Clinical Benefits of Prime100 SPD Diets for Dogs with Gastrointestinal Indications (advertorial)

Guy Wolfenden BSc BVMS FANZCVS
Registered Specialist in Small Animal Medicine

“Prime100 is an excellent option for novel protein diet trials in dogs with concern for underlying food allergies and idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease that may be exacerbated by certain dietary proteins. Kangaroo and Wild Boar varieties are commonly sensible options for customers in Australia and I have had excellent success using these as sole diets as well as in conjunction with other low-allergen diets such as commercially formulated hydrolysed protein diets. 

The introduction of Prime100 SPD Slow Cooked options has dramatically improved uptake of these diets as they provide the individual dog with greater diversity and excellent palatability, as well as offering their owners' the greater depth of choice.”

Indications for use of Prime100 Single Protein Diets within the Internal Medicine department:

• Chronic enteropathy which encompasses:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (clinical and histopathological diagnosis)
  • Adverse food reaction(s)
  • Infiltrative, neoplastic processes
  • All ages (16 weeks upwards)
• Adjuvant use for dogs with lymphoplasmacytic rhinitis (immunological stimulus). We postulate that reducing the immunological stimulus from the gastrointestinal tract may lessen the likelihood of inflammatory reactions at distant sites such as the upper respiratory tract.
• Colitis of inflammatory causes
• Low-fat alternative for dogs with chronic enteropathy and pancreatitis (eg: kangaroo protein)

Most commonly used varieties:

• Kangaroo & Pumpkin
• Crocodile & tapioca
• Pea & Algae Oil
• SPD Salmon & Tapioca

* Varieties are extremely useful as it is becoming common place for commercial biscuit and wet food to contain multiple protein sources*

It should be noted, however, that it is common for a novel protein diet to be used in conjunction with other pharmaceutical therapies such as corticosteroids, antibiotics or a combination. Cases seen at referral service level are commonly those that will be less likely to respond solely to a novel protein diet alone. It is common for us to utilise a novel protein diet as a monotherapy in the first instance, escalating therapy to add corticosteroids if response is poor or not complete.

Moderate to severe inflammatory bowel changes (histopathological and clinical) will often require immediate corticosteroid and novel protein diet options.

CASE EXAMPLES

Rubi Macmillan 6yr FS Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Rubi presented for assessment of acute vomiting and lethargy. Rubi was hospitalised and underwent an abdominal ultrasound which identified gastric wall thickening and sonographically normal small bowel. Endoscopic evaluation was performed which identified gastric mucosal haemorrhage/hyperaemia and pin-point ulceration. Histopathological returned moderate ulcerative, suppurative gastritis with mild to moderate lymphoplasmacytic enteritis.

Proton-pimp inhibitor (omeprazole), metronidazole, amoxyclav (due to suppurative gastritis and helicobacter) were provided in conjunction with a novel protein diet (Prime100 SPD Kangaroo & Pumpkin). Clinical improvement, in conjunction with sonographic resolution was confirmed following 3 days of therapy. Rubi has been maintained on a SPD Kangaroo & Pumpkin sole therapy for the past 12 months and is clinically well.

Rubi has concurrent Chiari malformation with syrinx formation and receives omeprazole twice daily to help reduce cerebrospinal fluid production. This is not considered to be assisting with clinical normality of the gastrointestinal tract at this point in time.

Chika Poljakovic 3yr FS German Shepherd. Chika was diagnosed with steroid responsive meningitis arteritis (SRMA) at 1 year of age. Prednisolone therapy was provided and is utilised ongoing at low doses currently. 6 months after diagnosis of SRMA, Chika presented to assessment of chronic small bowel type diarrhoea (large volume, low frequency, soft). Abdominal ultrasound did not identify structural changes to her gastrointestinal tract. This time, histopathology was not obtained due to her ongoing chronic corticosteroid requirement and use due to SRMA with histological changes likely to be affected by this therapy (eg: reduced inflammatory profile).

Antibiotic therapy was commenced with mild to moderate improvements in faecal scores, however, cessation of antibiotics led to recurrent diarrhoea. Antibiotic responsive diarrhoea considered given her age and breed, but Chika’s stool consistency improved markedly with the use initially of crocodile and tapioca sole diet. This was continued for several months with good faecal scores throughout. Due to shortages in crocodile and tapioca supply, Chika was provided with Salmon roll. Unfortunately, this led to recurrent diarrhoea. Whilst unfavourable, this led us to believe that dietary modification was playing a large roll in Chika’s clinical normality (bearing in mind steroid use is ongoing). Crocodile and tapioca were sourced and restarted, leading again to normalised faecal scores.

It is suspected that Chika has adverse food reactions that are stabilised well with careful selection of novel protein sources such as those produced by Prime100. This is now 2 years down the line and Chika is doing very well.