🧪 How to Do a Raw Elimination Diet Properly

For dogs, cats, and ferrets with allergies or food sensitivities

If your pet is constantly itching, has sore ears, yeasty paws, runny eyes, an upset tummy or patchy skin — and you suspect food allergies — then a proper elimination diet can help you figure out what’s going on.

It’s not about guesswork. It’s about going back to basics with just one single protein, giving the body a chance to reset, and building up from there.

🥩 Step 1: Choose One Single Protein

Pick one protein (meat, bone, and offal all from the same animal) and stick to it. That’s all your pet should eat — no other meats, no mixed bags, no unknown extras.

Some good examples:

• Duck

• Rabbit

• Turkey

• Goat

• Venison

• White fish

✅ Make sure the mince is clearly labelled — for example: “Duck meat, duck bone, duck offal.”
Avoid anything vague like “chicken mince” with no breakdown. Some cheaper products might contain bone or offal from other species.

⏳ Step 2: Stick to It for 6 Weeks

Stay on that one protein only for a full 6 weeks. It might take time for the symptoms to improve — don’t panic if you don’t see results straight away.

• If symptoms get worse, stop and try a different protein

• If your pet improves but isn’t 100% better, stick with the same protein a bit longer

• If no improvement at all after 6+ weeks, you may need to trial a different protein altogether

💡 You can feed single-ingredient treats from the same protein — like duck feet or rabbit ears — but nothing mixed or artificial.

🚫 Don’t add supplements at this stage, even natural ones — just in case they cloud the results.
Once you know which proteins are safe, that’s when you can start adding in supportive supplements to help fill nutritional gaps (especially if your pet is limited to just one or two proteins long term).

🧠 Step 3: Once You Find a Safe Protein

If your pet is doing well on one protein (for example, duck), that becomes your safe base.

Now you can start testing new proteins — one at a time.

But here’s the key:
You don’t have to stop feeding the safe one while you trial a new one.

Example:

• Duck works great, so stick with it

• Try adding a bit of turkey

• If a reaction happens, stop the turkey

• Go back to duck only until symptoms clear

• Then try a new protein, like rabbit

Once you find two or three proteins your pet tolerates, you can rotate between them. You don’t have to start again from scratch each time.

📔 Extra Tips

• Keep a simple note of what you're feeding and what you’re seeing

• Don’t add extras or variety too early — patience is key

• After you've confirmed safe proteins, you can add:

  • Bones and chunks from the same animals

  • Natural, single-protein treats

  • Supplements like Shanzi Naturals Superfoods, Fibre Support, or Allergy Armour to help maintain balance on limited proteins

💬 Final Thoughts

It can feel a bit overwhelming at first — but elimination diets are worth it. You’ll finally know what’s safe and be able to build a calm, balanced, allergy-friendly raw diet from there.

And remember — raw feeding is still the best choice for dogs, cats, and ferrets with allergies. It gives you full control, no hidden nasties, and a clear way forward.

We’ve helped lots of pets through this process — and we’re here if you need us.

🐾 Just message Raw Feeding Dagenham if you’d like help picking the right minces or need one-on-one support.