Allergies are a type of adverse food reaction with an immunological basis; that is, a component of the diet that would normally be harmless triggers a reaction of the individual’s immune system, resulting in a wide spectrum of clinical signs ranging from skin problems to digestive issues. On the other hand, food intolerances are a metabolic problem in digesting a nutrient, without an immune response in this case. In companion animals, it can be difficult to distinguish between an allergy and an intolerance, so the term adverse food reactions (AFR) is normally used to refer to both concepts together.
The ingredients most frequently associated with AFR are beef, dairy products, chicken, wheat, and egg in the case of dogs; and beef, dairy products, fish, lamb, chicken, and wheat in the case of cats.
Regarding food allergies and intolerances in dogs and food allergies and intolerances in cats, it has been observed that the nutrients that cause them are almost exclusively of protein nature (Verlinden et al., 2007), which is why products aimed at preventing food allergies mainly reduce or modify protein sources. For a product to be considered hypoallergenic, it must include restricted protein sources (few types of proteins) and/or hydrolyzed proteins (proteins that have undergone a hydrolysis process that breaks down their structure, thus going unnoticed by the immune system of the allergic animal). It is important to highlight that hypoallergenic feeds must present the same amount of protein as a regular feed, since animals with allergy problems have the same protein requirements as healthy animals, only that these nutrients need to be provided differently.
Taking these considerations into account, Ownat has developed various hypoallergenic food alternatives. The Grain Free Hypoallergenic line consists of three foods that include a single animal protein source (lamb, pork, or salmon), which allows selecting by exclusion the most suitable protein source for each dog. Within the Care line, the product Dermatologic has been developed, specially designed for dogs with dermatological hypersensitivity: the protein is presented in hydrolyzed form and incorporates borage oil, salmon, krill, turmeric, and harpagophytum, which improve skin and coat health and help in the inflammatory response. In this same line, the product Hypoallergenic for cats can be found, which is grain-free and only presents a single animal protein source (fish).
In the case of food intolerances, they are usually caused by carbohydrates. A good example is lactose intolerance, which cannot be properly digested by the gastrointestinal system of most adult cats and dogs.
