Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Kerry Spain — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 10:23:45 GMT

Just nicked this off the Hill's web site

Proteins with a molecular weight less than 10,000 daltons are unlikely to be detected by the immune system.

The animal protein in z/d^TM ULTRA Allergen Free Canine is extensively hydrolysed (maximum molecular weight 3,000 daltons) to minimise the risk of being detected by the immune system.

Let me know if you have any joy with the HA stuff I'd be interested in the outcome

Also using something like an EFA supplement will help too. Even though most of the 'skin' diets contain added EFA's I contacted Hill's a while ago about my kitty and they said extra supplementation may prove beneficial too and it is in no way detrimental to the animal if used correctly.

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Steph Worsley — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 23:22:28 GMT

HA is a hydrolysed protein used for exclusion diets just like hills z/d (and if i remember correctly a lot cheaper!)

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Mrs Dot Dot — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:46:31 GMT

Thanks Kerry... I think HA is something like 12,000 daltons but I may well be wrong... I need to do abit more research I think.... I'll have a closer look into z-d... our skin vet suggested HA and I go by whatever she says......

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Kerry Spain — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:33:23 GMT

Z/D Ultra is fantastic if it is a food problem, I'm sorry I've never used the Purina diet so I don't know much about it.

If the protein molecules in the HA diet are smaller than 3000 daltons then you should begin to see a difference. Good Luck with it!

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Mrs Dot Dot — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:25:06 GMT

Kerry .. I've started her on Purina HA which I think is the Purina equivalent of Hills z-d?... Have you seen sucesses on z-d? and to be fair she's only been on it for 6 days (plus the little extras!) and today the scratching/ itching seems to be getting a bit less and also her greasiness has got alot better even in such a short time, so I probably just need to stop being so negative about it and try harder.....

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Kerry Spain — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:20:29 GMT

Sorry just to add, my kitty is fed on Z/D all the time now I find it really helps, and sorry I've just read your initial post again, I don't have any fandangled tricks as to how to stop her from scavanging food

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Kerry Spain — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 21:08:52 GMT

Can you feed dotty on Hill's Z/D for 12 weeks? If signs of improvement then the likelyhood is food related allergies. Saves you faffing around with exclusion diets

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Mrs Dot Dot — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:54:04 GMT

Thank you for your lack of sucess!! No insult or offence meant! Even tho it's early days, I'm wondering if it is worth the effort! I will perservere this week and see how it goes but..............................

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Denise — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:50:36 GMT

My spaniel tried an exclusion diet -or at least I tried to get her to only eat Hills zd when it first came out (in hope rather than expectation) She raided a bin bag in someones garden after one week, pinched cat food the next, hoovered up bread someone had put out for the birds at the field etc etc, so we finished off the bag and gave it up as a lost cause....

She was actually allergic to grass and flower pollens so we also tried a densensitisation vaccine that didn't make any difference either....

In the end she managed quite well on Malaseb and very large quantities of piriton tablets, along with daily showers in hot sunny weather to reduce the pollen on her fur.

Re: Has anyone EVER sucessfully done an exclusion diet with their dog?

Doolally — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 20:48:40 GMT

Why not get the allergy testing done anyway? It may be that she's allergic to something environmental eliminating the need to an exclusion diet anyway?? I know I for one would have found it very very difficult to do an exclusion diet with my doglet.

I had mine allergy tested and he's allergic to certain grasses. He had immunotherapy for about a year, he's not been on it for about 18mths and *touchwood* is 100x better than he was before. His scratching a little at the moment so is on piriton as it seems to be something each september that triggers it, but he doesn't rip himself to pieces scratching like he used to