Adverse food reactions: Things to know

Itch, dandruff,  red spots on the skin? All of these could be related to food. Just like humans, cats and dogs are also subject to adverse food reactions that are caused by feeding an unsuitable diet. The Farmina Genius, your reliable source that fluently “speaks” and “understands” your four-legged friends’ needs and desires, will teach you all about adverse food reactions. Learn what the most common alarm bells to watch out for are and ultimately how to react right away with the expert help of a Vet and your local Genius Consultant.
What Are Adverse Food reactions?
Before diving into how to avoid adverse food reactions with the expert advice of your Genius Consultant and Local Vet, it's important to be able to distinguish between two commonly misconceived terms that further describe adverse food reactions: Allergy and Intolerance. A food intolerance is an adverse food reaction that is NOT related to the immune system but related to the ingested food. The intolerance could be classified as:

• Metabolic (deficiency of some enzymes such as a lactose intolerance)
• Pharmacological (some foods can also have effects, just think about the boost that caffeine in your coffee gives)
• Toxic (microorganisms that produce toxins: botulinum from bacteria and aflatoxins from fungi, etc.)
• Unknown mechanisms (also known as idiosyncratic)

On the other hand, a food allergy is defined as an adverse reaction that IS related to the immune system and NOT attributable to any physiological effect related to the ingested food and/or any of its additives. In other words, the food triggers the pet’s immune system which reacts and causes symptoms.
Common Symptoms
When an adverse food reaction directly affects your cat or dog, there are some common patterns that should be monitored closely. The first alarm bell and also the most frequent symptom is skin issues. The most common dermatological signs are characterized by non-seasonal itching localized in the central areas (armpits, groin, ventral neck), muzzle, extremities, internal auricle, and perineal area. There are also some non-dermatological signs that can be noticed. Among the most common we have vomiting, diarrhea, increased frequency of defecation, and flatulence. Genetics also play a role in the occurrence of adverse food reactions as there are some dog breeds that have a strong predisposition to adverse food reactions, such as German Shepherds, West Highland White Terriers, Labradors and Golden retrievers. Regarding cat breeds, the ones that are more prone to develop an adverse food reaction due to hereditary traits are Persian, Siamese and Burmese cats.
Prevent or Mitigate Adverse Food Reactions With Your Farmina Genius Consultant and Local Vet
If any of the common symptoms described above arise, the Farmina Genius Consultant and your trusted Vet will be by your side right away! The first thing to do when seeking assistance is to download the Farmina Genius App for FREE and enroll in the Pet Care Program. Within the app, your Genius Consultant will then guide you towards choosing the correct diet by creating a personalized dynamic nutrition plan and will then indicate when to go to your Veterinarian for further investigation.
Tip from the Farmina Genius
The diagnosis of an adverse food reaction can be made exclusively by your trusted Vet, by means of a diagnostic system known as “elimination diet”. The elimination diet is done using a hydrolyzed food (https://www.farmina.com/us/dog-food/farmina-vet-life-canine/743-hp-derma-canine.html) until the symptoms disappear. An improvement in skin and/or gastrointestinal symptoms, followed by a resumption of symptoms with the reintroduction of the previous food, should be considered as diagnostic confirmation of an adverse food reaction. Speak to your Farmina Genius Consultant and trusted Vet to design the correct course of action for your dog or cat.