The Truth About: Hypoallergenic Diets. Part 1: Do Hydrolyzed Diets Work & Are They Healthy?!

Has your veterinarian recommended a hypoallergenic diet? Did they explain to you how these diets are made and present studies on how effective they are?... My guess is, probably not. In this exclusive post, I'll go over the common types of diets that are used for pet's experiencing symptoms of allergies: hypoallergenic, novel protein, limited ingredient, and hydrolyzed. Want to know a secret? There's a huge danger lurking in one of these foods that could actually worsen your pet's health! So, let's take a peek at how these diets are made, review the studies of efficacy in reducing allergy symptoms, and take an up close look at some of the most common brands of hydrolyzed veterinary diets! You ready for this one?!

Hypoallergenic diets don't really exist. Let's face it, an animal can be allergic to literally anything.

Hypoallergenic definition: "Having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic reaction."

This obviously leaves space for variables. What works for one, may not work for another.. what might be considered hypoallergenic for my dog, may trigger a strong reaction for another dog. Believe it or not, most prescription diets for allergies... contain the most common allergens!! I'll cover more on that as we go on.

*Note: You can learn more about what causes food allergies in my other post "Truth About Food Allergies." I even touch on environmental toxins/ impacts that can mimic food allergies.

First off, there's some misconception on what hypoallergenic diets are, so let's clear that up. A lot of people will refer to limited ingredient diets (L.I.D.) as hypoallergenic. This is not always the case.

Hypoallergenic diets are generally a hydrolyzed prescription food that is sold by veterinarians. Hydrolyzed diets contain no intact animal proteins that are said to be the main cause of most allergic responses in pets. Hence, "A decreased tendency to provoke an allergic reaction."

Here's a few diet alternatives that are commonly used for food allergic dogs and cats:

Novel protein diets contain a 'rare' protein source that the pet has never been exposed to, therefore lessening the chance of an adverse reaction. Sometimes these can be limited ingredient as well.

Generally contains 1 whole, named animal protein (such as turkey) and 1 whole food carbohydrate source (such as potato). For instance, the package may read: Deboned turkey, potato, turkey meal, canola oil, followed by a vitamin and mineral mix. Usually no other whole food ingredients such as fruits, veggies or starches are added, but some brands will put a few extras in.

Contains a hydrolyzed (broken down) protein that may be plant or animal sourced, and one carbohydrate source. Usually does not contain any other whole food ingredients such as fruits or veggies.

Those definitions sound similar, huh? Well, they are two entirely different foods that are created in completely different ways.

Here are 2 ingredient labels for example:

Notice the differences in the above picture:

Since the most commonly recommended dietary change for allergies is using a prescription hydrolyzed diet, I'm going to talk about that first. We will swing back around to L.I.D and novel proteins at the end.

Hydrolyzed diets are quite a new fad in the veterinary industry. They came around about 10 years ago, and have since increased greatly in popularity.

They are routinely 'prescribed' to dogs and cats who are experiencing symptoms of allergies and food intolerance. Many pets will be diagnosed as having 'atopic deramtitis.' Also known as itching. In humans, it is often called eczema.

While hydrolyzed diets are supposed to be for the use of an elimination trial over a period of a few months (in order to narrow down the specific item the pet is allergic to), I've seen many pets eat them as their primary diet for a number of years without question!

Some symptoms of allergies could range from itching, ear infections, to red skin, and hair loss. Some pets may experience a general intolerance to a food and have an upset stomach and diarrhea. Dogs and cats can also experience behavioral changes due to food sensitivities, such as anxiety and aggression.

Typically, no workup is done to figure out the true cause of these unpleasant symptoms... because who has time for that?! It's simply labeled an allergy, and the vet will recommend a hydrolyzed diet.

As I mentioned above, a veterinarian may recommend an elimination trial with the food where only the prescription diet is fed over a period of about 3 months and then the veterinarian will instruct the pet owner on re-introduction of various foods and to watch for potential reactions.

In fact, the Hill's Pet Nutrition website specifically states:

"Unfortunately, there are no reliable ways to test your dog for food allergies. The only way to determine which foods your dog is allergic to is through the process of elimination. Typically, your vet will prescribe a special, limited-ingredient dog food containing types of meat and carbohydrates that aren't in your dog's usual meals."

Seriously? This sounds like some money hungry garbage! To say there are no reliable ways to test for food allergies is a complete lie. The only way is to perform an elimination diet with THEIR prescription food... huh.. Isn't that convenient! While no testing can be 100% accurate, it is an option to try and narrow a few things down, and I've seen it be quite accurate in a few cases. In fact, many holistic veterinarians will offer testing.

I'll discuss the various testing methods in Part 2 when we go over conventional medications.

Towards the end of this post, I will also challenge the last sentence in that statement, proving that the most common allergens are still in prescription diets.

When my first dog was sick and had many signs of severe food intolerance... We were told he was likely born with it and his body just couldn't process things normally. And while that could be true, I also know now what else can cause food allergy symptoms, and NONE of those factors were ever addressed.

What if we think of things differently?

We might ask... "But why is the pet having this over-active immune response in the first place? How can we support the body to be more balanced, and less reactive?"

Hill's also states:

"As with limited ingredient foods, there is nothing to guarantee that your dog won't become allergic to them in the future."

So, again... if a pet is becoming increasingly reactive and intolerant to everything they eat... then we need to look deeper and ask "Why?!"...

A little background on allergies:

I have no doubt that cats and dogs are suffering from allergies and leaky gut at epidemic proportions. With an abundance of assaulting environmental factors such as flea/ tick medications and various other pharmaceuticals. Pair this with overly-processed, chemical-filled & grain-based diets... This creates a lot of stress on the body. If you don't know, leaky gut is when the intestinal wall becomes inflamed and the permeability increases, letting undigested food particles into the bloodstream and causing an immune reaction.

Most cases of miserable pets that I've seen (in relation to food allergies & intolerance), are related to grains in the diet.. and it's no wonder to me. Grains cause inflammation, and are usually genetically modified, sprayed with herbicides, pesticides and other chemicals, and have a long history for being contaminated with mold!

A grain-based diet also puts pets at risk for deficiencies which can cause an imbalance and ultimately allergy symptoms. Though, most of the information you will find in the mainstream, will tell you that allergies to grains are rare or even impossible and that it's almost always the protein.

A hydrolyzed diet is a type of food that has had the ingredients (mainly protein) heated to very high temperatures to denature the intact proteins.

This process is also paired with a chemical breakdown, usually involving hydrochloric acid and other compounds.. this in turn destroys other vital nutrients in the food as well.

It is said that this process helps pets with food allergies that have an over-reactive immune response to particular food items.

When a particular food item is hydrolyzed and those ultra-small food particles enter the system, the body can no longer recognize what it is, and therefore it doesn't produce an immune response/ allergic reaction.

"Extensively hydrolyzed proteins are more easily digested and have substantially reduced immunological reactivities."

-Source.

We've discussed briefly how high heat is needed to breakdown and process intact proteins to create a hydrolyzed diet.

But, what is that other compound I mentioned?

"Hydrolyzed proteins are made by boiling foods such as soy, corn or wheat in hydrochloric acid to break down the protein in vegetables into their component amino acids. Sodium hydroxide is then used to neutralize the solution. Both products are natural sources of glutamic acid, which is also known as monosodium glutamate (MSG) in its sodium salt form."

-Source.

There you have it!

Hydrolyzed protein is a precursor to MSG.

Let's read that again from another source:

"The chemical breakdown of hydrolyzed protein releases glutamic acid, which combines with sodium to form MSG."

-Source.

MSG is known to cause:

And so much more.

"The adverse effects of hydrolyzed protein include anxiety, asthma, attention deficit syndrome, bloating, burning sensations, carpel tunnel syndrome, chest pains, depression, diarrhea, confusion, dizziness, drowsiness, infertility, insomnia, and heart diseases."

-Source.

The Mayo Clinic and the FDA have continually stated that any potential danger by MSG is false.... and yet, the evidence is right here....?!

Are hydrolyzed diets safe?..... you tell me.

Let's take a look at a few brands of a hydrolyzed prescription diets that you may find at your local veterinariany office.

First off;
 This is absolutely disgusting!!

Why are we feeding this to carnivores?

This just screams inflammation and GI problems.

 How is this okay?!

Do veterinarians even read what ingredients are in the foods they recommend?

A closer look at the first 4 Ingredients;

High glycemic index/ carbohydrate, promotes glucose spikes, may contribute to obesity and development of diabetes

Soy is bad for SO many reasons. Common allergen, GMO, endocrine disruption... This is the only 'protein' in this food?!

High in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids, very inflammatory, chicken is the most common food allergen in pets.. Why is this in an allergy food..??

Mainly there for fiber content

Let's take a look at another prescription diet:

Side note: this 'food' literally looks like Kix puffed corn cereal.. and rightfully so... here's the ingredients:

Canola oil is very high in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids.

Partially hyrogenated oils (PHO) are not even regarded as safe anymore. The FDA actually says:

"PHOs are the primary dietary source of artificial trans fat in processed foods. Removing PHOs from processed foods could prevent thousands of heart attacks and deaths each year."

-Source.

Excuse me, but WTF?! MSG and artificial trans fat! How delicious and healthy!

TBHQ (also known as t-butylhydroquinone) is a synthetic preservative that slows oxidation and prevents rancidity in order to extend shelf life of products. It is used in human and pet food.

Some known dangers of TBHQ:

There is ZERO animal protein in either of these animal feed products.

❌ ZERO ❌

Any pet eating this diet is at SERIOUS risk for nutritional deficiencies. Especially for essential amino acids (mainly found in meat)!

In regards to hydrolyzed diets:

"Potential problems include poor palatability, hypoosmotic diarrhea, and a reduced nutritional value, although persistent allergenicity is the most significant."

-Source.

"Palatability and GI upset are problems that can be seen with the use of hydrolyzed diets in cats."

-Source.

I'd say this would be pretty accurate! Other studies have also claimed a low bioavailability with the food leading to low nutritional value (as is stated above).

Let's take a look at one more:

I received an email recently for "Hill's Science Diet BREAKTHROUGH nutrition!!!"

Derm Complete dry dog food to manage food & environmental allergies. This diet claims to strengthen the skin barrier and prevent itching. Among other things.

Desperate pet owners are led to believe that by stripping their pet of all whole foods, and feeding a hydrolyzed and/ or plant protein based diet, it will cure their pet's allergies.

Which couldn't be further from the truth.

Yummm.....

This is the equivalent of you eating rice your entire life and taking a multivitamin to fill in the obvious nutritional gaps.

Oh yea, and at a whopping 17.3% protein, it does NOT even meet AAFCO requirements for the MINIMUM amount (18%) of protein for adult dog maintenance.

At least they openly admit that the food is 59% carbohydrates.Not only does this brand use inferior ingredients in their products... They have had NUMEROUS recalls for quality control issues and even have cause documented pet deaths with their products.

This just absolutely baffles me to the core. I'm 100% convinced no veterinarian reads what is in the prescription diets they recommend, and if they do... they have done zero research of their own as to what these ingredients do to the body and overall health of their patients.

Personally, I have not seen a hydrolyzed diet alone work.

"In a review of studies investigating hydrolyzed diets in dogs, it was found that up to 50% of dogs with food allergies enrolled in three of the studies demonstrated worsening of clinical signs after ingesting partial hydrolysates that originated from foods to which they were hypersensitive."

-Source.

Keep in mind, in most cases, pets that we had put on a hydrolyzed diet (in the clinic I worked at) would still be on some sort of medication. Hydrolyzed diets can cost hundreds of dollars per month.... add medication on top of that... Oofda! ! A 24# bag of prescription food could easily cost over $100 and would last a 50# dog about a month.

Why are veterinarians shouting from the rooftops that these diets are the solution?! Surely it has you thinking.

I'll take one guess:

Money.

Source: MVMA

If the content in this post hasn't upset you enough, yet... Take a look at this:

Quoted from Truth About Pet Food:

"This lawsuit challenges the validity of prescription pet food, even indicating that Hill’s and other prescription pet food manufacturers conspired to charge high prices for per federal law adulterated and misbranded products.

“After learning that Hill’s prescription pet food has no medicine or drug, that no prescription is legally required to purchase it, and that it is not tested and approved for medicinal purposes by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Kucharski-Berger sued Hill’s alleging that Hill’s and other pet food manufacturers conspired to monopolize the prescription pet food market and to artificially inflate prices by self-imposing the prescription requirement.”

Background: Prescription Pet Foods DO violate federal law.

Prescription pet foods are given a ‘Get Out Of Jail Free’ card by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM). Federal law defines any product that makes a claim to cure, treat or mitigate disease as a drug. And the FDA CVM admits: “By virtue of their intended use to treat or prevent disease, such products meet the statutory definition of a drug.”

This is INSANE.

Read more about how I avoided prescription foods and medication for my dog's urinary problems at half the cost!

Which brings us to the final segment...Medications and other allergy treatments!

You ready for more?!

Join me in Part 2 HERE!!

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