Holistic Health Hub

Conducting Elimination Diet Trials

Implementing a Raw or Cooked Elimination Diet
Once a food elimination trial has been deemed appropriate, the next step is to implement a controlled, simplified diet using novel ingredients. This strategy aims to identify potential dietary triggers while supporting the dog’s overall health.

Goals of an Elimination Diet

  • Remove all suspected dietary allergens

  • Minimise inflammatory responses

  • Identify specific food triggers through reintroduction

  • Maintain nutritional adequacy during the trial period


Choosing Ingredients: Raw or Cooked Diet

A fresh food elimination diet—either raw or cooked—may be used as an alternative to commercial hydrolysed or prescription diets. These diets must be formulated using novel protein and, optionally, novel carbohydrate sources.

NOVEL PROTEINS
Use animal proteins the dog has not been previously exposed to. Examples include:

  • Kangaroo

  • Rabbit

  • Venison

  • Horse

  • Goat

  • Camel

  • Turkey or duck (if uncommon in the previous diet)

NOVEL CARBOHYDRATES
Not essential for raw feeders but may support energy intake, reducing load on the kidneys from protein energy metabolism, or reduce fat intake required in dogs.

  • Sweet potato

  • Pumpkin

  • Quinoa

Avoid commonly used ingredients like intensive farmed poultry, grain fed beef, wheat, soy, and dairy unless they’ve already been ruled out as triggers.


Sample Elimination Diet

Raw Diet Example:

  • Kangaroo muscle meat

  • Raw meaty bones from the same species (e.g., kangaroo necks)

  • Optional: small portion of cooked pumpkin


Cooked Diet Example:

  • Cooked boneless venison or rabbit

  • Cooked sweet potato

Treats, supplements, flavoured medications, broths, and table scraps must be excluded during the trial.

Duration and Monitoring

  • Feed the diet exclusively for 8–12 weeks.

  • Log daily signs such as itching, stools, ears, skin lesions, and behaviour.

  • Clinical improvements typically appear between weeks 4 and 8, though full resolution can take longer.

The Reintroduction Phase

Once clinical signs have improved or resolved, individual ingredients are reintroduced one at a time every 7–14 days to determine tolerance.

Process:

  1. Add a new protein (e.g. beef muscle meat)

  2. Monitor for signs of relapse

  3. If tolerated, reintroduce next ingredient (e.g. liver, egg, or another protein)

  4. Return to baseline diet if symptoms recur


Nutritional Concerns During Elimination Trials


1. Mineral Deficiencies and Bone Exclusion

If bones are excluded from the diet—either due to preference, digestive concerns, or because a cooked diet is used—there is an immediate risk of calcium and phosphorus imbalances. The ideal calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in canine diets ranges from 1:1 to 1.2:1. An imbalanced ratio, especially one that is phosphorus-heavy (as occurs with muscle meat-only diets), can impair bone metabolism, parathyroid function, and growth.

Alternatives such as calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, eggshell powder, grass fed bone meal or a tailored calcium supplement must be included in bone-free diets, particularly for long trials.


2. Nutritional Deficiencies in Puppies

In growing dogs, the risk of nutrient deficiency is more severe. Puppies have increased requirements for:

  • Calcium and phosphorus

  • Essential fatty acids (especially DHA)

  • Zinc, copper, and iron

  • Energy and amino acids

Feeding a restricted, unbalanced diet—even for several weeks—can impair growth, bone development, and immune function. For this reason, elimination diets in puppies must always be guided by a nutritionist, and monitored closely.


3. Guidance from a Qualified Professional

Elimination diets often involve exclusion of entire food groups (e.g., offal, bone, vegetables, dairy, or fish). While this is useful for diagnosis, it creates a high risk of:

  • Essential fatty acid deficiency

  • Calcium-phosphorus imbalance

  • Trace mineral depletion (e.g., zinc, selenium, iodine)

  • Low vitamin A or D

  • Inadequate fibre or antioxidant intake


For these reasons, elimination diets should not be undertaken without professional support.

Summary

A raw or cooked food elimination diet is a valuable tool in identifying dietary triggers in dogs with chronic dermatologic or gastrointestinal issues. However, the process must be carefully managed to maintain nutritional adequacy—especially if bones or organ meats are excluded. In puppies, these risks are heightened and must be addressed immediately through professional guidance.

Jackie Gowland