From:
Ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2005-05-09 02:59:26 UTC
Subject: Food Allergy vs Intolerance Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 7 May 2005
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <f4.507121ef.2fb02c0e@aol.com>
In a message dated 05/07/05 9:11:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
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.
Actually, Sukie, I have seen one. I had a little jill present in
anaphylactic shock, which was eventually traced to be due to turkey baby food having been
given in place of her normal chicken baby food. But I agree that mostly we
are dealing with intolerance rather than true allergy.
Having a food intolerance myself (onions give me three-day migraines), I have
learned, though, that if I tell people that I can't eat them, I am ignored
(waitstaff simply removing the onions on salads in restaurants, etc., and so the
oils on the greens are enough to trigger the reaction), but if I say that I
am allergic to them, I get paid attention to. Allergy seem to be far more
widely understood than intolerance, and so as a vet, I tend to be a bit lax about
making the difference absolutely clear. Mostly because I feel that it will
have more impact as an "allergy", from personal experience.
Dr. Ruth
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Puppies kiss better than most people.