Allergies

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Over the past few months I have been noticing Rory has become quite the scratcher. She scratches her neck, face and ears all the time. At times she draws blood from this. The vet has looked her over and thinks it just allergies. Any ideas in what I can do to decrease it?

I have already tried removing all plastic products that she comes into contact with, removed fish from her diet , put her on one specific wet cat food but she keeps on itching. Any other ideas what I can do? What do you think it could be?

She does NOT have fleas.

 

[FeralHearts]

Dust mites allergy?
Did the vet mention a potential food allergy? (Formula change here too?)
Any washing her items in new soup - or different formula for soap.

 

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She did mention a potential food allergy. She recommended cutting fish form her diet.

I was all of her dishes in the same soap I have used since she was a kitten.

 

[FeralHearts]

If her main protein comes from fish - then sadly - it is a good idea to cut it out for 12 weeks and see how she does.

You can then start adding the protein back into her diet and see how she does.

XOXOXOXOX

 

[LTS3]

How long has the cat been on the one cat food? It will take at least 13 weeks if not longer to see improvement in symptoms.

Per My Vet: How Long For Food Allergies Test
Article on Feline Cutaneous Adverse Food Reactions (aka food allergies) and treatment

What brand food are you feeding now? A LID type food in a novel protein is helpful. Chicken is a common culprit of food allergies so if that's what you are feeding, try rabbit or venison or something else.

I'm not sure what brands are available in Canada but try these foods:

Blue Buffalo Basics
Merrick Limited Ingredients
Koha Limited Ingredient
Natural Balance LID
Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet | Instinct Pet Food
RAWZ | 100% Rendered Free Cat Food
Single Novel Protein Grain Free Wet (not Raw) Food? Help!
Your favorite brands of "novel protein" canned cat food
Recs For Low-carb, Grain-free Pork Without Chicken Or Fish?
Canned - Pure Vita - Natural Holistic Pet Foods
NutriSource Pet Foods

 

[FeralHearts]

LTS3 Thank you for those links and the information. You've just helped me as well. Charlie will be doing his food allergy thing for the millionth time soon.

I was told 12 weeks - good to know that it is a bit longer - this way I won't stop to soon and it will give him the best chance! That is assuming I can actually get him to do new food this time!

 

[tvet]

Hello. My cat has allergies as well. Scratches a lot. My vet said she doesn't think its food related and could be chronic? I feel so bad for him and I dont know what to do. Twice now she has given him a shot of anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, but he gets really snotty and lethargic for about a week after.

 

[FeralHearts]

Here are some other thoughts on allergies:

Litter - including additives to the litter like cat litter deodorizers.
Anyone smoking in the house,
- or burning incense, oils, candles etc.
Cleaning products.
Perfume

T tvet If the vet doesn't suspect food - what does she think the culprits might be?

 

[LTS3]

A veterinary dermatologist can do allergy testing.

Hello. My cat has allergies as well. Scratches a lot. My vet said she doesn't think its food related and could be chronic? I feel so bad for him and I dont know what to do. Twice now she has given him a shot of anti-inflammatory and antibiotics, but he gets really snotty and lethargic for about a week after.

Changing the food is one easy thing you can do even if the vet doesn't think the scratching is related. Vets don't know everything and sometimes they're wrong. I don't see how antibiotics would help allergy-like symptoms Antibiotics are for bacteria caused infections. Would you take penicillin for seasonal pollen allergies? Most likely not. It's perfectly fine to question everything the vet does to your cat and decline things

 

[inkxpencil]

I’ve only been giving her the one specific kind of can food a few weeks. I thought I had already cut it the fish, but one of the cans I was giving her had fish in it, I missed it on the ingredients list. So that’s only officially been for a few weeks.

She’s currently on fancy feast. She’s been on it for about a year. She’s a tubby kitty, and I tried all of these expensive foods to get her to loose weight but nothing worked. Naturally the cheap food helped.

She has had the same litter since she was a kitten. It’s a clay based litter with no perfumes. We don’t smoke or burn anything.

Do you guys think it could be related to cat nip? She has these cat nip toys that she adores and carries around all the time, she sleeps with them. I replace the toys every few months or so.

 

[FeralHearts]

I learned the hard way to about reading the ingredients - as we do for our own stuff. Charlie is suspected Chicken and let me tell you - poultry is in everything for kitties!

If they are made of the same fabric maybe? I've not heard of a cat having an allergy to catnip but there is a first time for everything!

 

[Brittney567]

My cats been scratching a lot and biting himself mainly on his back legs and a big spot on his chest a vet thought it was the food we were giving him so we changed it but he’s clearly still bothered by these spots what can I do?

 

[FeralHearts]

My cats been scratching a lot and biting himself mainly on his back legs and a big spot on his chest a vet thought it was the food we were giving him so we changed it but he’s clearly still bothered by these spots what can I do?

Hi there! Welcome to TCS! XOXOX

Poor kitty and you. I know how tough sorting them out can be sometimes.

How long has he been on the new food? Have you checked all the tricky ingredients in the old food and compared to the new?

My Charlie was tearing apart his back legs. He's improved since chicken and Turkey have been completely removed from his diet. (As that was the suspected allergy for him.) Often, not always, the back leg thing is a food allergy or sensitivity. That allergy can be anything from the carb, the protein or some small other ingredients.