What are food allergies?
Food allergies in cats
Symptoms
- Nonseasonal itching, especially on the front half of the body, head, face, ears, and neck
- Otitis externa – Itching and scratching can lead to inflammation and sometimes infection of the ears
- Excessive licking of the affected skin
- Papules (small, fluid-filled bumps) which eventually burst and crust over
- Hair loss (due to excessive scratching, grooming etc)
- Feline acne
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Food allergies can present with the same skin signs as environmental or seasonal allergies. In this picture below, there is fur loss, swelling of the skin, red and inflamed skin, fur discoloration, broken skin, scans and crusting as a result of food allergies:
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Avoid food that caused allergies, by switching to a homemade diet using novel ingredients (such as kangaroo) or the use of a commercial hypoallergenic one. If you are feeding a homemade diet it is important to ensure that your cat is receiving the correct nutrients in the diet.
- Corticosteroids to control itching. Unfortunately, not all cats will respond to this treatment.
- Antihistamines to control the itching.
- Antibiotics to treat skin infections caused by itching.