Hydrolyzed Protein Diet?

[Laurie H]

My Ragdoll is only 3 years old and is 'crunching her body' (see pic) and periodically lip smacking as if her stomach is uncomfortable or she's nauseas. She does this multiple times a day, but doesn't vomit. My vet feels she has food intolerance and would like her to be on hydrolyzed protein food. We've started with Purina HA. I know the recommended amount of time for a trial is 8 weeks, but have been down this road before with other cats and it has been rough.

For anyone who has been through this process, how long was it before you saw a change in behavior/comfort? No meds have been prescribed, as she does continue to eat and doesn't actually vomit.

 

[danteshuman]

My vet recommended Taste of the Wild dry food when Dante had a severe allergic reaction (along with a prednisone shot.) They have a version of kitty benadryl that you can give to your cat every day.

Taste of the Wild Prey Angus Beef recipe does not havd chicken, wheat or corn ...... the most common food allergies. Just look for LID & read thd ingredients to every kind of food/treat.

Ig took me almost a year to find out most of his allergies: chicken, all poultry including duck & quail, maybe fleas & perhaps plastic but I got rid of all plastic food containers just in case. However in Dante’s case I only tried one food, one time, once a month & just a tiny bit.

Fleas are a common allergy & some poor cats start pulling out their hair if they get even one flea bite. So maybe use Cheristin & some kind of yard flea poison all over your yard if your cat goes outside.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Laurie H , I'm guessing you have already started the new food and are noticing no change in her lip smacking? If this is the case, I would contact the Vet and ask them how long it should take before you notice the signs of nausea going away AND ask if you can get some sort of anti-emetic to give her just as a temporary "fix" while she is adjusting to the new food. If the anti-emetic doesn't help, then the issue may not be nausea afterall, although it certainly sounds like it.

 

[MissClouseau]

Is she on a hairball remedy? Hairballs can also cause tummy ache. Not to say there may not be also food issues going on but there could be more than one problem.

Also, I believe hydrolized protein diets are over the assumption the problem might be about meat but some cats are intolerant to something else. Like my own cat has several different grain intolerances and some hydrolized protein diets involve one of those grains.

 

[Laurie H]

Thank you for your responses! We're on Day 6 and I think her behavior may be very slowly improving. The Purina HA's 1st ingredient is Rice Flour, which I think causes her skin to be itchy (new issue not seen on her Purina L.I. grain-free food), so I'm thinking of making a very slow transition to Blue's hydrolyzed grain-free, as that is the only grain-free hydrolyzed option.

Still 'body crunching' at times, but I think less. Stools are well-formed, but yes they do have hair in them (even though I brush her daily), so may add a hairball remedy, too. Meds aren't an option for her, as she is a love bug until I try to medicate her and then she turns almost feral... flea free, indoor only.