by Christine O'Callaghan

Created on: May 09, 2008   Last Updated: May 30, 2008

Food allergies in pets occur when an animal becomes sensitized to a food over time. According to PetEducation.com, food allergies account for 10% of all allergies suffered by dogs and cats. The incidence of food allergies is fairly constant across breeds and sexes, and occurs equally in neutered and intact pets. While food allergies in pets can occur as early as five months and as late as 12 years, they most often develop between two and six years of age.

WHAT'S HAPPENING
When your pet has food allergies, they have been sensitized to a food (or a component of a food) through repeated exposure. This causes an immune system response in the pet's intestinal tract. Just as with humans, there can be various manifestations of that response. Because repeated exposure causes the allergy, it is not surprising that the foods most commonly involved in food allergies are the same foods contained in most commercial pet foods.

COMMON ALLERGY-PRODUCING FOODS
Just as with humans, there are a handful of foods that tend to be implicated in most pet food allergies. These are:

IN DOGS
-Beef
-Dairy
-Chicken
-Wheat
-Chicken eggs
-Corn
-Soy

IN CATS
-Fish
-Beef
-Dairy

ALLERGY OR INTOLERANCE?
Just as with humans, there is a distinction between food allergy and food intolerance with pets. Food allergy results in a "true" allergic reaction (i.e. one mediated by the immune system) with characteristic symptoms (see below). Food intolerance, on the other hand, can result in diarrhea and/or vomiting rather than characteristic symptoms. Both conditions are unpleasant, and the treatment for both is the same.

SYMPTOMS
The main symptom of food allergies for both dogs and cats is itchy skin. Other symptoms common to both are excessive scratching and hair loss. Dogs with food allergies may experience ear or skin infections. Cats may develop military dermatitis, a skin disease characterized by raised, red, crusted bumps.

DIAGNOSIS
Many animals with food allergies also have inhalant allergies (to airborne particles like pollen, for instance) or contact allergies (to grass, for example). Further complicating diagnosis is the fact that all three types of allergy result in similar, usually dermatological, symptoms. Experts at PetEducation.com suggest that there are several signs, however, that point fairly conclusively to a food allergy:

-Recurrent ear problems and/or ear infections in dogs
-Severe skin problems in a dog or cat at a very young age
-A pet with allergic symptoms throughout the year
-A pet with allergic symptoms

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