8 Month Old Kitten Might Be Developing Food Allergy?

[Richard2121]

Hey all! It has been awhile since I have been active on here but I am back because of a tiny health issue with my youngest baby.

Okay so I have an amazing vet who I have built some trust with and he seems very intelligent, while being young and enthusiastic in his approach. He has helped me with all my past cats' issues (I have 4). My most recent issue is sort of a new one that I have no experience with. My 8 month old kitten, Daniel, whom has been generally healthy with no illness up to this point, has started bursting at the seams with issues. He has either discharge/fluid buildup in his ear which is dried and looks almost like blood but is just fluid. It is not an alarming amount but he is also developing chin acne, and his claws are showing signs of infection. They are to the point where he aggravates them more by over grooming. There was litter stuck to his paws when I took him into the vet so he assumed this might be part of the problem. He also said due to the number of issues relating to infection all over his body, he may have a food allergy that is just starting to develop.

I do not know how to properly handle this situation since I have 4 cats. The vet recommended Hill's Z/D prescription canned food, yesterday's news litter instead of clumping, and he gave Daniel a steroid shot to help treat the ongoing infection which will last 14 days. He also recommended that after things start to clear up we could slowly reintroduce his old diet and confirm if there is indeed a food allergy. So this is an expensive venture, first I have to replace almost 80 pounds of newly poured litter from 4 litter boxes because they share. Then I have to replace it with yesterday's news and hope that all 4 of my cats are willing to use it without going to the bathroom on the floor all day while we are at work.

Daniel east mostly all wet food, with an occasional dry snack. This dry is Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein. I rarely feed dry maybe every few days or so before bed time. The canned food he eats is Fancy Feast Classic Pate, Blue Indoor Freedom Flaked Chicken, Friskies Canned Pate (Turkey/Chicken flavors), and a few high end brands like Nulo.

So what I did after the vet appointment was head to PetSmart and picked up some foods that did not contain chicken. Simply Nourish LID (Duck and pea), Nulo Beef & Lamb Pate, Blue LID Duck & Potato, and Natural Balance LID dry food (duck). I don't know if this is an appropriate response or if I should just get the prescription food to start with. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello
Just in case this might be helpful
Check This Out.... Chart For Cat Food Ingredients

 

[MissClouseau]

Personally I would also check for possible other allergies. Like the material of the litter. If he goes outside plants/pollen, and flea bites, or other bug bites. Which he doesn't have to go outside for if you have plants inside the house. Summer is surely a difficult time to figure out allergies, isn't it?

he gave Daniel a steroid shot to help treat the ongoing infection which will last 14 days.

May I ask the name of the shot if you remember?

 

[Jackieandpierce]

Hey there,

My male cat had eosiniphillic granuloma complex. The symptoms are triggered by food allergies and a plastic allergy. Both he and my other cat are on a very specific wet food diet that has taken nearly 3 years to perfect.

History, my male cat started to exhibit lesions when he was 3 months old. He has always had a sensitive tummy, and when he was a baby he couldnt tolerate any of the hyopallergic diets from the vet. My vet at the time (I have moved on from them) told me he didnt have much of a chance if he couldnt handle the hypo diet. I was devastated, but after doing some research, I switched little Pierce to freeze dried raw duck, a novel protein less likely to cause issues. This worked magic and changed his life around. Raw food is pricey, and I needed to find other options. Over the past several years I have a rotation of foods I am sure are not on his current list of allergies. He still gets flare ups from time to time, in particular on his mouth (very hard to control his contact with plastic) for which he is on a low dose of prednisilone for several days.

So yes, I would start a diet restriction and reintroduction process. Try novel proteins like venison, duck and rabbit. If there is a lot of plastic for your cat to chew (sometimes there are plastic beads in cat toys) try to remove from the enviroment. Your vet may suggest prenisilone or an antibiotic to clear up any current problems.

Good luck!

Hey all! It has been awhile since I have been active on here but I am back because of a tiny health issue with my youngest baby.

Okay so I have an amazing vet who I have built some trust with and he seems very intelligent, while being young and enthusiastic in his approach. He has helped me with all my past cats' issues (I have 4). My most recent issue is sort of a new one that I have no experience with. My 8 month old kitten, Daniel, whom has been generally healthy with no illness up to this point, has started bursting at the seams with issues. He has either discharge/fluid buildup in his ear which is dried and looks almost like blood but is just fluid. It is not an alarming amount but he is also developing chin acne, and his claws are showing signs of infection. They are to the point where he aggravates them more by over grooming. There was litter stuck to his paws when I took him into the vet so he assumed this might be part of the problem. He also said due to the number of issues relating to infection all over his body, he may have a food allergy that is just starting to develop.

I do not know how to properly handle this situation since I have 4 cats. The vet recommended Hill's Z/D prescription canned food, yesterday's news litter instead of clumping, and he gave Daniel a steroid shot to help treat the ongoing infection which will last 14 days. He also recommended that after things start to clear up we could slowly reintroduce his old diet and confirm if there is indeed a food allergy. So this is an expensive venture, first I have to replace almost 80 pounds of newly poured litter from 4 litter boxes because they share. Then I have to replace it with yesterday's news and hope that all 4 of my cats are willing to use it without going to the bathroom on the floor all day while we are at work.

Daniel east mostly all wet food, with an occasional dry snack. This dry is Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein. I rarely feed dry maybe every few days or so before bed time. The canned food he eats is Fancy Feast Classic Pate, Blue Indoor Freedom Flaked Chicken, Friskies Canned Pate (Turkey/Chicken flavors), and a few high end brands like Nulo.

So what I did after the vet appointment was head to PetSmart and picked up some foods that did not contain chicken. Simply Nourish LID (Duck and pea), Nulo Beef & Lamb Pate, Blue LID Duck & Potato, and Natural Balance LID dry food (duck). I don't know if this is an appropriate response or if I should just get the prescription food to start with. Anyone have a similar experience?

Hey all! It has been awhile since I have been active on here but I am back because of a tiny health issue with my youngest baby.

Okay so I have an amazing vet who I have built some trust with and he seems very intelligent, while being young and enthusiastic in his approach. He has helped me with all my past cats' issues (I have 4). My most recent issue is sort of a new one that I have no experience with. My 8 month old kitten, Daniel, whom has been generally healthy with no illness up to this point, has started bursting at the seams with issues. He has either discharge/fluid buildup in his ear which is dried and looks almost like blood but is just fluid. It is not an alarming amount but he is also developing chin acne, and his claws are showing signs of infection. They are to the point where he aggravates them more by over grooming. There was litter stuck to his paws when I took him into the vet so he assumed this might be part of the problem. He also said due to the number of issues relating to infection all over his body, he may have a food allergy that is just starting to develop.

I do not know how to properly handle this situation since I have 4 cats. The vet recommended Hill's Z/D prescription canned food, yesterday's news litter instead of clumping, and he gave Daniel a steroid shot to help treat the ongoing infection which will last 14 days. He also recommended that after things start to clear up we could slowly reintroduce his old diet and confirm if there is indeed a food allergy. So this is an expensive venture, first I have to replace almost 80 pounds of newly poured litter from 4 litter boxes because they share. Then I have to replace it with yesterday's news and hope that all 4 of my cats are willing to use it without going to the bathroom on the floor all day while we are at work.

Daniel east mostly all wet food, with an occasional dry snack. This dry is Dr. Elsey's Clean Protein. I rarely feed dry maybe every few days or so before bed time. The canned food he eats is Fancy Feast Classic Pate, Blue Indoor Freedom Flaked Chicken, Friskies Canned Pate (Turkey/Chicken flavors), and a few high end brands like Nulo.

So what I did after the vet appointment was head to PetSmart and picked up some foods that did not contain chicken. Simply Nourish LID (Duck and pea), Nulo Beef & Lamb Pate, Blue LID Duck & Potato, and Natural Balance LID dry food (duck). I don't know if this is an appropriate response or if I should just get the prescription food to start with. Anyone have a similar experience?

 

[Richard2121]

So far the Hills z/d is a no-go. He hates it. Honestly, I hate it too. It’s the consistency of jello but even more rubbery. I don’t really know what to do so he still gets the “elimination diet” we are aiming for without trying to convince him to eat this disgusting, overpriced food!

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Richard2121]

So it has now been over a week since I last updated everyone and Daniel is still not over the hump, so to speak. His paws have started improving but are nowhere near "normal" or "healthy". I have begun soaking his paws day and night in warm water and then gently drying them and ensuring he is somewhere away from dirt, debree, or litter so he doesn't get more stuck to his damp paws!

I have also given up on the Hills z/d. It is gross to Daniel and he refuses to compromise so I am trying to eliminate most proteins and additives from his diet. What I do not have is experience. I don't know where to start and it seems every attempt I make is either wrong, or Daniel does not like the food so it isn't a viable option. His ears are still not great, his chin acne has cleared up entirely but his paws and ears are still concerning. I have been avoiding chicken like the plague and I have him eating novel proteins, Whascally Wabbit Pate (I and Love and You) and Blue LID Duck and Potato pate. The problem is I think there are still other additives in these foods which may be aggravating his system or potentially causing a secondary flare up.

The food thing is expensive. I am wondering what others think if Nature's Variety Instinct LID Turkey? It is within budget for me to a certain degree and it contains very few ingredients. Would this be a better starting point? The allergy seems mild in the fact that Daniel does not seem uncomfortable at all and he still acts like his normal self.

Another note is the litter, I tried switching to yesterday's news and my cats hated it. I tried switching that to a corn-based natural clumping litter. The tracking was horrible and Daniel used the couch as a litter box. So I was forced to switch back to clay. I am using something with larger granules. Dr. Elsey's Unscented. I am still at a loss as to what direction to take. Do I concede to allergy testing?

 

[Furballsmom]

Would this be a better starting point?

I personally think so, yes. I don't know about the allergy testing, I don't know if it's a viable test for cats?
You could possibly look at littermaid's walnut litter, or mixing the walnut with the clumping.

 

[Richard2121]

I personally think so, yes. I don't know about the allergy testing, I don't know if it's a viable test for cats?
You could possibly look at littermaid's walnut litter, or mixing the walnut with the clumping.

This issue really is the most mild I have dealt with as far as ailments for any of my cats. I say that because Daniel certainly can overcome this without a problem. It is just the most complicated to solve because of the numerous ingredients in cat food!

The litter is the least of my worries now that I have developed a routine of soaking his paws. They seem to be looking a lot better. Now if I could figure out the source of his problems that would be great!

I will begin feeding him the Instinct LID Turkey canned food tonight after work. Are there any other good brands out there with similar ingredients lists? Seems like Natural Balance LID has peas as first ingredient which I am not fond of...

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm not sure about chicken in any of these - that database above could be helpful regarding trying to find foods without certain ingredients

Take a look at Tractor Supply's 4Health or their Paws N Claws, and possibly Tiny Tiger from chewy.com, Young Again, American Journey...Applaws, if you're sure to get the nutritionally complete version could be helpful.

If your boy will eat pate style foods, those will probably not have the glutens/thickeners that the shreds et al style canned foods have, which could help.

 

[Richard2121]

I feed such a mix, mostly pate style and mostly Fancy Feast Classic Pate. I also incorporate some Blue Indoor Flaked Chicken, Friskies Turkey Pate, and a few other more expensive brands. So I am unsure if those might be too similar to the ones you suggested? The common denominator, to me, was chicken. It was one of the top 3 ingredients in every single brand and recipe he was eating. My secondary guess would have been fish but that was not consistently an ingredient in the foods I fed him.

 

[Furballsmom]

Chicken can often be a trigger of sensitivities, as can carrageenan and starches, as you've mentioned.

Here is another database that could be helpful;

Pet Food Guide

 

[Richard2121]

Chicken can often be a trigger of sensitivities, as can carrageenan and starches, as you've mentioned.

Here is another database that could be helpful;

Pet Food Guide

So far so good. I picked up some Instinct LID Turkey cans and then I also got a bag of the Instinct LID Rabbit dry food to feed before bed. Just to help cut the cost a little bit and also rotate in a little variety. I am also going to possibly try adding the LID Duck variety in about a week or two. I don't want to be feeding too many types of protein simultaneously until we narrow this down.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Richard2121]

Well....I am about ready to give up....this is exhausting and I have dealt with far more severe issues in my other cats. Daniel does not seem enthusiastic about any of the limited ingredient foods I have tried so far. The Instinct LID Turkey was okay for the first couple feedings but now he refuses to eat more than a few licks. I have him eating the Instinct LID Rabbit dry food but I do not want him eating very much of that. I would prefer no dry food at all to be perfectly honest. I am ordering a sample of the Koha LID canned food in duck and kangaroo just to give those a try. I also ordered some cans of the Instinct LID duck wet food to see if the flavor is more appealing to Daniel. But I really feel discouraged because I need him to eat he is still growing at only 9 months old. Are there other foods I should try?

 

[Furballsmom]

Have you had a chance to look at Merrick Backcountry? How about TikiCat?

 

[Richard2121]

Have you had a chance to look at Merrick Backcountry? How about TikiCat?

I am looking at mostly single protein sources to start out with and I figured it would be wise to avoid fish, chicken, carrageenan, and any grains!

Tiki cat is sort of tough to avoid chicken and fish. Daniel does not seem to like the Merrick Backcountry very much but I have not explored all the different proteins they offer. I am collecting myself after a rather emotional morning and getting some new game plans put into place.

I am getting samples sent from Koha and Rawz to try their foods. Hopefully Daniel likes one of those! I also might try Primal Pork Nuggets since those are 6-7% bone content which is lower than the 10% in most other varieties. I am waiting on Instinct LID Duck Pate to be delivered today and I will test that out after work as well. I also ordered a stainless steel water fountain to replace the fountains we currently have which are plastic.

I love my kitties to death so I won't give up!

 

[Furballsmom]

Rawz to try their foods. Hopefully Daniel likes one of those! I also might try Primal Pork Nuggets since those are 6-7% bone content which is lower than the 10% in most other varieties.

Good for you!! I was hesitant to suggest raw since I didn't know if you wanted to go that route at all, but I'm glad you're trying it out My guess, and hope, is that you'll find Daniel likes it.

By the way, would you want to try fortiflora as an enticement topper?

I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

 

[Furballsmom]

I'm wondering if there would be something in this thread that might help you;
Any Good Tips To Get Your Cats To Eat? Share Them Here!

 

[Richard2121]

Good for you!! I was hesitant to suggest raw since I didn't know if you wanted to go that route at all, but I'm glad you're trying it out My guess, and hope, is that you'll find Daniel likes it.

By the way, would you want to try fortiflora as an enticement topper?

I'm really keeping my fingers crossed for you!!

I LOVE the idea of raw food. I have no time or resources to make my own food for my cats. And unfortunately with 4 young cats I do not have the energy to transition all of them to a raw diet right now. I am happy with what they eat!

I have tried Primal before though and Daniel seems enthusiastic about it depending on the type of protein/flavor. I might just try some Pork since he has never had it but he seemed to like the Turkey and Chicken/Salmon kinds!