Author: Nicola Swales, BSc (Hons), RVN

ABSTRACT Diet trials are the current best practice for diagnosing cutaneous adverse food reactions in dogs and cats, yet they remain one of the most challenging diagnostic tools to perform successfully in first-opinion practice. Success depends not only on selecting an appropriate diet, but also on careful planning, excellent owner education, patient compliance and accurate interpretation of the results. This article provides a practical guide to performing a robust elimination-provocation diet trial, from selecting the most appropriate diet and timing the trial correctly through to understanding the four key phases of elimination, medication reduction, provocation and allergen identification. Common pitfalls involving owners, veterinary teams and patients are discussed, alongside strategies to minimise factors that can invalidate the trial. The article also explores the role of concurrent medications, the importance of monitoring for secondary infections and how to interpret different clinical outcomes. By performing diet trials correctly and avoiding common mistakes, veterinary professionals can confidently diagnose or exclude food allergy, allowing affected patients to be managed successfully through dietary modification and reducing reliance on long-term medication.
Keywords allergic skin disease, food allergy, cutaneous adverse food reaction, food-induced atopic dermatitis, diet trial, elimination provocation trial

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56496/DJWV6470

To cite this article: Swales, N. (2026) Optimising diet trials in veterinary practice. VNJ 41(5) pp 38-43

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