From:
sukie crandall
Date: 2005-05-06 21:51:07 UTC
Subject: just a note on terms: food allergy vs. food intolerance
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-id: <B017722A-ADF2-486A-B1B8-E5A4330C52D9@optonline.net>
Although we often here refer to ferrets as having food "allergies" to
certain meats or grains I am unaware of any research indicating
whether the problem is actually an allergy or an intolerance (and
would appreciate a heads up if there is real research on this in
ferrets). For now it doesn't seem to matter at all, so I mention
this only to point out that all of us (me included) for now use the
terms loosely, but that it is good to be aware of that because
eventually it might make considerable difference in approach -- as it
does for humans. (In humans something like 7% of those who refer to
themselves as having food allergies actually have food allergies;
most have one or another form of food intolerance -- also bad but in
different ways than true allergies and with different approaches used
when trouble occurs, so knowing the difference with humans is at this
point important but too little understood.)
In ferrets the intestinal gas, bloating, etc. typically present more
like food intolerance than like true allergies, and I don't think I
have heard of any (though I could be wrong) having anaphylactic shock
-- which is undeniably definitive for allergy -- from a food.
So, for now the terms "food allergy" vs. "food intolerance" don't
matter health-wise (unlike knowing that ferrets don't get "colds",
and unlike knowing that true influenza is primarily a respiratory
illness) but it is entirely possible that at some point in the future
it may begin to matter, so just keep that in the back of your minds,
please.