For cat owners grappling with feline food sensitivities or digestive issues, finding the right diet can be a perplexing challenge. Hydrolyzed protein cat food has emerged as a specialized solution, offering hope for felines struggling with food allergies and gastrointestinal problems. This article delves into the intricacies of hydrolyzed protein cat food, exploring its benefits, potential drawbacks, and how it can significantly improve the quality of life for cats with specific dietary needs.
What is Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food?
Hydrolyzed protein cat food is a veterinary-prescribed diet where proteins have been scientifically broken down into smaller components through a process called hydrolysis. This breakdown makes the proteins less likely to trigger allergic reactions and easier for cats to digest. The primary aim of a hydrolysed protein diet is to sufficiently disrupt the proteins within the diet so as to remove any existing allergens and prevent recognition by a patient sensitized to the intact protein.
The Science Behind Hydrolyzed Protein
The science behind hydrolyzed protein cat food is based on the fact that food allergies are reactions that occur when the cat’s body confuses dietary components as allergens or antigens even though they are not harmful. This triggers an immune response that results in an allergic reaction. On the other hand, food intolerances do not result in allergic reactions but occur when your cat has a hard time digesting and absorbing certain foods.
When proteins are hydrolyzed, they're broken down into tiny peptides and amino acids through a chemical process. Most hydrolyzed diets use a single protein source, such as chicken, soy, or egg, which has been broken down through this special process. The proteins in these specialized diets are broken down into such small pieces that your cat's immune system typically doesn't recognize them as potential allergens. Amino acids are linked together with a peptide or amide bond to create proteins. Chemicals or enzymes can be used for this process. Although a higher level of hydrolysis can be achieved with chemicals, it can also cause the degradation of some amino acids.
Why Hydrolyzed Protein?
Traditional cat food contains intact proteins of normal size. The aim of a hydrolyzed protein diet for cats-which requires a veterinary prescription-is to disrupt or break down the proteins within the diet, so the immune system does not react to them. The pre-broken-down proteins in hydrolyzed diets are easier for cats to digest and absorb.
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Benefits of Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food
Hydrolyzed protein cat food offers several potential benefits for cats with food sensitivities and digestive issues:
Managing Food Allergies
Food allergies are quite common in cats. If your cat seems to be showing signs of a food allergy or intolerance, then hydrolyzed protein cat food may be the answer. The most common symptom associated with food allergies in cats is itching that is not seasonal and always present. Itching can occur anywhere on the body, but the head and neck are often involved.
Hydrolyzed protein cat food contains proteins that have been broken down into smaller molecules that are less likely to trigger allergic reactions. As such, hydrolyzed protein cat food can help your cat if it is prone to food allergies. The treatment for food allergies in cats is to provide a diet that does not contain any allergy-inducing ingredients.
Managing Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Hydrolyzed protein cat food is also used in food elimination trials for cats who are presenting with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Hydrolyzed diets may increase osmolarity and draw more water to the intestines.
IBD can be caused by infections as well as food allergies and intolerances. Because IBD is related to food, vets sometimes prescribe hydrolyzed protein cat food to prevent the immune system from being stimulated by foods that are eaten. Many cats with IBD improve when they are put on a hydrolyzed protein diet. Cats with IBD are believed to have an inappropriate immune response to food substances, which results in symptoms. Hydrolyzed cat foods are recommended in these cases because the protein particles in these foods are reduced to such a small size that the immune system should not recognize them as a protein.
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Yes, hydrolyzed protein cat foods can be effective in managing IBD in cats.
Potential Drawbacks and Challenges
Despite its benefits, hydrolyzed protein cat food does present some challenges:
Higher Cost
Common challenges include higher cost, potential palatability issues, and the need for strict dietary compliance. Hydrolyzed diets are also typically considered more expensive than veterinary therapeutic limited-ingredient novel protein diets; however, their cost and palatability are similar or preferable to those of the single currently available amino acid-based diet.
Palatability Issues
Preserving palatability for humans is difficult with the more extensively hydrolysed products. Peptides and amino acids produce a variety of flavours. Bitterness offers the greatest hurdle to palatability. The bitter taste of peptides is a product of their amino acid composition. Hydrophobic side chains are exposed when a protein is hydrolysed, and these can be tasted; as hydrolysis proceeds, bitterness tends to increase, peaking in hydrolysed soy between 4 to 2 kDa, then declining as the peptide fragments decrease in size further. The starting protein source greatly influences the final taste of the hydrolysed product. However, the taste of a hydrolysate is dependent on the mixtures of peptides and cannot be assumed to be any one flavour, or easily predicted from the protein source of known hydrophobicity. Indeed, protein hydrolysates have long been used to enhance the palatability of commercial dog and cat foods.
Strict Dietary Compliance
It’s important to select the best hydrolyzed protein cat food for your pet to ensure that you do not make food allergies and intolerances worse than it already is. If you are purchasing the food over the counter, remember to check the label. Choose food that contains animal based protein and fat sources. An adequate amount of fats is needed for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Diet history can help guide hydrolyzed protein choice, as many clinicians prefer to choose proteins that are both novel and hydrolyzed (if possible) for elimination diet trials and long-term management.
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Potential for Long Term Side Effects
Some argue that hydrolysis does not convert proteins as how it would be naturally converted in the body. As such, there is potential for long term side effects.
Persistent Immunogenicity
The most significant problem that manufacturers of hydrolysate formulae face is persistent immunogenicity. In the initial stages of an enzymatic hydrolysis, it is common for previously hidden antigenic sites to become exposed and for the product to increase in allergenicity, which is only reduced with further hydrolysis.
Not a Cure
It does not heal sensitivities.
Choosing the Right Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food
Selecting an elimination trial diet involves considering carbohydrate sources. The most commonly reported sources of food allergies in dogs and cats include animal proteins and some carbohydrates; therefore, it is worth noting that some hydrolyzed diets offer only the carbohydrate portion of the carbohydrate source (e.g., corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch, rice starch). When selecting a hydrolyzed diet, the author prefers diets that use only hydrolyzed proteins (ideally single source) and either isolated carbohydrate sources or rice, as this limits potential confounding factors in the diagnostic process. Some hydrolyzed formulas include plant proteins, but these proteins should still be hydrolyzed to limit antigenicity; thus, some diet formulations that provide hydrolyzed animal protein sources and isolated (but not hydrolyzed) plant protein sources are less preferred by the author.
Veterinary Prescription
Yes, hydrolyzed protein cat food requires a veterinary prescription. Hydrolyzed diets are prescription-only because of their medical uses and need for monitoring.
Reading the Label
If you are purchasing the food over the counter, remember to check the label. Choose food that contains animal based protein and fat sources. An adequate amount of fats is needed for the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.
Considering Protein and Carbohydrate Sources
Initial selection of a commercial hydrolysed protein diet for a particular patient should probably be based upon the protein source. None of the currently available diets are sufficiently hydrolysed to guarantee the complete absence of any allergens. Therefore, it is prudent to select a diet that does not contain a protein source that the patient is known or suspected to be sensitized to.
While some protein sources are obvious (i.e., animal proteins), carbohydrate sources also contain protein, and protein allergens from 67 to 145 kDA have even been detected in refined vegetable oils. Thus, the fat and carbohydrate sources in hydrolyzed protein diets may also contribute allergens, and all the ingredients in any diet should be considered when assessing clinical response.
Hydrolyzed vs. Elemental Diets
In an effort to further minimize antigenicity, some diets provide protein in the form of individual amino acids rather than the small polypeptides in hydrolyzed diets (oligomeric) or intact proteins (polymeric) in other diets. The advent of these elemental (monomeric) diets in veterinary medicine stems from elemental diet use in human medicine. Elemental diets have been used in human nutrition for more than 50 years to manage several disease processes, including eosinophilic esophagitis, eosinophilic gastroenteritis, inflammatory bowel disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, intestinal methanogen overgrowth, chemoradiotherapy-associated mucositis, and celiac disease. In veterinary nutrition, elemental diets have been used to improve clinical signs in chronic enteropathy and cutaneous AFRs and as prophylaxis for dogs undergoing pelvic radiation therapy. However, elemental diets have been associated with palatability issues in both human and veterinary patients. While human liquid elemental diets may be used in veterinary patients in short-term clinical settings, they are not complete and balanced for dogs and cats, and significant essential nutrient deficiencies could lead to poor and potentially fatal outcomes even with short-term use, depending on the human formulation. Supplementation of human products with at least taurine, arginine, and B vitamins is necessary when used longer term. Use of a complete and balanced elemental diet appropriate for dogs and cats could help particularly sensitive patients that do not respond to hydrolyzed diets.
How Long Does It Take for Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food to Work?
How long it takes for a hydrolyzed protein cat food to work depends on if the cat has skin issues or gastrointestinal issues. Most veterinarians recommend feeding a hydrolyzed protein for eight to 12 weeks as part of an elimination diet trial. Digestive issues like diarrhea may improve after a few weeks of eating the hydrolyzed food, but skin issues could take 10-12 weeks to improve. Clients should expect diet trials for patients with cutaneous AFRs to run at least 4 weeks and up to 8 to 12 weeks. These patients typically take longer to respond even when the ideal trial diet is selected; thus, clients should be counseled to be consistent and follow through to at least 4 weeks.
Implementing a Hydrolyzed Protein Diet
Trial and error is often required to identify the cause of AFRs in patients with GI or cutaneous signs, and owners must be clearly informed that multiple attempts may be necessary to determine the best diet option. However, diagnosis and treatment can go hand in hand if diet selection is successful.
Diet History
Diet history can help guide hydrolyzed protein choice, as many clinicians prefer to choose proteins that are both novel and hydrolyzed (if possible) for elimination diet trials and long-term management.
Fiber Content
Hydrolyzed or elemental diets with low total dietary fiber (TDF) content (8 to 20 g/1000 kcal) make good first-line trial options for patients with small bowel GI AFRs. If a diet history is available, a hydrolyzed formula of a protein known to be novel or tolerated should be considered.
Hydrolyzed diets with high TDF content (> 25 g/1000 kcal) are good first-line trial options for patients with large bowel GI AFRs. Only 1 currently available commercial diet has very high fiber content (Canine Satiety + Hydrolyzed Protein; Royal Canin, royalcanin.com [110 g TDF/1000 kcal]). If a hydrolyzed diet is adequately tolerated but stool quality remains poor, additional supplementation of fiber (e.g., psyllium husk) may be beneficial. Fiber supplements should be introduced gradually, mixing 1 part fiber with at least 3 parts water. Fresh water should be available to the patient at all times. While specific dosing has not been established, varied inclusion rates have been found to be beneficial. In addition, not all fiber is created equally. Solubility, fermentability, and amount all affect each individual differently; thus, trial and error may be necessary and alternate fiber sources (e.g., insoluble fibers such as cellulose) may be considered as well. It is vital to communicate to clients that gradually increasing fiber supplementation to evaluate tolerance will allow for a more successful outcome.
Fat Content
For patients with pancreatitis, hyperlipidemia, or lymphangiectasia, formulas that are lower in fat compared with current diet/intake should be used. The best low-fat diet options have fat contents < 35 g/1000 kcal for cats and < 25 g/1000 kcal for dogs (although cats are less susceptible to fat content than dogs). Lower-fat hydrolyzed formulas are available in dry and canned formats. The available elemental diet is fat controlled but may not be adequately fat restricted.
Kidney and Liver Disease
Specialized formulas designed to help with management of kidney disease have appropriate phosphorus restriction and controlled protein content. They also have additional renal-supportive nutrients, such as higher levels of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).
For patients with a history of struvite or calcium oxalate urolithiasis, formulas designed to reduce risk of stone recurrence should be considered.
Patients with liver disease with hepatic encephalopathy (HE) or urate stones may benefit from plant-based recipes (e.g., hydrolyzed soy protein isolate) as well as those that are lower in protein (or purine, if indicated). Diets containing < 50 g protein/1000 kcal for dogs and < 70 g protein/1000 kcal for cats can be used as first-line options.
Weight Loss
Plans for active weight loss in pets require a diet that is appropriately fortified with nutrients and avoids essential nutrient deficiencies during caloric restriction. The goal should be to achieve 1% to 2% body weight loss (kg) per week for dogs, and 0.5% to 2% body weight loss (kg) per week for cats.
Availability
Distribution and accessibility of specialized diets can influence successful management of AFRs. A diet that helps resolve clinical signs has limited therapeutic benefit if it is on backorder or unavailable, requiring alternative diets to be sourced in the meantime.
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