Comparison of a commercial limited-antigen diet versus home-prepared diets in the diagnosis of canine adverse food reaction.

The objective of the present study was to compare the efficacy of a commercial limited-antigen diet (Eukanuba Veterinary Diets Response Formula FP/Canine, The Iams Company) with home-prepared diets in the diagnosis of adverse food reaction in dogs. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase utilized 28 dogs fed a home-prepared diet to enable a diagnosis of adverse food reaction. Dogs diagnosed from this phase were entered into the second phase in which these dogs were fed the commercial limited-antigen diet. Owners of 10 of the 28 dogs quit Phase 1 before it could be completed, and one case was eliminated because extended treatment with steroids was required. Eight of the remaining 17 (47 %) dogs were diagnosed with an adverse food reaction. A reaction occurred in four of eight dogs fed the test diet in Phase 2. These results demonstrated the difficulties encountered by owners and veterinarians attempting to feed dogs home-prepared diets. In addition, the results of the study suggest that the occurrence of adverse reactions to fish could make it a less desirable ingredient as a limited antigenin canine diets.