Hypoallergenic (wet?) food for allergy testing

[cejhome]

While chicken seems to be our Buddy's food issue, don't forget the possibility of weird food related allergies as well. Like above, we had one cat that was allergic to peas, and our other cat at that time was 100% allergic to grain. A few cats back (we usually adopt older kitties, so not as many years with them, but just as wonderful) we had one that has Stomatitis and was also allergic to anything chicken related or fish related - even fish oil in food.

Buddy started scratching about 3 weeks after we adopted him. We had him on high quality chicken & pumpkin. He scratched his ears bald! We took him off it immediately after we saw it wasn't just a day or two of scratching. The scratching started lessening after a couple days and all the fur has grown back. I recently added in Venison and a pork, both have potato starch, carrots and salmon oil but 95% meat. He started scratching a tiny bit, so I pulled him off both and went back to the rabbit LID (which he will eat, but doesn't like). I have added the venison back in again to see if it was a fluke - the pollen/dust has been very bad lately (no rain in almost 2 months), and we live on the border of a nature conservancy area - lots and lots of pollen and other outside allergens. Big allergen for both animals and people in the Fall is ragweed. That is finally diminishing so we will see. At least if I have to eliminate the venison which he loves, he will eat the rabbit LID (he won't eat the lamb I was using anymore).

Our Dermatologist vet mentioned the dry hydrolyzed protein food but Buddy will not eat dry food and is very picky on the wet food he will eat. Meanwhile, I have a few other brands/varieties of canned lamb and rabbit I am going to try. We have no specialty pet food stores here, but I was able to mail order a few cans of each from one on-line store.

Whatever you do - read and re-read the ingredients! It will be great and so easy if its chicken. If you find elimination of chicken doesn't work, the next common allergen is fish. Then who knows? Could be peas, potato, one of the other thickeners used in canned food, grain, etc... I feel for you!

If your kitty is scratching himself bald anywhere, I found (thanks to these forums) that plain virgin cold pressed coconut oil (the solid kind used for cooking) helped sooth the area. Just a tiny dab and rub it in gently. It is safe if ingested, too.

 

[lisahe]

Whatever you do - read and re-read the ingredients! It will be great and so easy if its chicken. If you find elimination of chicken doesn't work, the next common allergen is fish. Then who knows? Could be peas, potato, one of the other thickeners used in canned food, grain, etc... I feel for you!

A big "yes" to this. Just about any ingredient can cause problems for cats.

 

[gtw1980]

Thank you so much to whoever recommended Katkin We started with Oink, aiming to eliminate both chicken and any cereals or additives, and the results have been nothing short of revelatory.

He's a happy cat, his fur has grown back completely and his coat is thick, glossy and lustrous. He honestly looks like a completely different cat.

Every day he licks his bowl clean and he's been transformed from a slightly scrawny, itchy poor mite to a bona fide chonk!

We're now slowly trying to introduce a second (non-chicken) flavour and that seems to be going pretty well too.

Thanks for all the thoughtful advice, we're so happy to have improved his life

 

[verna davies]

Thats great news, thanks for letting us know.

 

[Alldara]

Congratulations wishing continued success with some other flavors

 

[gtw1980]

Strange and worrying couple of weeks. Having completely stopped overgrooming and his fur grown back beautifully, our baby is showing signs of regressing. He's washing a lot more and a couple of times now has spent 20-30 minutes repeatedly licking and biting at the same spots.

The fact that it completely stopped between when we changed him on to Katkin food minus any chicken or cereals in October and lasted until February, has got me wondering what the common theme could be and why it's starting again now. Is it seasonal? Something outside he doesn't come into contact with during winter but is again now spring is springing? Is it stress? Is he picking up food somewhere else that he's allergic to?

It's so hard to know, but it's so upsetting after five months when we thought we'd cracked it and he looked so happy and settled to be watching him obsessively licking and gnawing at his back and tail again. Where next?

 

[Alldara]

G gtw1980 Unfortunately, as he has allergies it may be both food related and seasonal.

Do you have a vacuum with a HEPA filter and an air filter with HEPA? Have the windows been open lately? He may need seasonal allergy meds.

 

[gtw1980]

G gtw1980 Unfortunately, as he has allergies it may be both food related and seasonal.

Do you have a vacuum with a HEPA filter and an air filter with HEPA? Have the windows been open lately? He may need seasonal allergy meds.

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. Yes we have a vacuum with a HEPA filter although not an air filter. The windows haven't been open for a while as it's still cold and wintry here, although he's venturing out a little more often as spring slowly arrives.

We've perhaps got a little complacent after five months of zero signs of overgrooming, perhaps we need to deep clean the whole house and wash all of his blankets at a high heat. So hard to know and so upsetting watching him agitated with himself again as he's such a loving, placid softy of a cat

 

[Alldara]

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. Yes we have a vacuum with a HEPA filter although not an air filter. The windows haven't been open for a while as it's still cold and wintry here, although he's venturing out a little more often as spring slowly arrives.

We've perhaps got a little complacent after five months of zero signs of overgrooming, perhaps we need to deep clean the whole house and wash all of his blankets at a high heat. So hard to know and so upsetting watching him agitated with himself again as he's such a loving, placid softy of a cat

Snow mould as the snow melts is a big allergen. I would keep him in until it's full spring if possible.

 

[FeebysOwner]

If you can, check to make sure that there have been no changes in the ingredients in Katkin.

Short of that, it could very well be seasonal, since it sounds like he does go outside, and you noted signs of spring are showing up.
Your vet previously also mentioned antihistamines. Were you ever able to get him to take them? If not, that may be something to try to see if it helps any, especially if this is a seasonal related allergy and your seasons have begun to change.

 

[gtw1980]

If you can, check to make sure that have been no changes in the ingredients in Katkin.

Short of that, it could very well be seasonal, since it sounds like he does go outside, and you noted signs of spring are showing up.
Your vet previously also mentioned antihistamines. Were you ever able to get him to take them? If not, that may be something to try to see if it helps any, especially if this is a seasonal related allergy and your seasons have begun to change.

Good point on the ingredients, I will check but I don't think so. He's also very skilful and letting himself into our neighbour's house (where he used to live before we adopted him) and stealing their cats' food. So who knows whether he's getting scraps that he might be allergic to, or how to prevent that.

Unfortunately he was extremely adept at resisting the antihistamines. If I powdered them up, he'd reject the food. If I slipped inside a chunk of meat, he'd identify it and spit it out. And holding his mouth open and popping it was such a struggle that it seemed to be causing more stress than it was worth.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Has he been going to the neighbor's house over the winter? If so, unless the neighbors changed what they are feeding their cats, it wouldn't seem as likely to be the cause. You might want to ask them about that.

You could look into compounding the antihistamine, with flavoring, to see if that might entice him to take them. I think they can even compound some allergy meds into a transdermal form. Or have you tried hiding the pill in something like pill masker or pill pockets. I am giving my cat one of her meds masked in bacon flavored pill masker, just enough to hide the pill and she - so far - is eating it willingly.

 

[verna davies]

I cant imagine any ingredients changing in Katkin but it could be worth you writing to them, they have a Katkin Club on FB, you might even have joined it. Have you given him a difference flavour recently.

 

[gtw1980]

Has he been going to the neighbor's house over the winter? If so, unless the neighbors changed what they are feeding their cats, it wouldn't seem as likely to be the cause. You might want to ask them about that.

You could look into compounding the antihistamine, with flavoring, to see if that might entice him to take them. I think they can even compound some allergy meds into a transdermal form. Or have you tried hiding the pill in something like pill masker or pill pockets. I am giving my cat one of her meds masked in bacon flavored pill masker, just enough to hide the pill and she - so far - is eating it willingly.

The pill pocket is a good suggestion, thank you, although I wonder whether it's possible to find one with zero chicken in the ingredients as we think that's what he's allergic to...

 

[FeebysOwner]

The pill pocket is a good suggestion, thank you, although I wonder whether it's possible to find one with zero chicken in the ingredients as we think that's what he's allergic to...

Not sure about any of the pill pockets not having some degree of chicken in them. But I do know for sure that the pill masker does NOT. Here is the product I use; it is also available through Chewy.com.
Amazon.com : TOMLYN Pill-Masker Original Bacon-Flavored Paste for Dogs & Cats, 4oz : Pet Supplies

 

[gtw1980]

Excellent success from the bacon-flavoured pill masker! Thank you for that suggestion, it worked a treat.

There's been another significant development, however. Ever since the itching and overgrooming started, our boy has been sensitive to being touched on his lower back, and twitches of flinches when your hand runs down his spine.

This has become more pronounced of late, to the point where the looks round sharply at your hand as if to say 'don't even think about it', as you're approaching that part of his back. His grooming continues to focus on his lower back and his tail – which he sometimes gets very aggressive with. The other day as I was watching him sitting looking out of the window, I noticed his back rolling and twitching involuntarily and the penny dropped – he may well have feline hypersthesia. Certainly, he has a lot of the symptoms – he drools a lot too.

We've booked an appointment for Monday morning to see what they think, but I think we may have made a breakthrough. Not sure why the grooming stopped for five months, but hopefully we can get some help from the vet. Any thoughts and advice welcome in the meantime.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I don't think there is any way to confirm FHS, but his behaviors could be related to allergies too. I hope the vet can give you some ideas on what to try that might help. Keep us posted.

 

[lisahe]

Has he been going to the neighbor's house over the winter? If so, unless the neighbors changed what they are feeding their cats, it wouldn't seem as likely to be the cause. You might want to ask them about that.

You could look into compounding the antihistamine, with flavoring, to see if that might entice him to take them. I think they can even compound some allergy meds into a transdermal form. Or have you tried hiding the pill in something like pill masker or pill pockets. I am giving my cat one of her meds masked in bacon flavored pill masker, just enough to hide the pill and she - so far - is eating it willingly.

One of our cats takes transdermal antihistamine. It's expensive but worth it since she's difficult to pill and has an inhaler, too.