Symptoms of an adverse food reaction can be cutaneous or gastrointestinal.
Skin Symptoms- Skin symptoms mainly consist of non-seasonal, widespread or localized itching in a specific part of the animal’s body.Itching generally affects the muzzle, legs, hips, abdomen, the area around the tail. It can also be localized only in the auricles.
Symptoms that usually appear secondarily, also as a consequence of the animal’s tendency to scratch:
– development of injuries due to self-trauma
– infections
– possible appearance of erythema, papules, pustules
– acute wet dermatitis (especially in long-haired dogs)
– hives
– hair loss
– skin that tends to darken and become thicker
– flaky skin
– otitis
In particular in the cat:
– extensive or localized alopecia on the back, abdomen and thighs
– ulcerative dermatitis of the head and neck
– eosinophilic plaques (bumps)
– papular-crusty formations (miliary)Other diseases with skin symptoms similar to ACR
Care must be taken; the cutaneous clinical signs of ACR are also common to numerous other itchy skin diseases, with which adverse reactions to food can coexist.The most common problems that have similarities with RAC as regards the dog are:
– Atopy
– Hypersensitivity to flea saliva
– Contact allergy
– Sarcoptic mange
– Pediculosis
– Superficial pyoderma
– Primary idiopathic seborrhea.
For the cat we can include among the most recurring problems that have some common symptoms with Rac:
– Atopy
– Hypersensitivity to flea saliva
– Psychogenic Alopecia
– Dermatophytosis
– Otodectic mange,
– Cheyletiellosis
– Notoedric mange
– Pediculosis.
Gastrointestinal symptoms (less frequent)
– He retched
– Diarrhea
– Flatulence
– Abundant faeces with a consistency similar to that of polenta
The allergy-causing components of food are almost exclusively proteins.
Any animal or vegetable protein present in food is potentially an allergen as it is recognized as a foreign substance by the host’s immune system.
The amount of allergen needed to provoke a response in sensitive animals can be very small. Usually the animal develops adverse reactions to the food it usually eats, even if it is the diet with which it has always been fed. Therefore, from the moment the allergic state or food intolerance is expressed, one or more ingredients contained in your diet will no longer be tolerated and will be responsible for the development of clinical signs.