Is it really allergies?

 We are finally going to differentiate what true allergies are vs. intolerance and sensitivities.
‘Allergies’ have become quite the epidemic with our pets lately, and we are finding that every issue is deemed as an 'allergy', but what is actually a true allergy?
Let's find out!
 
 Allergy

• IgE mediated immune response.
• Immediate symptoms.
• Often life threatening and is a serious condition.
• Examples; bee sting, food allergy (like how some people have with nuts and peanuts), grass/pollen.
• If it is a seasonal allergy then symptoms happen during a specific time of year, in a short duration of about 2-6 weeks.

Intolerance

• Not usually life threatening.
• Examples; lactose intolerance or any type of food where they do not produce sufficient enough enzymes to break it down.
• Mild symptoms; gassy, etc.
• Better if they don’t have that type of food but if they do it’s not the end of the world once in a while.

Sensitivity

• Likely IgG-mediated immune response
• Immediate or delayed symptoms, minutes to days
• Not life threatening
• Examples; soy, food, additives

 
With all of these examples, the intestinal epithelial barrier has been compromised, remember that our pets are resilient, and might now always show outward symptoms of how badly the gut has been compromised.
Gut barrier disruptors are compounds capable of activating and damaging the intestinal barrier, which can lead to issues and conditions like IBD, SIBO and leaky gut, with an increase in the uptake of allergens and other inflammatory compounds from the intestinal lumen into the blood stream for more direct contact with the immune system.

However, of all the cases we see that are deemed with as ‘allergies’, only a very small fragment are true allergies. A very good portion of issues we see have nothing to do with allergies at all, especially when it is an all year round type of thing. This is why it is always important to get to the root of the problem, and to see which of the body’s organ systems are off.
 
Contact us to book your consultation if you suspect your pets have any of the above symptoms and would like to put them on a customized approach to reach their health goals.