Pathophysiology
While the pathomecanism of Food hypersensitivity is not clear, complex immediae and delayed hypersensitivity reactions are incriminated. Food hypersensitivity is not usually associated with a change in diet. Most patients have been eating the offending diet for over two years.
Food stuffs most commonly incriminated in dogs include: beef, dairy and poultry product: wheat, soy, corn, lamb and egg: and fish, dairy products, beef and eggs in cats.

Clinical presentation
Selft trauma and secondary superficial pyoderma may be evident; however food hypersensitivity is not always dramacally pruritic. Symptoms may mimic flea bite hypersensitivity. Otitis externa may be the only symptom. Cats commonly display pruritis of the head and neck. Pruritis may or may not be responsive to glucocorticcoids. Between 19% and 35% of ddogs and 21-30% of cats may have concurrent hypersensitivity, including atopic, flea bite, contact and endoparasitic dermatitis.

Differential diagnosis
Dogs: Flea bite hypersensitivity , drug eruption, atopy, ectoparasitism, superficial folliculitis, contact dermatitis, defect in keratinization.
Cats: Flea bite hypersensitivity , drug eruption, ectoparasitism, atopy, dermatophytosis , idiopathic miliary dermatitis, phycogenic alopecia, pyoderma, felline acne.

Diagnosis
Diagnosis of Food hypersensitivity can only be archieved by resolution of symptomp while the patient receives an elimination diet (a protein and carbohydrate source that has not been fed previusly) over a periode of 6-12 weeks. Nutrisional suplement, flavored antibiotics and flavored heartworm preventive must be discontinued during the trial diet. Provocation confirm diagnosis. Animals should be chalenged with their old diet and observed for 1-14days for an exacerbation of symptomp.

Management
Management depents on identification of the allergen as determined by challenge studies. The diet should be a complite and ballence one that is highly digestible and contains limited antigens and none of the offending ingredient

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