If you suspect your cat has allergies, it’s a good idea to see if there are any cat allergy symptoms in your cat.
Allergy Symptoms in Cats
If your cat has allergies, he may display various symptoms that may include:
- Severe scratching, caused by the itchiness; the cat may scratch his skin until causing bleeding or infections
- Sneezing, if the allergies are caused by inhalants such as smoke, pollens or grasses
- Coughing and respiratory problems
- Wheezing
- Watery and irritated eyes
- Nasal watery discharge
- Skin irritations, rashes or dermatitis
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Common secondary bacterial or fungal infections (on the skin or ears)
- Hair loss
- Dull coat
- Excessively dry or oily skin
Not all these symptoms may occur in your cat. The symptoms depend greatly on the source of allergies and on how weak your cat’s immune system is. The allergies are an overreaction of the immune system to different allergens or antigens.
In the case of food allergies, the cat may only display digestive problems such as vomiting and diarrhea; these symptoms will also be present if the cat is allergic to intestinal worms and parasites.
If your cat is allergic to flea bites, the allergies will be developed on the skin only. If the cat develops contact allergies, there will be skin irritations at the point of contact.
Inhalant allergies may cause different symptoms, present on the skin, eyes, nose or respiratory system.
These common cat allergy symptoms may be misleading, as they may point to a common cold or a skin or intestinal disease. For this reason, the cat needs to be tested to determine what causes these symptoms.
Diagnosing Allergies in Cats
The inhalant allergies may be easily detected by performing an intradermal testing or a blood test.
Fleas or intestinal parasites may also be identified through running a number of specific tests.
The food allergies are more difficult to detect, as the cat’s food contains a lot of ingredients and several food trials are needed to determine the allergen.
Treating Cat Allergies
The allergy treatment depends on the allergens causing the negative reactions. Avoiding the culprit allergen is the most efficient treatment option; however, if this is not possible, the cat may receive allergy shots, antihistamines or steroids.
As the allergy symptoms are a negative reaction of the immune system, some supplements and vitamins to support the immune system may also be prescribed.
Alternative medicine treatments may also be recommended.
In addition to the treatment options for allergies, there are also a few things you can do at home. The skin pores may be a way of access of the allergens, so keeping your cat clean may reduce the allergic reactions. In addition, air purifiers and a clean home can also reduce the cat’s symptoms dramatically.