Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Food allergy in dogs and cats; current perspectives on etiology, diagnosis, and management.
- Journal:
- Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
- Year:
- 2023
- Authors:
- Jackson, Hilary A
Plain-English summary
Food allergies are a real concern for both dogs and cats and can cause a lot of itching and discomfort. In dogs, these allergies can lead to skin issues like intense itching, hives, and even skin infections, while cats might show symptoms like hives, eye irritation, and breathing problems. Both species can also experience stomach issues. Diagnosing food allergies can be tricky because the underlying causes are not fully understood, so veterinarians usually recommend a special diet trial followed by reintroducing certain foods to see if symptoms return. This paper discusses what we know about food allergies in pets and how they compare to those in humans.
Abstract
Food allergy is a recognized clinical entity in dogs and cats and is an important differential to consider in the workup of a pruritic animal. Food can be a trigger factor for canine atopic dermatitis, and food allergy may coexist with feline atopic skin syndrome. Other clinical signs such as urticaria, recurrent pyoderma, and dorsolumbar pruritus can be seen in dogs, and urticaria, conjunctivitis, and respiratory signs can be seen in cats. In both species, gastrointestinal signs may be present. The pathogenesis in dogs and cats is complex and incompletely understood, which limits the development of reliable diagnostic laboratory tests. The diagnosis currently relies on an appropriately performed diet trial with subsequent provocation. This paper briefly reviews food allergies in people and explores our current knowledge of the disorder in dogs and cats.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36917613/