Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Soy protein found in dry dog foods labeled no soy in allergy tests
By Willis-Mahn, Christine et al.·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2014·College of Veterinary Medicine·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: ELISA testing for soy antigens in dry dog foods used in dietary elimination trials.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that some dog foods labeled as "no soy" actually contained soy protein, which can be a problem for dogs with food allergies. In tests of various dry dog foods, three out of four over-the-counter brands claiming to be soy-free had detectable soy levels, while some veterinary diets also contained soy. This means that pet owners should be cautious when selecting foods for dogs suspected of having soy allergies, as not all diets are truly soy-free. It's important to choose the right veterinary diet based on your dog's history to ensure effective elimination trials.
People also search for: dog food allergies soy · soy-free dog food brands · best diet for allergic dogs
Abstract
The use of elimination diet trials is necessary in the diagnosis of food allergies and intolerances. The objective of this study was to determine in vitro if four over-the-counter (OTC) dry dog foods carrying a "no soy" claim and seven veterinary therapeutic dry dog foods designed for food elimination trials were suitable for a soybean elimination trial. A 100 g sample of each diet plus one soy positive and one soy negative control diet were submitted for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testing to an independent food laboratory. The positive control diet contained >25 ppm soy protein antigens and the negative control contained <2.5 ppm. Three of the four OTC "no soy" claiming diets were positive for soy antigen. Two of the three soy-containing diets had >25 ppm. Three veterinary therapeutic diets had less than the lowest detectable limit of soy protein and four were positive (>2.5 ppm). OTC dog food diets that claim to contain "no soy" may contain high concentrations of soy protein and, therefore, should not be used in soy elimination trials in suspect food allergic dogs. The veterinary therapeutic diet selected for a soy elimination trial needs to be carefully chosen based on diet history.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25251429/