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Cat food allergies

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Diagnosing and managing food allergies and intolerances

Cats can have adverse food reactions, the most common being intolerances and allergies. As with humans, an intolerance will usually cause digestive issues in your cat. Allergies, on the other hand, are more likely to cause:

  • Skin issues (frequently)
  • Digestive issues (sometimes)
  • Respiratory issues (rarely)

Allergies are a common reason cat owners bring their fur babies in to see us. Your cat may develop an allergy at any age, to any number of triggers, e.g., flea bites, pollen, or a certain ingredient. Allergies are uncomfortable and, if left untreated, can cause complications and secondary infections.

Whether your cat has an intolerance or an allergy, the symptoms are similar, so identifying the root cause can be a challenge. Basically, an allergy is an immune system reaction that results in inflammation. The inflammation is what causes symptoms like:

  • Itching and redness:
    • Because cats have a rough tongue, they often lick themselves instead of scratching to relieve itching
  • Otitis:
    • Redness in the ears
    • Discomfort
    • Increased sebum in the ears
  • Skin lesions and scales:
    • This is a secondary symptom from licking to relieve itching
  • Increased hair loss
  • Diarrhea and vomiting if the digestive system is affected

Because an allergic reaction will make your cat’s skin and ears more sensitive, those body parts will also be more susceptible to infection. Infection can make treatment and management more complicated and expensive, so if you observe allergy symptoms in your cat, bring them to the clinic right away to keep things from getting worse.

When your cat’s adverse reaction is caused by a food, it’s called a food allergy. Treatment may seem pretty straightforward: Avoid contact with the possible allergen. But that’s easier said than done!

Why? Because you and your vet first have to determine which ingredient is causing the problem. Then you have to make sure it isn’t in the food, treats, and other little extras in kitty’s current diet.

But don’t worry! Our vet clinics also carry specialized foods formulated to effectively manage your cat’s food allergies. Your vet can tell you which of these hypoallergenic foods would be best for your feline friend.

Your veterinary team is in the best position to offer guidance in choosing a special diet for your allergic cat. They can also tell you how to combine kibble, canned food, and treats without triggering a reaction.

For more about food allergies in general, check out this post from Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, What every pet owner should know about food allergies.

Switching your cat to a hypoallergenic diet: How and why

The right ingredients
Carefully prepared and effective
Healthy skin

Ingredients chosen to minimize the risk of adverse food reactions

The most common cause of allergic reactions in cats is animal proteins like:

  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Fish

Some specialized veterinary foods counter this by incorporating sources of protein other than those usually found in commercial cat foods. Your allergic cat is less likely to be hypersensitive to these formulas.

Therapeutic hypoallergenic foods are carefully designed to provide the right balance of the right nutrients your little carnivore needs to thrive—no more, no less.

Another key therapeutic approach used in some hypoallergenic recipes focuses on the size of the protein molecules rather than their origin.

Your cat’s immune system triggers an allergic reaction when it detects protein molecules that it deems a potential threat.

One workaround is to “trick” their immune system by using proteins separated into small peptides (molecules made up of a combination of a limited number of amino acids) through an enzymatic process called hydrolysis. Your cat’s immune system will be unable to detect these molecules, and therefore won’t react.

Finally, hypoallergenic foods only contain highly digestible ingredients to make it easier for your cat to absorb the nutrients they contain, i.e.:

  • Proteins
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fatty acids
This reduces the risk that their presence in your cat’s digestive tract may cause an adverse reaction.

Subject to strict preparation rules and proven effective

The ingredients that make up these hypoallergenic veterinary foods are always the same from one bag to another and from one batch to another. They don’t change based on market availability or pricing, as some off-the-shelf kibble could.

Specialized diets designed to prevent adverse food reactions are also prepared according to stricter standards to prevent contamination with unwanted ingredients. This is especially important:

  • When doing a food elimination test to diagnose your cat’s allergies
  • To keep symptoms from coming back once your cat is feeling better

These foods are also subject to clinical trials to demonstrate their ability to improve the clinical symptoms of food allergies over the long term.

So when you feed your cat therapeutic food, you know it’s proven effective and will have a consistent composition.

Ingredients for healthier skin

Hypoallergenic foods contain all kinds of other ingredients with benefits for your allergic cat’s skin. These soothing components help keep kitty’s skin healthy and make it more resistant to the effects of adverse food reactions.

For instance, adding enough omega-3s (EPA and DHA) helps reduce inflammation caused by a food reaction. Vitamins such as biotin and niacin and minerals such as zinc help improve skin quality and strengthen its ability to protect against external irritants.

This can help ease your cat’s discomfort from all the itching and may reduce the risk of a secondary infection that could complicate their treatment plan. And as an added bonus, all those nutrients will have kitty’s coat looking great!

For more information, check out this article on Royal Canin’s website, Cat skin allergies.

Buy hypoallergenic food for your cat in our stores

Our Globalvet clinic stores carry a range of specialized cat foods, many of which are designed to provide relief from food allergies. Find the therapeutic formula that’s right for your four-legged friend. Shop online or in store.

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