Food For Cat With Skin Allergies?

[bootsm]

My cat all her life has had some sort of skin allergy, she bites her stomach and scratches her ears. it also seems to be seasonal, either flaring up when its too hot or cold. we've tried all kinds of hypallegenic foods and while it helps some, it still kicks off. has anyone had success with any kind of regimen for settling the allergies down? we've also given her steroid shots and have had her on prednisone for about a year but again, it only helps a little and we really are wary of having her on that long term.

Also, she has hyperthyroidsm and we just lost a cat to CRF and he also had heart disease. we are super paranoid now about foods and what may be in them causing these diseases to be worse.

 

[Wile]

Hi bootsm, sorry to hear you have an itchy kitty. There are a few different prescription hypoallergenic cat foods out there made by companies by Hills, Purina, Rayne, and Royal Canin. Given that her allergies are seasonal, I'm wondering if you would be better off getting her tested to figure out the trigger. Hypoallergenic food isn't really going to help if it turns out your cat doesn't have a food allergy.

I'd suggest contacting your vet to find out about allergy testing for your kitty and then go from there.

 

[bootsm]

Wile yes, the more i read, the more i think we will try and do the allergy test. thanks!

 

[purrsnickety]

I had success with Go Sensitivity and Shine but it only has one flavor Duck Pate atm. Grain free, no fish, high in protein, carbs are under 10%, and if you don’t care it has some potato LOWEST in the top 5 ingredients it’s worth a try. It’s made for cats with allergies and considered very good food. I try to stick with foods out of US or Canada but that’s neither here nor there—my preference. My cat devours it but I need to add more to his rotation. He has zero digestive issues and it’s a favorite at the local holistic pet store—that says something. I also eliminated Brewer's yeast from his diet but I have other concerns with that ingredient.

That said, it’s great you decided to go for testing. I was already on a mission to replace a brand that had mussels, and a fifth ingredient called “Natural Flavor” before discovering I really, really had to. Not ok in my book if you have a cat with allergies but I don’t mind too much if it’s lower on the ingredient list. Fun fact—found out today that natural flavor on a label could very well be a type of yeast. Thought that was interesting but I’m sort of geeky that way.

 

[1 bruce 1]

My cat all her life has had some sort of skin allergy, she bites her stomach and scratches her ears. it also seems to be seasonal, either flaring up when its too hot or cold. we've tried all kinds of hypallegenic foods and while it helps some, it still kicks off. has anyone had success with any kind of regimen for settling the allergies down? we've also given her steroid shots and have had her on prednisone for about a year but again, it only helps a little and we really are wary of having her on that long term.

Also, she has hyperthyroidsm and we just lost a cat to CRF and he also had heart disease. we are super paranoid now about foods and what may be in them causing these diseases to be worse.

I think a good food that she handles will help the symptoms of her allergies but if they flare up seasonally, it might be something outdoors getting in (pollen, etc.) that food won't "fix". Food might help her get a good, strong immune system to not itch as much but seasonal allergies are one of the most annoying things ever placed on this earth.
When our little 'Bee started doing the allergy thing this past spring (despite over a decade of no allergies in sight), we did do some allergy testing, and a few foods showed sensitivity, but most of the actual problems were outdoor things in the air. For whatever reason, she decided to develop allergies well into her life!