Purina Launches Canned Food for Canine Allergies

Purina Pro Plan has announced the launch of a new product to its line of Veterinary Diets. The new pet food—HA Hydrolyzed Chicken Flavor canned formula—provides veterinarians with the option to prescribe either dry or canned food when recommending this product for canine patients.

The canned variety joins the 2 existing dry formulas from the line, HA Hydrolyzed Chicken Flavor and HA Hydrolyzed Vegetarian Formula. All 3 varieties contain hydrolyzed protein and low-allergen carbohydrate sources to help minimize the risk of allergic reaction, along with medium-chain triglycerides, a source of fat that the company says is easily digested and absorbed to provide readily available energy.

All 3 of the HA Hydrolyzed formulas are indicated for:

• Elimination diet trials
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
• Food allergic gastroenteritis and dermatitis
• Food intolerance
• Hyperlipidemia
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Lymphangiectasia
• Malabsorption
• Pancreatitis
• Protein-losing enteropathy

Allergy-related conditions, specifically dermatitis, are among the most common reasons for veterinary visits and affect a growing number of companion animals. The most commonly reported food allergies in dogs and cats are chicken, beef, dairy, and egg (and fish for cats), presumably because these are the ingredients to which companion animals are exposed the most. When diagnosing a food allergy, veterinarians still regard elimination diet trials as the gold standard of tests.

In a recent video interview with American Veterinarian, Craig Webb, DVM, PhD, DACVIM, of Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, said that food trials are an essential step in diagnosing gastrointestinal diseases. Without a food trial, a veterinarian may very well end up treating a patient for inflammatory bowel disease for the rest of its life, when in fact it simply needs the appropriate diet.

In addition to pet foods focused on eliminating allergy-related issues, Purina Pro Plan also has dog and cat food lines designed for pets with arthritis, dental conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, pancreatitis, and more.