BY: SAMANTHA BARTLETT, DVM

In a study by researchers at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, published in the September 7 Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, found that by restricting the number of ingredients in a dogs diet, we can lessen the signs of chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Many dogs with chronic enteropathy have been assumed to be food  intolerant due to an adverse immune response to dietary antigens. 

Many dogs with diarrhea, vomiting and weight loss attributed to chronic enteropathy, respond to diet change, but there is no clear indication of why they are responding. To get a better picture of what is causing disease, the researchers designed a randomized controlled study. Dogs in the study were randomly assigned a diet out of three diets similar in calories and macronutrient profiles. Two of the diets were hypoallergenic diets and one was a limited ingredient diet. The hypoallergenic diets were hydrolyzed fish. The limited ingredient diet contained nonhydrolyzed proteins and other ingredients though to trigger immune responses such as corn, chicken and fish. 

All of the dogs did better on the new diets regardless of which group they were in. The dogs essentially went in to remission on the new diets independent of the diet being hydrolyzed or not and of the dog having been fed antigens that were considered potentially allergenic. The researchers not that the participants of this study went into remission even after failing previous diet trials. Some contributors to this result could be better compliance by owners in not giving different foods for snacks and sticking to the prescribed diet due to the formal follow-ups required by the study.

In conclusion, it may be better to try a few different diets before jumping to immunosuppressing drugs and antimicrobials for dogs with chronic enteropathies. It is also important to stress compliance to owners when performing a diet trial.