Researchers created a prospective, randomized, open-labeled, cross-over clinical trial with sixteen healthy client-owned dogs were fed either a whole food or an extruded dry diet, and after 67 days, they were fed the alternate diet for an additional 67 days. The goal was to assess the effect of feeding a whole food diet on immune function and inflammatory phenotype in healthy dogs.

Blood samples were taken on day 67 and 134. Dogs fed a whole food diet had significantly lower tumor necrosis factor-to-IL-10 ratios (P = 0.05) and higher production of interleukin with lipoteichoic acid-exposed leukocytes compared to dogs fed an extruded dry diet.

There were no between-treatment differences in the remaining leukocyte cytokine responses, serum CRP, Hp, SAA concentrations, or GM phagocytic and oxidative burst capacities. The study suggests that whole food diets could have immunomodulatory effects in dogs.

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Effects of a whole food diet on immune function and inflammatory phenotype in healthy dogs: A randomized, open-labeled, cross-over clinical trial