To determine success or failure, food trial guidelines must be strictly followed for 6-12 weeks, according to your veterinarian’s instructions. After this time period, please discuss your dog’s symptoms with your veterinarian before reintroducing any other foods or making any diet changes.
- Do not use any treat, flavored medication (including monthly heartworm prevention), supplement, or dental product unless approved by your veterinarian. Food trial friendly treats are available which match your pet’s food.
- Wash your pet’s bowl and measuring cup with dishwashing liquid after every meal and rinse thoroughly. Ideally, keep a separate bowl and measuring cup for each pet’s food.
- Do not leave food down without supervision to avoid snacking from other pet’s bowls.
- Remind all members of the family, neighbors, and guests not to feed snacks or treats to your pet. Prevent your pet from eating food dropped on the floor.
- Keep the bag of food sealed and stored in a clean dry place. Ideally, purchase an airtight container and place the bag inside the container, without dumping the food out. If dumping food into a container, wash the container thoroughly with warm soapy water between bags of food. Store any food that will not be eaten within 3-4 weeks in the freezer.
For a downloadable PDF version of our Food Trial Guidelines handout, click here.