Please Do Not Do This! Allergy Elimination Site Warning

[valentine319]

@Selarah thank you for pointing this out.

The following is a site promoting just pork no supplements or anything for 4-6 weeks to figure out allergies. Please do not do this. It's not safe.

 

[daftcat75]

I think if and only if you are starting with an otherwise healthy adult cat (not a kitten!) and trying to track down a stubborn allergy, then it’s okay to feed an unbalanced diet for a few weeks. But I would start with a vet visit to determine that you have an otherwise healthy cat. And while I wouldn’t recommend repeating this diet frequently, I would repeat that vet visit before repeating this diet.

 

[Willowy]

Vets do sometimes recommend feeding something like chicken and rice for a month or so, to settle an angry digestive system or to determine allergies. So it's probably not extremely dangerous for that amount of time. But I think a LOT of disclaimers are needed to prevent people from doing it for a longer period!

 

[valentine319]

I think if and only if you are starting with an otherwise healthy adult cat (not a kitten!) and trying to track down a stubborn allergy, then it’s okay to feed an unbalanced diet for a few weeks. But I would start with a vet visit to determine that you have an otherwise healthy cat. And while I wouldn’t recommend repeating this diet frequently, I would repeat that vet visit before repeating this diet.

My concern was 4-6 weeks. It's also what you said. Vet visit needed to confirm no issues. Hare-today doesn't recommend more than 2 weeks unbalanced. There's another concern. Kitty has an issue the vet missed. But let's also add in it may not go as smoothly as some think. While some switch with no problem some do not. I have the fears that someone tries the waiting game coming from kibble and kitty doesn't eat.

Even if all goes well it takes time go get the allergens out. There could be a lot of progress in 2 weeks. There could be diarrhea. There could be very little progress because it's environmental. It could be food and allergies. There can be a bit more than some understand.

 

[FeralHearts]

WOAW what the helk!

BTW This is great timing. Thanks for posting it. I know there are a few of us on the site right now in the same boat as my Charlie is.

Charlie is about to start a food elimination trial - vet again. That is, once he's done his antibiotics. I think this is over 10 times now over the last three years. He is stubborn and WILL NOT allow me change his food. He'll starve himself. Not a joke. It's awful and I have no choice but to stop and let him go back to what he will eat. I can't tell you how many times I've been in tears over it.

Each time we've tried this - it's been with his vet. Each time it's been vet food. We have tried some pet store LID's with a fail. I'll even cook for him if the vet says there is no other way. No problem.

In saying that - the above food allergy trial in the first post is not something I would remotely consider - even with that fact changing his food has been an impossible task - and would no doubt question my vet to the point of insanity before I'd try that. My vet would probably fire me as their patient / of patient parent and that would not be a bad thing. Then again - my vet would never suggest that diet.

I read the article fully and she has some valid points later on - but she scores a big fat zero for suggesting a 4-6 diet of just pork.

 

[daftcat75]

My concern is that people get really stubborn about avoiding vet visits, myself included. So they start without ruling out other conditions or deficiencies and then they begin a deficient cat on a deficient diet.

Or they do get the green light from their vet but the elimination diet doesn’t help and they extend it out of stubbornness or restart it with another protein without feeding a balanced diet for a sufficient amount of time.

And what is that amount of time? If it doesn’t go as it should, there are so many ways it can go wrong.

But sometimes you’ve got a stubborn unhealthy cat where all the conventional wisdom and advice in the world isn’t getting him/her right again. Maybe this would be good for a reset when nothing else has worked. If symptoms clear up, you can begin supplementing with a mix to balance it out.

 

[sabian]

valentine319 If your cat goes missing....I had nothing to do with it!

Manny would eat bacon for a month....if I'd let him!

 

[valentine319]

valentine319 If your cat goes missing....I had nothing to do with it!

Manny would eat bacon for a month....if I'd let him!

I'm over here laughing. Yes someone would just buy lbs of bacon to feed them. "it's pork"