starting cat on an elimination diet due to suspected food allergy

[kittensx4]

Just checked their food and no soy listed in any of them. All their food is grain free so I didn't suspect to see it. So for now we know it isn't that at least!

 

[huxleysmom]

Adorable!!!

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Interesting about the soy. I will need to check into that. And what a precious baby! Here's my brat!

 

[kittensx4]

Thanks

 

[lisahe]

View attachment 185167
Interesting about the soy. I will need to check into that. And what a precious baby! Here's my brat!

What a sweet cat! He reminds me a little of our cat who had lots of food issues, too, she's what taught me about how to feed a cat properly. (We had no clue when we adopted her and learned about feline nutrition and food sensitivities the hard way...)

I agree with huxleysmom on the soy: it's a good one to avoid since it can cause sensitivities. There's a bit about soy on catinfo.org, here's the link, though you'll need to search soy on the page to find it. Dr. Pierson puts soy on the list of the most hyperallergenic ingredients in cat food. I trust her more than the pet food sites that defend their use of soy!

 

[kittensx4]

What a sweet cat! He reminds me a little of our cat who had lots of food issues, too, she's what taught me about how to feed a cat properly. (We had no clue when we adopted her and learned about feline nutrition and food sensitivities the hard way...)

I agree with huxleysmom on the soy: it's a good one to avoid since it can cause sensitivities. There's a bit about soy on catinfo.org, here's the link, though you'll need to search soy on the page to find it. Dr. Pierson puts soy on the list of the most hyperallergenic ingredients in cat food. I trust her more than the pet food sites that defend their use of soy!

Wow no matter how much I research I am always learning something new. I didn't know soy was such an issue. I am definitely going to discuss with the vet. Still hoping beyond hope the allergies are seasonal and not food related. Thanks for the info

 

[kittensx4]

And thanks, he is SUPER sweet.

 

[huxleysmom]

Soy and any type of legumes as they are ultimately from the same family. Give peas to Huxley and the vomiting is inevitable! I tried other legumes like chick peas or red lentil (which seems to be what companies are teying to replace peas with) and poor Huxley had really bad stomach cramping/convulsions so bad it would actually make him jump off my lap. Poor thing

What a sweet cat! He reminds me a little of our cat who had lots of food issues, too, she's what taught me about how to feed a cat properly. (We had no clue when we adopted her and learned about feline nutrition and food sensitivities the hard way...)

I agree with huxleysmom on the soy: it's a good one to avoid since it can cause sensitivities. There's a bit about soy on catinfo.org, here's the link, though you'll need to search soy on the page to find it. Dr. Pierson puts soy on the list of the most hyperallergenic ingredients in cat food. I trust her more than the pet food sites that defend their use of soy!

 

[kittensx4]

Soy and any type of legumes as they are ultimately from the same family. Give peas to Huxley and the vomiting is inevitable! I tried other legumes like chick peas or red lentil (which seems to be what companies are teying to replace peas with) and poor Huxley had really bad stomach cramping/convulsions so bad it would actually make him jump off my lap. Poor thing

Huxleysmom-
How awful! What are you feeding now?

 

[kittensx4]

Huxleysmom-
How awful! What are you feeding now?

Oh also, Runts redness and itching is in on top of his head in the area between his eyes and ears. I dont see any other problem areas. Is that where you noticed the problem on Huxley?

 

[lisahe]

Soy and any type of legumes as they are ultimately from the same family. Give peas to Huxley and the vomiting is inevitable! I tried other legumes like chick peas or red lentil (which seems to be what companies are teying to replace peas with) and poor Huxley had really bad stomach cramping/convulsions so bad it would actually make him jump off my lap. Poor thing

It's just crazy that companies are putting this stuff into cat food: cats' bodies just aren't made to process them. I refuse to feed any legumes at all, they're just cheap fillers and/or a poor substitute for meat protein. I'll be interested in what your vet says about soy, kittensx4 , since a lot just don't recognize how bad these plant-based proteins can be. I'm glad we got a new vet for our new and that she likes to talk about meat protein!

Oh also, Runts redness and itching is in on top of his head in the area between his eyes and ears. I dont see any other problem areas. Is that where you noticed the problem on Huxley?

Brooksie had itching that was mostly on her stomach and leg: she stripped off all the fur. The vet thought it was stress grooming but I figured out later that she had food problems--she scratched other places a lot, too, had chin acne as well as digestive issues.

 

[huxleysmom]

I feed him Hill's science sensitive stomach, although it has grains and I am not sure I'll continue with that, especially since Huxley also has stomatitis and grains tend to promote inflammation. However, at some point poor Huxley had completely stopped eating so the vet and I tried to find a food he would a) eat and b)keep down. Once I wean him off, if I see inflammation in his mouth coming back, I'll switch him to wet only. It is however the only dry food I found that had no soy, no legumes and pork as the main protein. It does have corn and wheat though
For wet, he eats Hounds and Gatos pork. It's just pork and salmon oil. Wild calling and Hounds and gatos do single protein foods that are pretty good. I was also going to try Ziwi peak, but they have chickpeas.
Huxley had multiple allergic reactions, but he never pulled his hair or over groomed. Here are his symptoms:

Skin related:
-Scratching neck and area between forehead and ears (that area became quite thin of hair)
-chewing his back paws (though this could be because his attempts at grooming his back nails are unssuccessful because my baby has no teeth!) However, he is not doing it as much now.
-rapidly spreading chin acne (most recent symptom)

Ears:
-nasty, fast growing black gunk in his ears. I needed to clean then every day or every other day to avoid crazy ear scratching, head shaking and if left alone eventually ear infections.

Respiratory:
-bad wheezing
-nasal congestion
-frequent sneezing

GI system:
-frequent vomiting after eating
-frequent lip licking (nausea)
-loss of appetite/refusal to eat when it got bad)
-constipation (with the last food only)


Right now, all he has is some sneezing a few times a day. The true test is weaning him off of steroids! Fingers crossed!

Oh also, Runts redness and itching is in on top of his head in the area between his eyes and ears. I dont see any other problem areas. Is that where you noticed the problem on Huxley?

 

[huxleysmom]

It is really bad, and it's everywhere! I think overall I only found 2 dry food that had no soy or legumes, but one was chicken protein so that was out. There are a few more options with wet, but I struggled to find a wet food that was trully pork only. Most had also turkey or fish. He can handle fish oil, but I haven't tried fish yet as it came up as positive on his allergy testing. One food brand even had a ton of fruits like bananas and berries!

It's just crazy that companies are putting this stuff into cat food: cats' bodies just aren't made to process them. I refuse to feed any legumes at all, they're just cheap fillers and/or a poor substitute for meat protein. I'll be interested in what your vet says about soy, kittensx4 , since a lot just don't recognize how bad these plant-based proteins can be. I'm glad we got a new vet for our new and that she likes to talk about meat protein!


Brooksie had itching that was mostly on her stomach and leg: she stripped off all the fur. The vet thought it was stress grooming but I figured out later that she had food problems--she scratched other places a lot, too, had chin acne as well as digestive issues.

 

[kittensx4]

I feed him Hill's science sensitive stomach, although it has grains and I am not sure I'll continue with that, especially since Huxley also has stomatitis and grains tend to promote inflammation. However, at some point poor Huxley had completely stopped eating so the vet and I tried to find a food he would a) eat and b)keep down. Once I wean him off, if I see inflammation in his mouth coming back, I'll switch him to wet only. It is however the only dry food I found that had no soy, no legumes and pork as the main protein. It does have corn and wheat though
For wet, he eats Hounds and Gatos pork. It's just pork and salmon oil. Wild calling and Hounds and gatos do single protein foods that are pretty good. I was also going to try Ziwi peak, but they have chickpeas.
Huxley had multiple allergic reactions, but he never pulled his hair or over groomed. Here are his symptoms:

Skin related:
-Scratching neck and area between forehead and ears (that area became quite thin of hair)
-chewing his back paws (though this could be because his attempts at grooming his back nails are unssuccessful because my baby has no teeth!) However, he is not doing it as much now.
-rapidly spreading chin acne (most recent symptom)

Ears:
-nasty, fast growing black gunk in his ears. I needed to clean then every day or every other day to avoid crazy ear scratching, head shaking and if left alone eventually ear infections.

Respiratory:
-bad wheezing
-nasal congestion
-frequent sneezing

GI system:
-frequent vomiting after eating
-frequent lip licking (nausea)
-loss of appetite/refusal to eat when it got bad)
-constipation (with the last food only)


Right now, all he has is some sneezing a few times a day. The true test is weaning him off of steroids! Fingers crossed!

Oh the poor baby! It is so hard when they aren't well. I worry so much. I keep telling my husband these cats are going to be the death of me! I had no idea poor Huxley has gone through so much. So sorry. How old is he? And if you don't mind my asking, why no teeth? I will tell you I have tried wild calling chicken and hounds and Gatos chicken but my picky brats don't like either! I am wanting to take your advice to try a new protein, maybe rabbit before starting the official elimination trial. It just makes me so nervous cause I have a couple pickers when I try doing that. Oh....see, they are going to be the death of me!

 

[kittensx4]

It is really bad, and it's everywhere! I think overall I only found 2 dry food that had no soy or legumes, but one was chicken protein so that was out. There are a few more options with wet, but I struggled to find a wet food that was trully pork only. Most had also turkey or fish. He can handle fish oil, but I haven't tried fish yet as it came up as positive on his allergy testing. One food brand even had a ton of fruits like bananas and berries!

Oh my goodness banana! Give me a break. What are some of these companies thinking??? Mine are currently on castor and p ollux and merrick for wet and nature's recipe dry.

 

[huxleysmom]

Oh my goodness banana! Give me a break. What are some of these companies thinking??? Mine are currently on castor and p ollux and merrick for wet and nature's recipe dry.

I know right! I was like bananas?! What am I feeding him a fruit salad?!

 

[huxleysmom]

The poor thing did hit the jackpot with his reactions! Although I was thankfull he wasn't scratching himself raw or losing all of his hair! I was worried sick, but my vet was excellent. She answered all of my franctic phone calls, and trust me there were many, researched food for me... she was great!
I'm bringing him in to do some bloodwork today to check the steroids have not affected his liver or sugar levels.
I did not do what your vet calls an elimination trial (meaning I didn't do a hydrolized diet or soy diet). Although singling out one protein at a time is effectively an elimination trial. The only thing is you have to stick to the same food for a while and see how that goes. No cheating. No treats or flavored medications. I was lucky since Huxley got almost instantly better on this food, though I tried what feels like dozens before!
Huxley had all of his teeth removed because he has stomatitis. It's a disease that attacks their teeth and gums and all of their mouth and back of the throat tissues. They get really bad inflammation and sores. It's very painful, the cats often stop feeding as eating hurts too much, and most of the time the only solution is full teeth extraction. He jad it done before I adopted him, but what the shelter did not tell me however is that the condition can return, even after that. I was so focused on that when I got him, little did I know this would be the last of my worries, at least for now. They don't know muh about the disease and how it starts, they say it is an auto immune illness, but some vets say it could be triggered by allergies, which would make sense in his case. Huxley is 5. They have no idea how long he has been living with all of these issues, but I have a feeling that's why he was abandonned.

Oh the poor baby! It is so hard when they aren't well. I worry so much. I keep telling my husband these cats are going to be the death of me! I had no idea poor Huxley has gone through so much. So sorry. How old is he? And if you don't mind my asking, why no teeth? I will tell you I have tried wild calling chicken and hounds and Gatos chicken but my picky brats don't like either! I am wanting to take your advice to try a new protein, maybe rabbit before starting the official elimination trial. It just makes me so nervous cause I have a couple pickers when I try doing that. Oh....see, they are going to be the death of me!

 

[kittensx4]

The poor thing did hit the jackpot with his reactions! Although I was thankfull he wasn't scratching himself raw or losing all of his hair! I was worried sick, but my vet was excellent. She answered all of my franctic phone calls, and trust me there were many, researched food for me... she was great!
I'm bringing him in to do some bloodwork today to check the steroids have not affected his liver or sugar levels.
I did not do what your vet calls an elimination trial (meaning I didn't do a hydrolized diet or soy diet). Although singling out one protein at a time is effectively an elimination trial. The only thing is you have to stick to the same food for a while and see how that goes. No cheating. No treats or flavored medications. I was lucky since Huxley got almost instantly better on this food, though I tried what feels like dozens before!
Huxley had all of his teeth removed because he has stomatitis. It's a disease that attacks their teeth and gums and all of their mouth and back of the throat tissues. They get really bad inflammation and sores. It's very painful, the cats often stop feeding as eating hurts too much, and most of the time the only solution is full teeth extraction. He jad it done before I adopted him, but what the shelter did not tell me however is that the condition can return, even after that. I was so focused on that when I got him, little did I know this would be the last of my worries, at least for now. They don't know muh about the disease and how it starts, they say it is an auto immune illness, but some vets say it could be triggered by allergies, which would make sense in his case. Huxley is 5. They have no idea how long he has been living with all of these issues, but I have a feeling that's why he was abandonned.

Well if that is why he was abandoned, that is why sometimes I hate people. And his story makes me so sad, but I am glad you found him and are clearly an excellent mom for him. And, oddly enough our babies are both 5! Runt is scratching raw but my luckily only in the one spot and the allergy pills have stopped that. His little head looked pretty good this morning. I just hope it stays that way!!!

 

[huxleysmom]

Yes. Poor Huxley has had a bit of a hard start in life. Hopefully it'll be over soon. He is my first cat ever so this has been a baptism of fire for me. It's been challenging for sure, but I love my boy and was determined to find a solution for him. I hope Runt will stay well. A seasonal allergy would be much easier to deal with for you!
fi

Well if that is why he was abandoned, that is why sometimes I hate people. And his story makes me so sad, but I am glad you found him and are clearly an excellent mom for him. And, oddly enough our babies are both 5! Runt is scratching raw but my luckily only in the one spot and the allergy pills have stopped that. His little head looked pretty good this morning. I just hope it stays that way!!!

 

[kittensx4]

Yes. Poor Huxley has had a bit of a hard start in life. Hopefully it'll be over soon. He is my first cat ever so this has been a baptism of fire for me. It's been challenging for sure, but I love my boy and was determined to find a solution for him. I hope Runt will stay well. A seasonal allergy would be much easier to deal with for you!
fi

Fingers crossed . I am nervous to go home each day about how he will look. He is about normal, as of this morning. Soon then we will stop the allergy pills and see if the itch and redness comes back. I am so nervous!

 

[huxleysmom]

I know the feeling. Everytime I hear a noise that could be him wheezing, I mute the tv and listen carefully to see if it's coming from him or when I come back home the first thing I check is his back paws color. If they are brown-ish, he chewed at them again!
You're a good mom too for Runt. He's lucky to have you. You'll figure it out I'm sure.

Fingers crossed . I am nervous to go home each day about how he will look. He is about normal, as of this morning. Soon then we will stop the allergy pills and see if the itch and redness comes back. I am so nervous!