Dietary options for diagnosis of cutaneous adverse food reactions

Diet is critical for the diagnosis of cutaneous adverse food reactions in dogs and cats. The diagnostic process consists of the elimination trial, where a diet the patient has never been exposed to or with reduced allergenicity (elimination diet) is fed for a number of weeks exclusively. If clinical signs improve, this is followed by a challenge phase to confirm the diagnosis and identify the food triggers in each patient. Therefore, choosing the right elimination diet is very important in obtaining a reliable diagnosis and deciding on the best feeding plan for long-term management. This paper reviews the different options for canine and feline elimination diets and discusses their pros and cons.