause of the problem is essential in determining whether an elimination diet is appropriate.
Eat a balanced diet
Many homemade and even commercially prepared raw diets are deficient in several essential nutrients. Symptoms of these nutrient deficiencies can often be confused with allergies. The most notable are zinc, iodine, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Before you assume your dog or cat has allergies, read up on how to meet these nutritional needs.
Another potential cause of allergy-like symptoms is yeast. While yeast is a natural component of the microbiome of dogs and cats, certain factors can cause yeast to bloom and create a yeast infection. An elimination diet can be an effective tool when a yeast infection is triggered by certain foods. However, if the yeast infection is associated with other environmental factors, an elimination diet may not be helpful.
Environmental allergies
Many pet owners don't realize that there are many potential causes of allergies. Like humans, dogs can be allergic to a variety of things in their environment, as well as certain foods. Grass, pollen, household cleaners are just a few examples of the many possible environmental allergens. Unfortunately, an elimination diet will not help with environmental allergies.
By addressing the above factors, pet owners may find that their pet does not actually have a food intolerance, therefore an elimination diet is not necessary. However, if the above issues are ruled out and the dog or cat is thought to have a food intolerance, then an elimination diet is necessary to alleviate symptoms and build a diet of safe foods.
IDENTIFY REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS
There are several factors to consider when attempting an elimination diet. It is important to set realistic expectations to avoid future disappointment. Caring for a special needs pet is never easy, but hopefully being prepared for the commitment will help prevent discouragement for the pet owner.
Long-term commitment
By nature, elimination diets take a long time to complete properly. Although the initial stages will not be nutritionally balanced, it is important not to rush the process. When a new food triggers a reaction, a period of resetting will be necessary. Preparing for this process will help to ease any irritation.
Moderate to high costs
Unfortunately, caring for a special needs pet is often expensive. Some pet owners may be lucky because their dog or cat does well on more common and affordable proteins. However, some pets may need more exotic proteins. These exotic meats are often more expensive and harder to obtain.
Source difficulty
Depending on the source available in your area, it may be difficult to acquire a safe new protein for your pet. Commercially made single protein, pre-prepared raw food may be easier to acquire than trying to source meat, bones, and organs separately.
“COMMON” FOOD ALLERGIES
While every pet is an individual, there are a few foods that tend to be “common” allergens. This does not mean that these proteins are “bad” per se, but due to various factors, there is a higher percentage of pets that are found to be intolerant to these proteins. Some proteins that should potentially be avoided are:
chicken breast
Chicken
blue mussels
Shellfish
sardines
Fish
When choosing a safe protein to start an elimination diet, these proteins offer guidelines on what to avoid first. However, if you know for sure that your dog does well on one of these proteins, then there is no reason to eliminate them from the diet.
START WITH SAFE PROTEIN “NEW”
The first step in starting an elimination diet is finding a safe protein for your pet. This is often a “new” or “exotic” protein that your dog or cat has never eaten before, although it may be a more common protein that does not cause a reaction. This depends on the individual animal and what proteins are readily available. The following is a list of suggested proteins other than beef and chicken, but each pet is an individual and may or may not react to a given protein.
Total proteins
Pork
Turkey
Rabbit
lamb
Duck
Exotic proteins
Bison
Goat
Emu
Deer
Once a new protein has been selected, begin building a basic diet for your dog or cat. It is important to follow the ratio guidelines. These ratio guidelines will serve as the basis for an elimination diet using the new protein.
Feeding duration
Start by feeding the basic diet of the new protein for 6 weeks with no other ingredients. This initial 6 week period is required as a “reset” period to allow the pet’s body to heal and reset. It can take up to 6 weeks for histamine levels to decrease. Therefore, the goal of this period is to reduce histamine levels in the body, which will reduce symptoms.
If additional treats are given during this time, it is important to ensure that the treats are single ingredient and in the same new protein that the elimination diet was created in. Otherwise, it is best to avoid treats with multiple ingredients to avoid possible reactions during the elimination diet process. It is also not recommended to add supplements at this time to have complete control over the individual ingredients, as many supplements have binders or alternative ingredients that can cause a reaction.
Realistic Expectations Tip 1
If symptoms begin to worsen on the new protein, a different protein choice may be necessary.
INTRODUCE NEW FOODS SLOWLY
After 6 weeks of feeding a safe baseline diet and your pet's symptoms have improved, slowly begin introducing new foods. Each new ingredient should be given one at a time and for 2-4 weeks to determine if the new food is safe.
Start small.
Some pets are sensitive to rapid changes in diet, not to the food itself. Start with small amounts of the new ingredient in the food and slowly increase the amount if no reaction is noted.
Follow closely
Monitor closely for symptoms. If there is a reaction to an ingredient, eliminate that ingredient from the diet entirely and find an alternative. Allow an additional period of time after a reaction before switching to a new food. This is individual and may not require 6 weeks.
Repeat the input steps
Give each new ingredient its own 2-4 week trial. It is essential not to rush the process at this point. If too many new foods are given at the same feeding and there is a reaction, then it will be difficult to figure out which element is the culprit.
Realistic Expectations Tip 2
This process can be tedious, but if followed precisely, it will provide the steps to identify which foods a pet can safely eat and which foods should be eliminated.
ACHIEVE BALANCE
In the early stages, an elimination diet will not be nutritionally balanced. This is temporary and will not have any harmful effects on adult dogs and cats! However, an elimination diet is not recommended for raising puppies and kittens without careful formulation by a nutritionist.
For adult dogs and cats, the focus should be on strategically introducing new ingredients that will help balance the diet. Which ingredients to try first may depend on which safe new protein is chosen to create the main elimination diet.
Red meat proteins
If the elimination diet started with white meat protein, it would be beneficial to focus on adding ruminant protein to the diet if possible. Ruminant organs are higher in some essential nutrients such as copper and vitamin A.
Minerals and fatty acids
Initially, try to focus on increasing essential minerals and omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Try ingredients like seaweed, oysters, and fish to achieve this goal. Keep in mind that these are all seafood and it is important to monitor for reactions and find an alternative if necessary.
Additional alternatives
If an ingredient causes a reaction, eliminate that item from your diet and choose an alternative. While whole foods are ideal, supplementation may be necessary in some cases, as several essential nutrients have limited whole food sources.
It is important to identify these common deficiencies and choose the appropriate whole foods to ensure a complete nutritional diet.
Joint supplements
Many joint supplements are often derived from shellfish. If your dog or cat is sensitive to shellfish, then these supplements will likely cause a reaction and an alternative such as a vegan joint supplement will need to be found.
Provide additional intestinal support
Pets with food sensitivities often have poor gut health and biodiversity. Some additional gut health protocols may be helpful.
Fiber / Prebiotics
Adding prebiotics to the diet in the form of fiber can improve digestion by aiding probiotic colonization. Fermented vegetables can provide both prebiotics and probiotics. Always try new vegetables like any new ingredient when following an elimination diet protocol.
Soil probiotics
Probiotics may be beneficial in increasing the biodiversity of the gut microbiome. In dogs and cats with food intolerances, dairy-based probiotics may not be an option. Soil-based organisms may be a better alternative.
Bone broth
Bone broth contains properties that can heal the intestinal lining, but there are some precautions to keep in mind. Bone broth cooked for longer periods in a crock pot will have a higher histamine content. Using a pressure cooker will reduce the cooking time and therefore the histamines. Also, make sure you are making bone broth using bones from a safe protein that will not cause an allergic reaction.
Closing comments
If the steps in an elimination diet are followed correctly, then it is possible to eliminate problem foods and have a happier, healthier pet.
Choose a new protein
It is important to determine a basic diet using a protein that does not cause allergic reactions. The basic diet should consist of muscle meat, raw meaty bones, and secretory organs of the new protein, with no other ingredients.
6-week feeding duration
Feed the new protein diet for 6 weeks to allow the histamines in the body to decrease, which will eventually reduce all symptoms. (e.g. licking, scratching, redness, etc.)
Introduce new foods slowly
Begin building a balanced diet by introducing new foods and proteins once symptoms have subsided with the new protein diet. Each new ingredient and supplement should be given a 2-4 week trial period. The length of the trial period will depend on the individual and it is important to observe the individual pet for guidance. Eliminate any ingredient that causes a reaction.
Reset if necessary
Be patient with the process and give your dog or cat's body time to reset if a reaction occurs. This additional reset period may vary depending on the severity of the reaction.
An elimination diet is a long process and can be expensive for pets who require more difficult sources of ingredients. However, the effort put into achieving an elimination diet protocol will result in a pet with a better quality of life!