Gastrointestinal aspects of food allergy: A review

Food allergy in dogs and cats, although rare, is a well recognised cause of skin disease. However, despite reports of conditions responding to dietary manipulation, evidence for gastrointestinal manifestations of food allergy is scarce. Difficulties involved in reaching a clinical diagnosis of food allergy are discussed in an attempt to explain this enigma. The distinction between food allergy and intolerance, the complexity of the gastrointestinal immune system and the limited understanding of the mechanisms by which food allergy develops are reviewed.