Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Patch testing proteins and carbs to diagnose dog food allergies
By Johansen, Cornelia et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2017·Ludwig Maximilian University, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Evaluation of canine adverse food reactions by patch testing with single proteins, single carbohydrates and commercial foods.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 25 dogs with itchy skin due to suspected food allergies underwent patch testing to identify which proteins and carbohydrates might be causing their reactions. The results showed that patch testing was very effective for proteins, with a 100% sensitivity, meaning it reliably identified the right protein sources for an elimination diet. However, it was less effective for carbohydrates and commercial dog food. The findings suggest that while patch testing can help select a suitable protein for dogs with food allergies, it isn't a standalone diagnostic tool for food reactions. Most positive reactions were linked to raw protein sources.
People also search for: dog itching food allergy treatment · patch testing for dog food allergies · elimination diet for dogs with skin problems
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adverse food reaction (AFR) is an important differential diagnosis for the pruritic dog. It is usually diagnosed by feeding an elimination diet with a novel protein and carbohydrate source for eight weeks followed by subsequent food provocation. A previous study demonstrated that patch testing dogs with foods had a high sensitivity and negative predictability for selection of elimination diet ingredients. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate patch testing with proteins, carbohydrates and dry commercial dog food in dogs to determine whether there was value in patch testing to aid the diagnosis of canine adverse food reaction. METHODS: Twenty five privately owned dogs, with confirmed AFR, underwent provocation trials with selected food antigens and patch testing. RESULTS: For proteins, carbohydrates and dry dog food the sensitivity of patch testing was 100%, 70% and 22.2%, respectively; the negative predictive values of patch testing were 100%, 79% and 72%. The positive predictive values of patch testing for proteins and carbohydrates were 75% and 74%, respectively. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: This study confirmed that patch testing may be useful for the selection of a suitable protein source for an elimination diet in dogs with suspected AFR, but not as a diagnostic tool for canine AFR. Results for proteins are more reliable than for carbohydrates and the majority of positive patch test reactions were observed with raw protein. Patch testing with commercial dog food does not seem to be useful.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28544017/