ADVERSE REACTIONS TO FOODS - A GASTROINTESTINAL PERSPECTIVE

Adverse reactions to foods are common in dogs and cats and comprise a variety of subclassifications, including food allergy, food idiosyncrasy, and food poisoning. Diagnosis is usually made by carefully designed elimination-challenge trials. Skin tests and ELISA help to confirm the allergic basis of a food sensitivity but should not be considered as general diagnostic tests for adverse reactions to foods because only a small percentage of food sensitivities are mediated by IgE. Gastroscopic food sensitivity testing is a promising technique that tests for immediate food sensitivities affecting the gastrointestinal tract. Treatment of patients with food sensitivities largely depends on correct identification and elimination of the responsible foodstuff.