What Is A Novel Protein?
Novel Proteins are proteins that are rarer and are new to your pet (they have never eaten before). These typically do not include more common proteins that make up the majority of pet diets such as lamb, chicken, and beef, but include more rare proteins such as duck, alligator, and kangaroo.
Novel proteins can be part of a treatment plan for diseases such as food allergies and gastrointestinal diseases like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Novel Proteins and Food Allergies in Dogs and Cats
Just like humans, pets can have
food allergies and gastrointestinal diseases like IBD. Novel proteins (or new proteins to the pet) can help with treating these diseases and make pets more comfortable.
For dogs and cats with food allergies, protein sources are the most common culprits. The affected pet’s immune system sees the protein as ‘foreign’ which sparks an allergic response.
Since a novel protein is one that the pet’s body has never been exposed to before. It is less likely to be recognized by their immune system and cause an allergic reaction.
It is important to note that for pets with a suspected food allergy, a definitive diagnosis cannot be made through blood testing. Food allergy blood tests exist commercially but are very inaccurate and not recommended by medical professionals. The only way to rule in or out food allergies is through a food trial conducted with a novel protein diet or hydrolyzed protein diet.
Food trials should only be performed with the recommendation and oversight of your primary care veterinarian or a board certified veterinary dermatologist. If you suspect your pet may have a food allergy, please
contact a veterinarian near you.Should My Pet Try A Novel Protein Diet?
Novel Proteins For Dogs
Medically, it is important to understand that it is not best to give your pet lots of different proteins just based on marketing and current trends. Work with your veterinarian to decide on the best diet for your unique pet and their needs.
While vomiting, diarrhea, and itchiness can be signs of food allergies, there are many different diseases that present similar symptoms. Work with your veterinarian to first identify the cause, and then discuss if a novel protein diet is right for your dog.
Novel Proteins For Puppies
It is not recommended to feed your puppy a rare protein diet unless instructed by your veterinarian.
Food allergies can develop at any point in a dog’s life. Unless your puppy is already displaying signs of a food allergy and you have been instructed to do so by your vet, save the novel protein diets in case you need to do a food trial down the road.
A key part of diagnosing a suspected food allergy is performing a
food trial. During this, your pet must only be fed on a protein they have never been exposed to before. Switching between too many kinds of proteins as a young puppy means there will be fewer novel protein options if a trial is needed in the future.
Novel Proteins for Cats
Many commercial feline diets tend to mix different protein sources together, which can make it hard to find novel proteins for them if needed for a food allergy diet trial.
Reading the ingredients and keeping track of the diets your cat has been fed throughout their life is essential in helping identify an appropriate novel protein. If your cat was adopted as an adult and you suspect food allergies are at play, your veterinarian will work with you to help find the protein culprit through trial-and-error food trials.
Why a Novel Protein Diet May Not Help Your Pet
“I fed my pet a novel protein diet, but it hasn’t helped their allergies!” - This is a common frustration of many people trying to use novel proteins as a fix for their pet’s allergy symptoms. If you are in a similar boat, there are three main reasons why switching your pet’s diet has not solved their problems:
1. Cross-Contamination of Commercial Pet Food
One of the main reasons simply switching to another over the counter (OTC) pet food fails to help pets with food allergies is that they are often manufactured in the same facility as many other diets. For example, just because a food says it is rabbit on the store shelf does not mean it is 100% free from any trace of chicken protein that can cause allergic response in your pet.
Prescription novel protein diets on the other hand, have far stricter quality control when it comes to contaminants. If your pet is prescribed a specific veterinary-grade novel protein diet, you can be confident that its ingredients and health claims are closely monitored for accuracy.
2. Protein Interactions and Food Allergies in Pets
There are certain sources of protein that are digested into similarly looking pieces. Even if your pet is fed a novel protein, if that food’s protein structure is like that of an allergen, your pet’s immune system will still react.
For example, if a pet has an allergy to chicken, it is common for them to also have an allergy to other poultry like duck - even if they have never had duck before. If a pet is allergic to chicken, it is best to try a protein like lamb or venison instead.
3. Additional Health Complications
The itchy symptoms of a food allergy can be very similar to other health conditions in pets. While your dog or cat may have a food allergy, they may also be inflicted by additional concerns that cannot be solved through a diet change. It is important that you work with your veterinary team to investigate any and all possible causes of your pet’s symptoms.
Quick-Note Summary!
Novel proteins have their place in treatment plans for pets with a sensitivity to common proteins or certain bowel diseases.
It is important to always consult your veterinarian when considering a change in diet for your pet.
If your pet is showing symptoms of a food allergy, talk to your primary care veterinarian or a board certified veterinary dermatologist about whether a diet trial would be recommended.
Simply switching your pet’s food may not solve their allergic or gastrointestinal symptoms due to several compounding factors, making it that much more important to have your pet examined by your vet.
