A novel protein is often recommended when allergies or food sensitivities are believed to be causing persistent digestive upset, chronic ear infections, or ongoing skin issues like itchiness, redness, and hot spots. When traditional diagnostic methods or treatments fail to resolve these symptoms, veterinarians often recommend trying a novel protein diet or a dog elimination diet trial. These dietary approaches aim to uncover the triggers of food sensitives and offer relief through nutritional management. The result is often a significant improvement in your dog’s quality of life.
Finding a Novel Protein for Your Dog
A novel protein diet refers to foods that contain a protein source that your dog has never consumed before. The rationale behind using an unfamiliar protein is to reduce the likelihood of triggering an immune response, as allergic reactions occur when the body recognizes a benign substance as foreign or harmful.
Common protein sources such as chicken, beef, lamb, and turkey are frequent culprits for food allergies, simply because they appear so frequently in commercial dog food. By switching to a novel protein, such as rabbit, venison, duck, kangaroo, alligator or ostrich, you reduce the chance of including the ingredient responsible for the allergic response.
What Is an Elimination Diet?
Elimination diets are the gold standard for identifying food allergies or sensitivities in dogs. These diets consist of a limited number of ingredients, ideally with a single novel protein source and a single novel carbohydrate source, given exclusively to the dog over a period of eight to twelve weeks. During this time, no other foods, treats, supplements, or table scraps should be given.
The idea is to allow the dog’s immune system and gut to settle and observe whether symptoms improve or resolve completely. If improvement is observed, then individual ingredients from the previous diet can be reintroduced one at a time to try to determine which ingredient(s) trigger a reaction. This reintroduction process must be done cautiously and methodically to ensure that each ingredient’s effect is properly assessed.
Good Choices for a Dog’s Novel Protein Diet
Several reputable pet food brands offer novel protein formulas:
- Zignature is known for its limited ingredient diets and features novel proteins such as kangaroo, catfish, and venison.
- Natural Balance also produces a variety of limited ingredient and novel protein diets including duck, bison, and venison formulas.
- Merrick and Instinct both offer raw-coated and grain-free recipes that include exotic proteins like rabbit, lamb, and duck.
While the availability of novel protein foods has grown in recent years due to increased awareness of canine food allergies, not all products are created equal. Some may include secondary or tertiary animal proteins that will be featured farther down in the ingredient list and can compromise the integrity of a novel protein diet. Because of this, it is crucial to carefully read labels and, whenever possible, opt for diets that are explicitly labeled as limited ingredient and contain only one clearly identified protein source.
Novel protein diets and elimination trials are invaluable tools for identifying and managing food allergies and sensitivities in dogs. By selecting less common protein sources and strictly adhering to a limited diet, pet owners can determine the root cause of their dog’s discomfort and chart a path forward that leads to long-term health and relief from symptoms. With guidance from a veterinarian, many dogs can thrive on novel protein diets and live happy, comfortable lives free from the discomfort from undiagnosed food sensitivities.
