ROTT N CHATTER, September 1992, Volume 1 Number 2 THE DOCTOR'S BAG Gaea Mitchel, DVM This month I want to voice a concern I have about allergic skin disease and food elimination diets. We are confirming so many cases of food allery in Rottweilers, and there are many more that are suspect. Most of you know that one of the recommendations is to feed a lamb and rice diet, and many dogs get relief on these foods. However, the trend seems to be that if a dog has any kind of skin problem the diet is switched to one of lamb. Many are even started as puppies on lamb in an erroneous effort to avoid these problems altogether. There is a misconception that there is something about lamb that prevents an allergy from developing. Allergies develop first to whatever food is most common in the diet, with the complex molecules of protein the most likely to prove allergenic. In Great Britain, where the lamb/mutton consumption among people is greater and provides by-products for the pet food industry, allergy to lamb is common. The goal, once a food allergy manifests itself, is to feed a diet with a single animal protein source and limited grains, all of which the dog has not previously been exposed to. If we feed all our dogs, especially puppies, these lamb diets, we have lost our best commercially available solution to allergy should it develop later. Also, once you have a dog on an allergy elimination diet, there should be nothing fed that contains any other animal-origin protein. This means if you are avoiding beef, you must avoid Filaribits (which are beef based), beef liver for 'baiting', cow hooves for chewing, etc. You will need to read labels carefully. With all of that said, I hope you will discuss special nutritional needs with your veterinarian. BON APPETIT!