Only 10 15 percent of all cat allergic reactions are caused by food.
Cat food allergies symptoms.
Affected cats may develop recurrent infections of both the skin and ears.
Consider using grain free food options with single source proteins.
If your cat has food allergies or food intolerance you may notice some of the following signs.
Symptoms in cats and dogs.
About 10 of allergic cats have a food allergy.
The symptoms of cat food allergy are similar to other types of allergies.
An allergic cat will typically display the following symptoms.
Sometimes cats have reactions to foods they ve eaten only one time in a small amount.
Food allergies in cats are quite common and happen when your cat is sensitized to a particular food which causes reactions within the antibody structure.
Food allergies can develop at any time during a cat s life typically causing chronic year round itching and skin inflammation.
If your cat vomits frequently has diarrhea irritated skin a poor coat condition or hair loss then she may have a food allergy.
Cats can develop food allergies at any age and whether they have been eating the same food for years or have recently started eating something new.
If your pet has a food allergy you may notice.
Other times cats have prolonged issues from steady exposure to something in their regular diet.
To diagnose a food allergy your cat must be fed either a novel ingredient diet e g duck and potato or a hydrolyzed food and nothing else but water for six to eight weeks.
When ruling out food allergies it is best to start with protein sources.
Food allergies in pets can begin at any age.
While chicken is the most common protein allergy for cats some may also be allergic to fish beef lamb and or pork.
Symptoms of food allergy in cats irritated itchy skin that does not respond to steroid treatment.
Food allergies are diagnosed by performing a food trial and managed through the long term feeding of a food that does.
The only way to diagnose a food allergy is to feed your cat a prescription or hydrolyzed protein diet exclusively for 12 weeks that means no flavored medications or treats.
This diet will be free of potential allergy causing ingredients and will ideally have ingredients your cat has never been exposed to before.
Also known as allergic dermatitis this is the most common type of allergy in pets.
Irritated itchy skin can happen.
However unlike seasonal or environmental allergies cat food allergies are much more difficult for a veterinarian to diagnose and treat because there is no accurate fast diagnostic test.
Cat food allergy symptoms.
The most common symptoms of a food allergy or food intolerance are digestive upset or skin irritation.
Cat food allergy is common in pets and most frequently cats are allergic to foods such as corn beef or soy.
The main symptoms of food allergies in cats are as follows.
As a pet owner your first step should be recognizing common cat food allergy symptoms.