Abstracts: This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the Hipoallergenica Royal Canin diet in controlling pruritus in the allergic dog. Twenty dogs were fed with the hypoallergenic diet. Nine dogs (45%) did not respond to the diet, six dogs (30%) had an excellent response and five dogs (25%) had a partial response. Hypoallergenica Royal Canin diet is an alternative to manage pruritus in the allergic dog.

Controlling pruritus in the allergic patient is one of the main challenges for the small animal practitioner. Hyposensitization n, drugs, frequent baths and treatment of the complications as pyoderma and Malassezia are therapies that are used to control pruritus and improve the patient's quality of life.

Some authors believe that there is an umbral of pruritus. The umbral of pruritus can be reached by one stimulus or by the sum of them, therefore, One antigen can stimulate and cause pruritus by itself, but sometimes several antigens are needed to reach the umbral of pruritus. In this way, it is possible that control of pruritus could be easier if one or two allergies are under control.

This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of the hypoallergenic Royal Canin diet in controlling pruritus in the allergic dog.

Twenty allergic dogs were selected. The allergic process was diagnosed by clinical signs and by ruling out sarcoptic mange, flee dermatitis, bacterial overgrowth and Malassezia overgrowth. Dogs were feed exclusively with hypoallergenic Royal Canin diet for three months. During the period of dietetic test dogs did not receive any drug to control pruritus. The frequency of pruritus was classified as occasional, frequent and permanent, and the intensity of pruritus in low, moderate and severe. The response to the diet was classified as excellent, partial and bad. Dogs that had excellent and partial responses were challenged by feeding them the diet they used to eat before feeding the hypoallergenic diet.

Nine dogs (45%) did not respond to the diet, six dogs (30%) had an excellent response and five dogs (25%) had a partial response. When the dogs that had excellent and partial responses were feed the diet they used to eat, pruritus returns in a period of one to twenty days.

According to this result, the hypoallergenic Royal Canin diet can be an alternative to manage pruritus in the allergic dog.