Confused - food intolerance or just one of those things?

[Tiggy's Mum]

  for replying FF, I know you're going through a tough time so much appreciated 

Are you getting allergy and intolerance mixed up, Helen?

As far as I remember the vet described it as an intolerance. I don't think he's intolerant to grains as he was eating the PAH dry with no issues and was put on RC sensitivity which has a high rice content with no issues.  He's now eating a 50/50 mix of RC sensitivity & Bozita with JWB dry and *touch wood* all is OK.

[Fire Fox]

Are you getting allergy and intolerance mixed up, Helen? Allergies are an inappropriate immune response, however there are shades of response from mild hayfever to full blown anaphylaxis to peanuts on someone's breath. Usually allergies are to proteins - IIRC the severity of response is down to which part of the immune system is triggered.

Intolerance means that you have difficulty processing a substance - this is often down the presence or absence of enzymes which break down the macronutrients. In cats cereals are a common culprit as their bodies are not set up to digest large quantities of carbohydrates. Conversely cats who have been fed high-grain biscuits may find a sudden high animal protein meal sets off diarrhoea but they are fine with a slow introduction.

As Snarf says, a digestive system that has been aggravated in any way is far more likely to react inappropriately to a food; many human cases of IBS can be tracked back to a bad bout of 'Delhi belly'. This is where omega-3 fish oils (anti-inflammatory) and probiotic (friendly bacteria) supplements can be invaluable.   

[Tiggy's Mum]

  Snarf that's really ineresting and exactly the sort of info I was after. I had sort of presumed that an intolerance was 'black or white' so you either were or you weren't. I'd accepted that he must have developed some kind of intolerance, after my initial scepticism, but couldn't understand how he was OK with the Bozita now (*touch wood*) if he was intolerant 

I just wanted to get them eating the same food so I don't have to separate them at mealtimes. His poos are perfect *touch wood again* at the moment so I'll keep gradually increasing the Bozita and see what happens. Now that I've introduced dry food aswell the RC sensitivity is not as purse emptying as he's not eating so much of it so if he has to be kept on that long term then it's much more do-able.

[snarf]

cant comment specifically on felines but i and my mum are intolerant to numerous things. my intolerances have changed over time- huge list as a child (at one point there were about 20 things i could eat safely and nowt else) then much better as i approached puberty (predicted by dietician) and am annoyingly slowly picking them up again so i think its certainly possible he could have grown into an intolerance.
i also find with mine that certain combinations or volumes are triggers- im intolerant to wheat but currently mild so im advised to have a little  day as if i cut it out my body will essentially forget how to handle it but if i have wheat cereal and sandwich for lunch ill be very ill but one of other is just uncomfortable. i cant keep down whole eggs (even just a little) but egg containing things are largely fine 

so in short it sounds like it could be to me. with an intolerance the body has differing strengths of reaction, so a desert spoon might be acceptable (dilute enough) or might give so mild a reaction its unnoticeable but 2 tips the body into an over reaction.
also remember that whatever it is his body is reacting to could build up day to day so it might be a case of something is fine every other day.
My mums intolerances progressed to the point it triggered IBS and she had to basically stop eating as he system refused to keep in anything so it could be that while he was so chronically ill its damaged his stomach lining or gut lining and hes oversensitive- Neko has this problem currently, totally fine on the tesco nature turkey trays, bit of anything else and things get softer. he is now coping with a good few forkfuls of bozita and some applaws dry without any real issues and there is definite imrovement but his problems were parasitic so Riley might improve more and more given enough time?

[Tiggy's Mum]

Bit of background, around 6 months ago Riley (3yr old pretty much indoor cat) became very ill suddenly. The diagnosis was gastritis of unknown origin. He recovered from the vomiting and inappetance but developed chronic diarrhoea. Faecal tests came back negative, no blood tests were done (despite me asking on numerous vet visits!) as they felt the fact that he was young and otherwise fit and healthy meant there was nothing untowards going on with his organs etc

He was put onto RC sensitivity and the diarrhoea cleared up, a few times in the next month or so I tried to wean him back onto regular food (grain free Bozita) but the diarrhoea returned. Fast forward 6 months, and after very slow phasing in, he is now eating JWB dry in addition to the RC sensitivity, *touch wood* with no problems. 

Around 2 weeks ago I started introducing teeny bits of Bozita as I was aware that he could stomach the JWB with no issues. He is now eating approx a desert spoon of Bozita mixed in with the RC sensitivity twice daily + JWB biscuits - *touch wood again* there have been no issues.

If he has been eating Bozita in increasing quantities for two weeks now surely he can't be intolerant to it? Does anyone know anything about intolerance's? Does this sound like it could be an intolerance?