Emergence of Food Allergy ... Huh???

[twylasage]

Eliza and Tim have been on raw since last September and I thought everything was going really well. They had their first checkup at the vet's since their diet change and I brought to the doctor's attention the occasional appearance of red bumps and a slight puffiness around Eliza's eyes. Just this morning I noticed it had gotten worse around her left eye. The doctor said these were classic symptoms of an allergy, most like a food one. Yikes!! Timothy also occasionally gets these little booboos in the eyebrow to ear space as well as a single black spot along his jaw which I assumed was just acne. THe vet was not too concerned as they were healthy in every other way and the symptoms appeared to be mild.

This really shook me. It's the last thing I ever expected after I put them on raw since I've been associating allergies with the grain used in commercial food. Now I learn it can also be from a natural protein source like chicken. 

Does anyone have any experience with something like this?

 

[mschauer]

I don't have any experience with food allergies but I know when there is one it can be to any protein including animal protein not just grain protein. 

 

[mewlittle]

did the vet do a allergy test?

it's hard to tell what meat is doing it

i have not feed raw just going by what i heard

 

[ritz]

Cats can be allergic to specifc proteins, like chicken and fish.

There are a couple of ways to determine if it is a food allergy:  start feeding a novel animal protein, one your cats have never had before, and see if the bumps go away.  This is tricky because not only does the protein need to be a new one, so do the liver, kidney and bone.  (Though it won't hurt the cats not to be fed liver/kidney/bone for a few days.)  You could also try eliminating chicken for a while, it is a common allergy. 

They can also be allergic to substances in the environment, like detergent (you wash the blanket, the cat sleeps on it, allergic reaction), air fresheners, the list is endless.  Because the bumps appear the eye to ear space, I would try to determine what your cats might be getting into with their face--sniffing anything new (plants).  Crawling under new furniture.  Get down on your hands and knees and look at what your cat might be looking at--and investigating.

Finally, what kind of dish are your cats eating from:  plastic, stainless steel?  They may be reacting to the plastic/metal.

 

[twylasage]

The raw food I make contains chicken and eggs, two things cats are often allergic to. I posted a few weeks ago about one of them having loose bowels and suspecting the eggs in the recipe I follow. Diarrhea is also a symptom of a food allergy. The vet suggested it might be a fish allergy and I informed her I only ever feed them poultry. Only afterwards did I remember that a few days before I had treated them to an empty can of water-packed tuna, something I've never done before. There wasn't much for them to lick up. Could that have been the culprit? Would they still be exhibiting symptoms days later? The hive/bumps haven't gotten worse but haven't disappeared either. And even though they are siblings, what are the odds that both of them would have the same food allergy? And they only eat/drink out of ceramic or glass bowls though I do use a metal water bowl a lot. Also, their litter is fragrance- and dust-free.

I know that allergies can suddenly get much more severe so this is nerve-wracking.

 

[minka]

I'm not a vet, but I do have a cat with food allergies and when I visited my vet, he actually showed me the medical book that lists symptoms of food allergies, and in cats it Much more commonly presents itself as intense licking and not as bumps or swelling. I agree that you should switch her to a different kind of protein temporarily and also investigate what she could be getting into and then see what happens.
Also, just so you know, allergies to raw meat are on the rare side, but there are some cats that can only eat the meat if it is organic/hormone free, so keep that in mind.

 

[twylasage]

Minka, thanks so much for your insights. I source all of the poultry I feed them through Whole Foods so the hormone/antibiotic possibility is out. Also, both of my cats have these symptoms though they seem a little more severe in Eliza.

Your knowledge has given me some mental relief. This whole situation has left me feeling somewhat paralyzed.

 

[ritz]

Minka raises a good point and reminds me of something I thought of last night:  while cats may not be allergic to, for example, chicken, they can be allergic to what they are fed, for example, corn, oats, grains.

 

[minka]

Twyla, while it is great you source from Whole Foods , that sadly does not mean the meat is hormone/antibiotic free unless it *specifically* says so. I had read an article some months ago about that specific thing; how Whole Goods advertises as being an organic wonderful place, and yet they still carry foods that are not organic, not healthful and contained GMOs.
It's still a amazing place to go to get the specialty organic foods you need, but unless the packaging specifically says organic you can't assume it is. :nod:

 

[twylasage]

Minka,

Thanks so much for the heads up on WF. I'm definitely going to look further into the quality of the birds I'm buying.

On the upside, the hives both my kitties have are definitely fading even though I've kept them on their usual diet of raw poultry. Hopefully, this eliminates chicken and eggs as possible allergens. Perhaps I'll wait a couple of weeks and if they still seem fine, offer them a small sampling of tuna again to see if that causes any reactions. I so hate doing things in the dark but I hate the possibility of having to subject them to more vet visits and tests even more.

 

[minka]

If it makes you feel better, there are no tests for allergies that the vet can do (they do not work well on cats) so if you took them in, the vet would simply examine their skin and give his opinion.
Then he would either recommend a immuno-suppressant or a switch to their dry prescription allergy food.

 

[auntie crazy]

A few things to "digest."

One, as Minka says, allergies to animal proteins are very rare in carnivores. What's more likely is a reaction to something the meat animal was fed; grains and corn are frequent culprits, especially with cats newly converted to raw.

Second, have to checked to ensure none of the meats you're feeding are enhanced? Excess sodium and other spices can and will cause a variety of reactions, including skin issues. Read the "Nutrition Labels" of everything you buy; if the sodium exceeds 100 mgs per serving, the meat has been injected with a solution of sodium and/or spices and water.

Third, what kinds of dishes are you using? They should be glass, not ceramic or plastic (which harbor food particles and bacteria that can cause acne-type issues), and flat plates, not bowls (which interfere with the free motion of a cat's whiskers).

Fourth, please broaden your cats' diet at your earliest convenience. House cats should be eating at least three different protein sources to ensure optimal nutritional profiles, and single-protein source diets are inadequate for long-term feeding. Furthermore, rotating through a variety of foods helps ensure hypersensitivities don't develop (continual exposure to the same proteins or ingredients for extended periods being one of their causes).
 

Hope this helps!

AC

 

[minka]

Third, what kinds of dishes are you using? They should be glass, not ceramic or plastic (which harbor food particles and bacteria that can cause acne-type issues), and flat plates, not bowls (which interfere with the free motion of a cat's whiskers).

I thought china and metal were also acceptable types of plates?

 

[auntie crazy]

Third, what kinds of dishes are you using? They should be glass, not ceramic or plastic (which harbor food particles and bacteria that can cause acne-type issues), and flat plates, not bowls (which interfere with the free motion of a cat's whiskers).

I thought china and metal were also acceptable types of plates?

Metal plates wouldn't cause an allergic reaction, true, but some cats don't like to eat off them, so I just don't ever mention 'em. As for "china," I'm pretty sure that's a type of ceramic?

AC

 

[minka]

I guess I'm saying that I don't understand why ceramic isn't 'okay'. Especially if it's the kind that I'm thinking of, that is usually sealed with a gloss and seems very scratch proof.

 

[auntie crazy]

I guess I'm saying that I don't understand why ceramic isn't 'okay'. Especially if it's the kind that I'm thinking of, that is usually sealed with a gloss and seems very scratch proof.

Very few statements are without exception. If you think your ceramic plates are better than run-of-the-mill ceramic products, use 'em. If you're not sure, research the product until you've satisfied yourself they could indeed harbor bacteria, or not. And then use 'em, or toss 'em.  ;-}

AC

 

[mschauer]

I guess I'm saying that I don't understand why ceramic isn't 'okay'. Especially if it's the kind that I'm thinking of, that is usually sealed with a gloss and seems very scratch proof.

The "gloss" is a glaze which can develop microscopic cracks that can harbor bacteria.

 

[harleydiva]

I go to the restaurant supply store and buy the little paper "french fry trays".  They come in all different sizes.  I use the 6oz size.  They are big enough and shallow enough that they don't interfere with whiskers.  They are always clean.  When they finish eating, I throw them away.  Costs me about $6 a month for 3 cats and 3 dogs. No worries about bacteria, and no washing bowls 2 or 3 times a day.

tray.jpg

• harleydiva
• Mar 24, 2013

 

[minka]

The "gloss" is a glaze which can develop microscopic cracks that can harbor bacteria.

So.. then if it * doesn't* have a gloss then it is okay...

 

[ldg]

No. Any ceramic dish, glossy glaze or not, can develop microscopic cracks that can harbor bacteria.