Your question.

Food allergy (FA) is an uncommon problem in cats and dogs and it can start at any age. Food allergy is defined as “all immune-mediated reactions following food intake,” in contrast with food intolerance (FI), which is non-immune-mediated. The exact prevalence of FA in dogs and cats remains unknown. Other sources report that around 5-10% of pets suffer from food intolerances but not food allergies. There is no breed, sex or age predilection, although some breeds are commonly affected. Before the onset of clinical signs, the animals have been fed the offending food components for at least two years, although some animals are less than a year old. So about 70 percent of affected pets develop allergies to food ingredients that they have been fed for a long time, usually more than two years. FA is a non-seasonal disease with skin and/or gastrointestinal disorders. Pruritus is the main complaint and is mostly corticoid-resistant. In 20-30% of the cases, dogs and cats have concurrent allergic diseases (atopy/flea-allergic dermatitis). Food ingredients most commonly responsible for allergies are beef, chicken, fish, eggs, pork, maize, soya and milk. Pets are most often allergic to wheat (e.g. biscuits) and beef. The tendency to develop allergies is genetically determined.