Development of gastroscopic food sensitivity testing in dogs.

The aims of this study were to develop a gastroscopic food sensitivity testing (GFST) technique for clinical use in dogs and to determine if the results of GFST were influenced by the feeding of a hypoallergenic diet immediately before the testing period ("unmasking"). The technical requirements for GFST were devised during a total of eight endoscopies performed in four healthy dogs. GFST was performed in anesthetized dogs in sternal recumbency.

Changes in cerebrospinal fluid and plasma amino acid concentrations with elevated dietary protein concentration in dogs with portacaval shunts.

Effects of dietary protein concentration on plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) amino acids (AA) in dogs with portacaval shunts (PCS) were examined. An 18% protein purified diet (18P) was fed to 4 PCS dogs and 2 controls; at week 10, 2 of the PCS dogs were switched to 36% protein (36P) until week 28. Effects of the diet switch on plasma and CSF AA in 8 normal dogs were determined in another experiment.