Food allergies: Update of pathogenesis, diagnoses, and management

Food allergy with dermatologic involvement is a recognized clinic entity in dogs. There is controversy regarding the true prevalence of this disease because of the difficulty encountered in achieving an accurate diagnosis. Further, the terminology in the literature is inconsistent, and it may be difficult to search for information on this topic. The pathogenesis and immune function have been elucidated better through the development of investigative models; however, there are still many unknowns. New diagnostic techniques have been investigated, but the food elimination test diet continues to remain the "gold standard." Finally, there have been many new commercially available diets to aid in the diagnosis and management of food-allergic dogs. The purpose of this article is to provide updated concepts on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of food-allergic dogs with dermatologic complications.