This article is sponsored content brought to you by Royal Canin.
by Dr. Mina Cassimatis BVSc (Hons) MVS, Scientific Services Veterinarian Manager ANZ
Dietary elimination trials are one of the longest diagnostic assessments we undertake as veterinarians. Furthermore, success relies heavily on our clients to remain strictly compliant with the feeding practice we recommend for a period of 8-12 weeks, and for the pets to also accept the change to their daily feeding routine. It is therefore no surprise, that this remains to be one of the most challenging steps to take in the diagnostic pathway of a pruritic pet.
When commencing a dietary elimination trial, the clinician must decide between a home or commercially prepared diet for the patient. Home prepared diets offer the benefit to individualise the diet fed to the patient, excluding all proteins the pet has been previously exposed to, and thereby creating a diet novel for that patient. However, this approach presents two key challenges; 1) patient history is not always reliable, and pet owners are often unaware of the vast number of proteins their pets have consumed, and 2) home prepared diets are no easy feat, usually associated with a high cost of sourcing novel ingredients, and the risk of cross contamination of preparing the diet in the kitchen at home. The added complexity is many will not be complete and balanced for long term feeding.
Hydrolysed diets
Commercially prepared hydrolysed diets have been produced by pet food manufacturers for many years to both facilitate dietary elimination trials, and to help with the long-term nutritional management of patients diagnosed with adverse food reactions. Hydrolysed diets ideally contain proteins with a molecular size of 10kDa or less, and may contain hydrolysed proteins of more common allergens, like chicken or beef, or more uncommon allergens like soy. Hydrolysed proteins are effectively larger proteins broken down into smaller peptides or single amino acids – the principle behind the hydrolysis being that the smaller the molecular size, the better they can evade the immune system, thereby reducing the risk of immunologic reactions.
Royal Canin diets
Royal Canin have two specifically formulated hydrolysed diet options to assist with dietary elimination trials in canine and feline patients – Anallergenic and Hypoallergenic. Royal Canin Anallergenic, the most recent innovation in hydrolysed diets, contains a unique feather protein hydrolysate, with extensively hydrolysed proteins where 95% of the protein composition for the diet is <1kDa in size, and 88% is free amino acids. The unique protein source and incredibly small protein size makes Anallergenic a gold standard for dietary elimination trials, and an appropriate diet for the long-term feeding of patients with severe dietary allergies.
Royal Canin Hypoallergenic is a hydrolysed soy protein diet, and while the protein is not as extensively hydrolysed as Anallergenic, it continues to be an excellent diet to support dietary elimination trials and long-term feeding. Royal Canin’s Hypoallergenic diet has been available for over a decade, and excitingly, there will be a new addition to the range in 2024 – Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Small Dog. With all the nutritional benefits of the trusted Hypoallergenic formula, Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Small Dog is specifically made for smaller breeds. The diet helps promote oral hygiene and gut health, as well as having a smaller kibble designed for smaller mouths. Royal Canin Hypoallergenic Small Dog also contains the S/O index – helping to prevent the formation of urinary crystals and supporting lower urinary tract health.
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