Food allergies are set off by the protein complexes in certain things. Note that is specifically for allergies rather than for any of the range of sensitivities that sometimes are termed allergies. What the individual becomes allergic to depends on several factors: 1. Is the individual genetically prone to allergies? Some are. Such individuals may be allergic to multiple things, not just one thing or one category. 2. Is the individual among those in the increased rate of allergic individuals? There are multiple possible reasons for this that have been studied or are under study. One that has some decent support from studies is that the world today may simply be too clean for some individuals, but since the increases in cleanliness are attached to hugely improved lifespans and decreased rates of illness it is a "six of one and a half dozen of the other" situation till more is known. The basic hypothesis is that the immune systems of some, when not used in the ways for which they exist, may be more prone to malfunction. 3. Is the item one to which the individual was exposed many times? Allergies are more likely to happen with foods that are often eaten which is why in northern Asia wheat is the more common grain allergy but in southern Asia rice is. It is also why people who are prone to multiple food allergies tend to lose the ability to have a number of their favorite foods. This is also probably why chicken is such a common ferret allergen since it is in so many ferret foods. This is very, very, very important to remember. It is the key factor that people are most likely to forget about allergies. 4. Is the food item one that is more prone to causing allergic reactions? Some are. Crustaceans like lobster, crab and shrimp are in that category, for example. Some allergies go away after the juvenile years; others remain. The most likely ages to develop allergies are when the immune system is strongest which is why the twenties plus or minus a few years are so common in people for allergy starts. What the individual has as an allergen depends on the individual. There are those with allergies to things that are less commonly or even rarely allergens. It just happens some times for various reasons. To understand why commonly eaten foods are more likely to cause allergies it is important to know how allergic reaction begin to happen. Basically, during some exposure to the item the immune system misidentifies a protein complex in the item as being from an invader. Then the NEXT time there is an exposure the body reacts. That is why the more exposures there are the more chance there is of reacting. Again: More exposures to the protein complex = more chances to misidentify that protein complex and become allergic. (Yes, some people lose the ability to have their favorite foods and so can ferrets.) BTW: with vaccinations it may also be that if there is already an extremely good resistance (as shown in very unusually high titer levels) then the chances of having an allergic reaction may be increased. We personally, have gone to titers every year or two (depending on age, vaccination history, and previous titer levels) and to vaccinating if the titer levels are low but not otherwise. One of ours always needed an annual vaccination because he could not keep his titer levels up but two consistently had terribly high levels and might have been at increased risk of reaction and just plain never needed new CD vaccinations. Most of ours have been in the middle ground. Okay, what is or is not a reaction and what types of reactions exist? After something like a vaccination if the vaccine is working you expect a day or so of the blahs because that means the immune system is actually doing the right thing and identifying the protein complex message carried in the vaccine as being an invader. That is also a very, very important thing that many people forget so reread that and expect the blahs if the vaccine is working right. After eating, though, you don't normally expect to get sick. Some do and for a variety of reasons. There are an assortment of reasons why some foods may not be broken down well: gall bladder disease, genetic and or enzymatic variations in the individuals, small intestinal damage which means that some nutrients can not be taken up properly or other differences with similar results, etc. Not all problems with foods are allergies; in fact, in humans most problems with foods are not actual allergies. This is the third thing that most people forget: most problems with foods are NOT allergies. When a severe food allergy happens here are the things that can occur: With an anaphylactic reaction there is a rapid motion of fluid from the blood stream and into tissues and the intestine. The sudden drop in blood pressure can lead to dizziness or even loss of consciousness. Flux, which can be bloody if the fluid transit is so fast that it carries blood cells across the membranes into the intestines, can happen. Mucus membranes swell. This can result in the respiratory tract swelling so badly that the individual smothers. Sometimes other tissues can swell like the tongue or the face. Low blood pressure can cause problems with heart or brain function if bad enough. The key med for an anaphylactic reaction is epinephrine but steroids or even Singulair may be used to reduce inflammation in the lungs, steroids and antihistamines can reduce the reaction and reduce inflammation in general, IV fluids can bring up blood pressure, and oxygen can protect the brain and more. If a Stevens Johnson reaction happens then there may be itching, rash, blisters, joint aches, or tissue necrosis. Stevens Johnson can cause enough mucus membrane necrosis to be fatal and must be taken seriously. Such a reaction needs longer term follow-up. (It is possible to have tissue necrosis from mucus membrane blisters with an anaphylactic reaction, too, BTW, and that needs to be assessed as well to be sure what it happening. Some individuals blister so fast and badly in their mouths with food allergens that they can spit out the foods before worse happens but that is rare.) Some with food allergies will have asthmatic reactions, which can be severe ones, if those foods go airborne as when they are cooked or are circulated in recycled air like in an airplane. I feel like I am forgetting to include something. Oh, well... Hypoallergenic foods and why they help many: Hypoallergenic foods do not work for all critters with food allergies but do work for most because they are processed in ways that break most of the protein complexes down to the amino acids that create proteins. Usually, the better solution is to feed a different type of food. Some food allergies are to only specific foods, but some are the general categories which are related or which have a protein complex in common. So, while a number of ferrets with chicken allergy are only allergic to chicken some will instead react to all poultry. (With vaccines some individuals are allergic to specific vaccines but others might be allergic to something in the liquid medium in which the vaccine is delivered and those rare ones may be allergic to multiple vaccines.) Yes, some ferrets do become allergic to things other than commonly eaten, high protein level chicken. The way that allergies happen combined with the contents of most ferret foods, though, makes the chicken a more likely cause. Certainly, some ferrets have other food problems, especially those who have small intestinal damage as from ECE in the past which may make things like grains more irritating which is a completely different problem but a problem, nevertheless. Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game. [addendum:] >Food allergies are set off by the protein complexes in certain things. >Note that is specifically for allergies rather than for any of the >range of sensitivities... I worded that badly. What here is specifically for allergies is the POST, not what sets off the problems. My apologies for being unclear on that score. Sukie (not a vet) Ferrets make the world a game. Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) A nation is as free as the least within it. [Posted in FML 7660]