Symptoms of a food intolerance often precede or accompany a full-blown allergic attack to the particular ingredient. Intolerance to food generally presents as abdominal pain, digestive distress, and gurgling sounds from the digestive system. Symptoms of food allergies typically originate on the head and neck on felines and can include signs such as:
- Acute moist dermatitis
- Crusty papules
- Excessive drooling
- Hair loss
- Itchy skin
- Lesions on skin
Types
Food Allergy
A food allergy, such as an allergy to wheat, is the response a cat’s immune system employs to defend itself against a protein that it has identified a threat. An allergic reaction doesn’t happen the first time an animal is exposed to the allergen, only after repeated exposures. Any food is capable of triggering an allergic reaction, but some foods, such as wheat, corn, seafood, beef, and dairy products, are more likely to elicit a response.
Food Intolerance
While allergies to foods like wheat are the immune system’s response to what it recognizes as a threat, food intolerance has no immune involvement. Food intolerances are also much more likely to cause a digestive reaction than allergies are. Additional symptoms, such as a change in the consistency or color of the stools and gastrointestinal gurgling sounds are commonplace when dealing with a food intolerance, but less frequent for allergies.