What Is Cat Food Allergy?

Food allergies occur when there is hypersensitivity to certain components found in food. In cats these reactions mainly occur in the form of dermatological problems, although gastrointestinal, respiratory and central nervous system manifestations can be observed. Determining which substances cause your cat allergies will take time, patience and dedication, both on your part and on the part of the veterinarian.

How does food allergy manifest itself? 

Negative reaction to one or more components of the diet is called food hypersensitivity. This phenomenon originates in the immune system, which produces antibodies, such as antigens, the substances responsible for allergic reactions.

When your cat ingests a food that contains an unwanted substance, her immune system responds by releasing histamine. The main symptom of food allergy in cats is chronic itching,  which your pet will try to relieve by licking or nibbling the affected areas, which are mainly the muzzle and neck. It has been proven that between 10 and 20% of skin problems in felines are caused by food allergies.

Itching can occur along with:

• General redness of the skin
• Loss of hair
• Dermatitis
• Scabs
• Desquamation
• Ulcers
• Eosinophilic granuloma.

Also, due to the itchiness, cats tend to constantly lick the affected areas. The hair present in these areas tends to take on a reddish or oxidized color, due to the effect of saliva.

Other symptoms of food hypersensitivity in cats are:

• External otitis
• Inflammation of the eyelids and lips
• He retched
• Diarrhea
• Irritable bowel
• Colitis
• Hyperactivity
• Hyperesthesia
• Asthma
• Convulsions.

These symptoms can come on immediately or take some time to come out. And while potentially all components of your cat’s diet could cause him to be hypersensitive, protein is often the main cause of this problem.

Diagnosis and treatment of food allergies

Food is the third leading cause of allergies in cats.  The foods often responsible for this condition are dairy products, beef, fish, chicken, eggs, soy, corn and wheat. Some additives may also cause hypersensitivity.

To obtain a certain diagnosis, it will be necessary to carry out an accurate analysis of the animal’s diet and proceed to an eliminatory diet. Only in this way will it be possible to identify all the protein sources that compose it.

These diets aim to observe the cat’s reactions to various foods. In this way it will be possible to monitor any improvements following the reduction or elimination of a certain food. The ingredients that compose them are usually those ingested over a fixed period of time, which can be up to 10 weeks. For this reason, they must be balanced and complete.

To identify which protein is actually causing the negative reactions in your pet’s immune system, ” challenge” tests will have to be performed .

The treatment of food allergies in cats therefore consists in eliminating the foods that contain the protein responsible for the reactions. If the allergy persists, you will have to resort to special foods, which contain low molecular weight proteins. These are obtained through hydrolysis, which reduces the size of the protein molecules, until they are too small to cause allergic reactions.

You can also offer your pet food made from proteins from new sources. Since your cat’s cell receptors may not already be hypersensitive to these new proteins, these are unlikely to trigger allergic reactions.

In case your cat has allergic reactions to these proteins, keep in mind that it is best to avoid  extra servings, sweet snacks or leftovers from your food. It is also very important that the foods you feed your cat are stored in a cool and dry place.

In any case, remember that the vet will show you the best option to combat the problem and to prevent your cat from suffering allergic reactions again and enjoying a normal life.