There are few things more frustrating than trying to help your cat when they’re suffering from some sort of allergy. The cat is itching and scratching and obviously uncomfortable. Pretty soon you’re on a quest to find the best food for cats with allergies so your cat’s life—and yours—can go back to normal. However, before you head home carrying a few grocery bags full of the new cat food, let’s talk a little more about the topic of allergies in cats and how to assure that it’s really food:.
What Causes Allergies in Cats?
According to a 2018 report from Banfield Pet Hospital, cats are susceptible to three types of allergies: food, fleas, and environmental substances (such as pollen, dust, fabrics, cleaning solutions, and even cat litter). To make matters worse, some poor cats may suffer from multiple allergies simultaneously.
Tracking down the source of your cat’s specific allergy can be somewhat burdensome and expensive. To simplify, one should first begin with your vet. He would help determine exactly what is making your cat sick. This might not even be an allergy – instead, it might be a bacterial or fungal infection that causes skin irritation. At this point you will know exactly what is causing your kitty’s issue and you can start working to get your cat on the mend.
The Banfield study found that allergic reactions to fleas and to chemicals in the environment are on the rise, while food allergies are stable—and relatively uncommon, affecting only about 0.1 percent of cats. The study, based on 500,000 cats seen at Banfield clinics in the previous year, concluded that “food allergies in our pets are uncommon, and other causes of certain skin conditions should be investigated before pursuing a food allergy diagnosis.”
We spoke with Dr. Bruce Kornreich, director of the Cornell Feline Health Center, who explained that if cats do develop food allergies, it is usually an allergy to a protein. “We know that cats get food allergies, and in most cases, they are to the protein source,” Dr. Kornreich says. “The most common protein source is chicken.”. However, the only means by which it can be ascertained whether a cat indeed suffers from food allergy is if components of the diet are selectively eliminated and a food trial of the cat ensued.
Checking for a Food Sensitivity
While you’ll find fast tests for cat food allergies promoted online, the Cummings Veterinary Center at Tufts states categorically that they don’t work. Talk with your vet instead.
If your vet suspects your cat has a food allergy, they may ask you to switch your cat completely to a special prescription diet, called a hypoallergenic diet, for up to three months. The hypoallergenic diet is cat food that is composed of hydrolyzed proteins. This means the proteins have been broken down so that the cat’s immune system cannot detect any allergenic components. If the allergy symptoms disappear in the hypoallergenic diet but then return when the cat goes back to regular food, it’s pretty clear your cat has a food allergy.
At that point, your vet might ask you to cycle back and forth from the hypoallergenic diet and several limited-ingredient diets listed below to determine which protein caused the allergic reaction.
Food Allergies for Cats
You will probably go through an elimination diet to narrow down the problematic foods for your cat if they have food allergies. This is where a LID comes into play.
While many popular cat foods mix in multiple types of protein and fats (chicken and fish oil, beef and chicken, etc.), LID foods usually contain only one type of animal protein. Your vet may ask you to try a food that has beef but no chicken or fish, or one that has fish but no beef or chicken.
Sometimes your vet may recommend a single “novel” protein—a less frequent ingredient in commercial cat foods, such as venison, duck, alligator, or rabbit. The thought is that your cat probably has never encountered those proteins and would not have been exposed to a chance to become sensitized. Whether you’re feeding your cat limited-ingredient cat foods or limited-ingredient cat foods with novel proteins, it’s going to take some time and perseverance.
If you are testing your cat for a chicken allergy, that means absolutely no chicken—not [only] in foods, but no treats with any chicken during the food trial,” Kornreich says.
We’ve combed the market for hypoallergenic and limited ingredient diet foods for cats with food allergies and have come up with both dry and wet foods from several well-regarded brands, as well as some treats. For the hydrolyzed protein formulas, which are considered hypoallergenic, you will need to provide a prescription or your veterinarian’s contact information in order to purchase.
