Novel Protein Diet for Pets

What is the difference between a “novel protein diet” and “exotic protein diet” and does your pet need one?

I work with many clients whose dogs suffer from a food sensitivity, and oftentimes the client is at a loss for what to feed their poor pet that won’t cause a reaction. This is when they turn to me to create a novel protein diet – but there’s a catch. Many people don’t actually understand the meaning of a “novel protein” diet, and in fact confuse the term “novel protein” with “exotic protein.” Novel proteins can be exotic, and exotic proteins can be novel. However, there are distinct differences, and failing to understand them can cause food intolerance issues for our dogs or cats down the line. In this post, I will unravel the difference between a novel protein diet and an exotic protein diet and provide pointers to avoid a food intolerance in your dog or cat, so that you don’t have to face the prospect of seeking out rare, expensive – and often species inappropriate – proteins to avoid a reaction.

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What is a Novel Protein Diet?

A novel protein diet is a diet containing a protein source that the individual animal has never before consumed. It doesn’t matter if it is as common as beef or as rare as emu. If your dog or cat has never before eaten it, then it is novel to him (or her). Once your dog or cat takes that first bite of beef or emu (or chicken, lamb, venison, etc.), that protein ceases to be novel for that animal. Yes, it is a bit of a catch-22. You want to feed your pet a novel protein diet so that he does not suffer from a food intolerance, but the moment he eats the food, it ceases to be novel. So, what’s a pet parent to do? More on solving this dilemma in a moment. But first, let’s define an exotic protein….

What is an Exotic Protein?

Exotic proteins are proteins from animals that are not commonly eaten by a society as a whole, or are not indigenous to a continent or region. Not many individuals in the U.S. eat kangaroo, for example, so it is an exotic protein in this country. However, proteins such as beef, chicken, turkey, lamb and pork are commonly consumed in the U.S., so these are not considered exotic. The definition of an exotic protein really depends upon what part of the world you are in.

The Novel/Exotic Protein Dilemma

So, you see that a novel protein does not need to be exotic – it just needs to be a protein that the individual animal has never before consumed. And, an exotic protein is not necessarily novel, because “exotic” is a relative term based upon your individual culture. If you raise your puppy on kangaroo, it is not novel to that puppy, even though it is considered exotic in many parts of the world. However, the more exotic a protein, the more likely it is to be novel for a dog or cat. And this, I believe, is where the dilemma lies.

For many dogs and cats today, exotic has become the new novel. What I mean is that many of us expose our companion animals to so many types of meats early on that for them to eat a novel protein diet, the source must become more and more rare and, frankly, species-inappropriate. Alligator for pets? How did we come to this?

Just a few years ago, the most common types of proteins in commercial pet foods were beef and chicken. Then, many pets formed food intolerances to these proteins because they ate them day in and day out for years. In response, the commercial pet food companies came up with a novel protein diet made from lamb. Lamb is not an exotic meat in the U.S., but it was novel to companion animals because most had never before been exposed to it. Fast-forward a few years, and now so many pets eat lamb that it is no longer a “go to” meat as part of a novel protein diet.

Today, many pet stores carry commercial foods made from “exotic” proteins such as quail, venison (deer), rabbit, goose and pheasant. These are all protein sources we associate with hunters, do not commonly eat ourselves, and will not find in the common grocery store. However, most of these “exotic” proteins are the new normal in the pet food world and are in fact not exotic at all. As dogs and cats more commonly eat these formerly novel, “exotic” proteins – and consequently build up food intolerances to them – the commercial pet food companies are once again responding by ushering in more and more exotic proteins, such as kangaroo, llama, ostrich and emu, to name a few.

I have no problem with the protein sources listed above – if you have exhausted all other options. However, many of us are exposing our dogs and cats to too many exotic proteins too soon. Our pets are then forming intolerances to these proteins and to create a novel protein diet for them, we are forced to select sources that are more and more exotic. It is, I believe, a vicious cycle.

I believe that before we scoop up that bag of commercial venison, rabbit or quail, we should ask ourselves why we are turning to these exotic proteins before we have exhausted other options. I believe it is because we feel they are healthier and that our pets will be less likely to have an intolerance to them. But this is not the case. A food intolerance does not depend upon how exotic the protein is (again, that is a societal issue more than anything else). An intolerance typically depends upon the level of exposure the animal has had to the protein. It’s just that we have created a situation these days that to feed our pets a novel protein diet, we must also feed them an exotic protein diet. And as they continue to form intolerances to these exotic proteins, eventually we run out of options. This is not a good place to be.

How did we Get to this Point?

I believe there are several reasons that we are where we are right now in terms of equating a novel protein diet with exotic proteins, and needing these to avoid food intolerances in our pets. Here, I believe, are the primary reasons:

Lack of rotating food

Many pet parents innocently place their companion dog or cat on one food and continue to feed this same product for years. When the animal inevitably starts to show signs of a food intolerance to the product – which is typically manifested by gastrointestinal and/or skin-related symptoms – they will often ask someone (typically a salesperson at their local pet store) what they should do. The general recommendation is to switch to a food with a different protein source. Once the food is switched, the person then feeds this new food for a very long time – possibly years. When the dog or cat once again inevitably develops a food intolerance to this “new” food, the person again switches proteins…and the vicious cycle continues.

Overall, excessive and repeated exposure to a particular animal protein is a major culprit in creating the environment we have today of the ever-increasing dilemma of food intolerances. On top of that, by continuing to feed one product for years, you may be inadvertently creating a deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals, and not providing a proper balance of amino acids.

Mislabeled or misleading pet foods

A 2013 study from Europe looked at 12 limited-ingredient commercial foods intended for use in food elimination trials for dogs with adverse food reactions. Ten of the 12 foods studied contained ingredients of animal and fish origin that were not listed on the label.^[1] This means that your dog or cat may actually be consuming proteins that you are unaware of simply because they are not disclosed on the label. Then, when you switch your pet to a new novel protein diet containing this unlisted ingredient, it isn’t “novel” after all.

Popular misconceptions

Adding to the complexity, some pet parents believe that since so many pets are intolerant to chicken or beef, that they will automatically be sensitive to both proteins. One reason is because these two proteins are heavily used by pet food manufacturers. However, many pets do very well on these proteins, and the best protein for an individual animal is one that he does well with.

Many pet parents also believe that if their dog or cat is intolerant to one poultry, he cannot have “any feathered creature.”^[2] This is not necessarily true.

A (Potential) Solution – Rotate, Rotate, Rotate

The main way to avoid a food intolerance in your pet – and avoid having to turn to increasingly exotic and species-inappropriate proteins down the line – is to rotate his diet on a regular basis. Rotating provides dogs and cats with the nutritional benefits of a varied diet, while also giving their bodies a “vacation” from any one protein. This reduces the chances that the animal’s body will rebel against the protein and create an intolerance. Rotation works with any type of diet, be it home-cooked, raw, dehydrated, canned or kibble – just as long as the food contains a single-animal protein source.

Here are my recommended steps for a successful rotation plan:

1. Choose three or four single source proteins. I recommend choosing one meat source, one poultry and one fish. Egg is also an excellent source of protein to include in the rotation diet. Unless your dog or cat already shows signs of food intolerances, avoid selecting exotic proteins, just in case you need to use any of these down the line. Begin by feeding a diet containing one of your chosen protein sources.
2. Every three or four months, switch the protein source in your home-made diet or select a new single-protein source commercial food.
3. Repeat the rotation among your three or four chosen proteins every few months.
4. Add probiotics for improved gastrointestinal and immune health.

Be aware that your pet may also develop an intolerance to carbohydrates, such as potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes, etc., so make sure to rotate these as well.

As you begin your dog or cat on his new rotation diet, the last thing you want to do is select ingredients to which he is already intolerant. If you want to be certain to avoid any problematic foods, consider NutriScan, the saliva-based food intolerance test from Dr. Jean Dodds. NutriScan tests for 24 common food antigens, with panels for dogs, cats and horses.

Rotation is not a guaranteed method to prevent our animal companions from developing a food intolerance, but it is the best strategy to stack the deck in their favor – and to avoid having to turn to more and more “exotic” and species-inappropriate proteins down the line. After all, do you really want to say, “Enjoy your alligator” the next time you serve dinner to your dog or cat?

1. ^[1] Ricci R, Granato A, Vascellari M, Boscarato M, Palagiano C, Andrighetto I and Mutinelli F. (2013). ‘Identification of undeclared sources of animal origin in canine dry foods used in dietary elimination trials’, Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, vol. 97, pp. 32-28. ↩
2. ^[2] Retrieved from http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/73318219405/quote-my-dog-has-a-chicken-allergy-which-means#.V1G9Y_krLIU. ↩

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