Before making any judgement about food allergies, it is important to understand what a food allergy is and is not. A food allergy is an abnormal immune response to an individual food or additive. Signs of a food allergy include itching and other skin problems or possibly gastronomical disturbances such as diarrhea. Food allergies can occur at any age. They develop over time with repeated exposure to the same foods.
Food intolerance can occur the first time a food is fed.
Another aspect of a food allergy is its appearance year-round. Food additives can also trigger an allergic reaction in some pets. Every component of the diet should be suspected. This is why simply changing from one commercial diet to another is seldom successful in controlling food allergies. Many diets have the same ingredients and preservatives.