An Assessment of the Impact of Insect Meal in Dry Food on a Dog with a Food Allergy: A Case Report
Cinthia Gonçalves Lenz Cesar,
Pedro Henrique Marchi,
Andressa Rodrigues Amaral,
Leonardo de Andrade Príncipe,
Adrielly Aparecida do Carmo,
Rafael Vessecchi Amorim Zafalon,
Nelson Nobuhiro Miyamoto,
Nury Aymée Collona Rodriguez Garcia,
Júlio Cesar de Carvalho Balieiro,
Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini
Affiliations
Cinthia Gonçalves Lenz Cesar
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Pedro Henrique Marchi
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Andressa Rodrigues Amaral
Veterinary Nutrology Service, Veterinary University Hospital, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-270, Brazil
Leonardo de Andrade Príncipe
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Adrielly Aparecida do Carmo
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Rafael Vessecchi Amorim Zafalon
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Nelson Nobuhiro Miyamoto
Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil S/A, Sao Paulo 01311-917, Brazil
Nury Aymée Collona Rodriguez Garcia
Sumitomo Corporation do Brasil S/A, Sao Paulo 01311-917, Brazil
Júlio Cesar de Carvalho Balieiro
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Thiago Henrique Annibale Vendramini
Pet Nutrology Research Center (CEPEN Pet), Department of Animal Nutrition and Production, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Pirassununga 13635-000, Brazil
Food allergy triggers an immune response to dietary proteins, resulting in food rejection and dermatological and gastrointestinal manifestations. The preferred therapies include diets with hydrolyzed proteins or unusual single-source proteins, with insect protein emerging as a promising option, with no reported allergic reactions in dogs with a food allergy. In this case study, the effects of including black soldier fly larva (BSFL) meal were observed in a 5-year-old spayed beagle previously diagnosed with a food allergy. The objective was to assess the potential of BSFL meal as an adjunct in treating a food allergy. As part of the protocol, two nutritionally very similar diets were used, differing only in the protein source: the control diet, with poultry by-product meal; and the BSFL diet, which completely replaced the poultry by-product meal. After a 12-day adaptation period to the BSFL diet, the dog showed no gastrointestinal changes, maintaining an adequate fecal score and no clinical signs of the disease. A challenge test with the control diet resulted in episodic gastrointestinal symptoms, which were reversed within two days by reintroducing the BSFL diet. The BSFL protein-based diet was effective in controlling the dog’s clinical signs.
