Food Allergies
Dogs typically don't develop allergies to ingredients they've never eaten. That single idea reframes the whole approach.
Educational content — not veterinary advice
Information on this page is general guidance only and does not replace diagnosis or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. Always work with your vet before making condition-related dietary changes.
Commonly reported food allergens
- Beef
- Dairy
- Chicken
- Wheat
- Lamb
- Soy
- Eggs
Several of these are also the proteins in many widely sold commercial dog foods, which may help explain why they appear so often in the case literature.
The elimination diet — typical steps
- Confirm the indication with your vet. Year-round itch, recurrent ear infections, or chronic GI signs may justify a trial. Strictly seasonal signs usually don't.
- Pick a diet. Either a hydrolysed therapeutic diet or a single novel protein the dog has never eaten — chosen with veterinary input.
- Strict feeding for ~8–12 weeks. Nothing else passes the dog's lips — no flavoured medications, treats, table scraps, or flavoured toothpaste.
- Assess. Score itch and GI signs weekly; meaningful improvement is often seen by around week 8 if food is the trigger.
- Re-challenge. Reintroduce the original diet — return of signs supports a food-responsive disease.
Hydrolysed protein diets
Hydrolysis breaks proteins into small peptide fragments that are less likely to be recognised by the immune system. Hydrolysed therapeutic diets are widely used in elimination trials and can be useful when no truly novel protein is available.
The novel protein approach
"Novel" simply means new to that individual dog. With the rise of "exotic protein" retail foods, what used to be novel (duck, venison) often isn't anymore for many dogs. Read every label carefully, including treats.