What Is a Single-Protein Diet? Benefits, Examples and Uses

A single-protein diet is one that contains only one source of animal protein. It is a way of feeding that can offer benefits in certain situations. The most common example is food allergy.

Just like people, dogs can suffer allergies to particular foods. In their case, the main sign of that allergy will be itching and/or the appearance of a rash on the skin. And in these cases a single-protein elimination diet is always advisable.

What Does a Single-Protein Diet Involve?

When we talk about a single-protein diet we are referring to a menu containing protein from one source only, hence the name. In putting together a diet of this kind, the aim is to find proteins with a low likelihood of triggering food allergies.

Bear in mind that a great many ingredients are capable of provoking allergic reactions. The single-protein diet is also characterised by being made with very few ingredients. Under no circumstances can it contain artificial colourings, preservatives or flavourings.

Which Foods Are Dogs Allergic To?

In putting together a single-protein diet that will work for our dog, we need to take into account which foods they have eaten over the course of their life. That way we will look for one that is completely new to them. In making that choice, it helps to know that some ingredients provoke more allergic reactions in dogs than others. They are as follows:

• Meats in general (cow, pig, beef and chicken) and fish
• Milk and eggs
• Grains (wheat, maize)
• Soya

Any food has the capacity to trigger an allergic reaction.

What Is a Single-Protein Diet Used For?

The first use of diets of this kind is identifying and resolving food allergies. But there are other clinical pictures where management with this sort of feeding can be recommended, to take advantage of its benefits. The main ones are:

• Pancreatic insufficiency.
• Inflammatory bowel disease.
• Digestive problems in which protein loss is confirmed.
• Malabsorption.
• Gastritis.
• Excess lipids in the blood.

Food Allergy in Dogs

The single-protein diet is advisable in cases where the dog shows a food allergy. This kind of allergy is very common and affects dogs of any age. Its main sign is itching. It is also accompanied by a skin eruption marked by the appearance of small lumps, pustules and raised skin.

The areas with these lesions tend to be the ears, the feet, the back of the legs and the underside of the body. For the allergy to develop, the dog has to have been exposed to the allergen once or more. It is more common in dogs who have been eating the same diet for over two years.

To diagnose a food allergy the vet will prescribe a single-protein diet, which we can also call hypoallergenic. That last name comes from the lower likelihood of a single-protein diet causing an allergy. It is also called an elimination diet. They have greater digestibility.

• Full information on food allergy in dogs

How Does the Single-Protein Diet Work?

As soon as the dog with a food allergy starts eating the single-protein menu, the symptoms they had will gradually disappear. We will notice an improvement within days, though there are dogs who take weeks. That is why diets of this kind have to be given for a minimum of 8-12 weeks.

That result is what allows the diagnosis to be confirmed. Once there is an improvement we could start adding other foods one at a time. If the dog's symptoms return, we will have identified the product causing the allergy. It is crucial, of course, that outside the prescribed diet the dog be given absolutely nothing.

An Example of a Single-Protein Diet

The first step in putting together a single-protein diet for our dog is to note down, as thoroughly as possible, every ingredient they have eaten over the course of their life. Particular attention has to be paid to their current diet. The aim is to find foods that are completely new.

That way we can be sure they were not the trigger for the allergy. Changing the diet for a similar one, or altering it without regard to the dog's dietary history, is therefore of no use whatsoever. Diets of this kind can be bought ready-made, but we do have the option of offering home-made food.

The proteins most often chosen for these menus are salmon, venison, duck or foal, depending on each dog's history. These can be combined with rice, pea or potato to make a complete menu. Amounts and composition must of course be supervised by the vet.

What Is a Hydrolysed Diet?

Single-protein diets can be built from hydrolysed proteins. These are useful, for example, in cases where it proves impossible to obtain a list of every ingredient the dog has eaten.

Hydrolysed protein is protein that has been put through a process of hydrolysis. The aim is to reduce its size, since proteins are large molecules. That makes it harder for the immune system to identify them as allergens. Hence why it is relevant in cases of food allergy.

Bibliography Carlson and Giffin. 2002. Manual práctico de veterinaria canina. Madrid. Editorial el Drac. Villaverde, Cecilia. 2016. Diagnóstico y tratamiento de las reacciones adversas al alimento en perros y gatos. Portal Veterinaria.