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Multicenter Study
. 2025 May-Jun;39(3):e70071.
doi: 10.1111/jvim.70071.

Association of Diet With Treatment Response in Dogs With Chronic Enteropathy: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Sofia D Rodrigues  1   2 , Beatriz Mendoza  1   3 , Maria J Dias  1   4 , Nuno S Santos  1   5 , Marine Hebert  6 , Elisa Bettin  7 , Francesco Signorelli  7 , Fabio Procoli  7 , Juan Hernandez  6 , Rodolfo O Leal  1   4
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Association of Diet With Treatment Response in Dogs With Chronic Enteropathy: A Retrospective Multicenter Study

Sofia D Rodrigues et al. J Vet Intern Med. 2025 May-Jun.

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Hydrolyzed protein diets are commonly used in the first-line approach to the treatment of dogs with naïve-chronic enteropathy (naïve-CE).

Objectives: To characterize the responses of naïve-CE dogs transitioned to a hydrolyzed diet and to assess the efficacy of an additional dietary trial in dogs with NRE.

Animals: Eighty-one dogs with naïve-CE and 23 dogs with NRE.

Methods: Retrospective multicenter cohort study including dogs with CE presented to three referral centers from April 2018 to December 2021. Naïve-CE and NRE cases transitioned to hydrolyzed and alternative diets, respectively, were selected, and medical records were reviewed. Clinical response before and 4 weeks after dietary transitions (with or without concurrent therapeutic adjustments) was assessed based on stool-consistency score or Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) total score in naïve and NRE cases, respectively.

Results: The transition into a hydrolyzed diet was the only therapeutic change in 20% (16/81). Of these, 88% (14/16) had a decreased stool-consistency score (p < 0.001). From the 23 NRE cases, the transition to an alternative diet was the sole therapeutic adjustment in 70% (16/23). Of these, the total CIBDAI score declined in 69% (11/23; p < 0.001).

Conclusions and clinical importance: This study supports the need to feed a hydrolyzed diet in naïve CE cases. In cases classified as NRE, an additional transition into an alternative dietary trial seems beneficial.

Keywords: IBD; diarrhea; dogs; food management; hydrolyzed; referral.

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Conflict of interest statement

Fabio Procoli, Juan Hernandez and Rodolfo Oliveira Leal have lectured for Royal Canin, Hills, Purina and Dechra over the past years in the field of veterinary gastroenterology. None of these companies had influence in this study. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Overall stool consistency score variation, before and 4 weeks after treatment in dogs with naïve‐CE (n = 81) transitioned into a hydrolyzed diet (with or without concurrent therapeutic adjustments).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Stool consistency score variation, before and 4 weeks after treatment in dogs with naïve‐CE (n = 16) in which dietary change was the only treatment intervention.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Overall total CIBDAI variation, before and 4 weeks after treatment in dogs with NRE (n = 23) transitioned into an alternative diet (with or without concurrent therapeutic adjustments).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Total CIBDAI variation, before and 4 weeks after treatment in dogs with NRE (n = 16) in which dietary change was the only treatment intervention.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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