Of all of the reasons why your pet cat may develop an allergy, cat food is one of the most common. Pet food allergies can develop suddenly or may build in intensity over the course of months or even years. What may start out as a sensitivity to a particular type of food can oftentimes turn into a full blown allergy for reasons that are as yet difficult to determine.
The key to dealing with your pet's allergy is to figure out the specific ingredient or ingredients in his food that are prompting his allergic reaction. If you and your vet are able to do that through elimination diets and other allergy tests, you'll then be able to choose a proper food alternative for your cat to provide him with a healthy meal plan that doesn't bring about a negative reaction.
Types of Low Allergy Cat Food
There are a number of different types of low allergy cat food that
are available. These will typically be targeted toward specific types of
allergic reactions, and so each one is not necessarily interchangeable
for every cat. Working with your vet, you can determine the cause of
your pet's allergic reaction and then eliminate the ingredient that
offends his system from his diet.
The most common type of low
allergy cat food is a general hypoallergenic diet. This is designed to
cover a wider range of different food allergies, and typically is free
of the primary allergens:
- wheat
- rice
- soy
- beets
Additionally, general low allergy cat foods typically have no
artificial preservatives and no unnatural flavor enhancers or coloring
ingredients either.
More specific types of low allergy cat food
will usually have most of the normal ingredients in cat food but will
substitute out one at a time. If possible, it's usually preferable to
give your pet one of these types of food over the generic low allergy
one, as it will be more similar in taste to the food that he's used to
and the transition toward eating it will likely be smoother.
Benefits of Low Allergy Cat Food
For cats that suffer from food allergies, the inclusion of low allergy cat food in the appropriate way in their diet can reduce all of the following symptoms:
- Coughing and sneezing
- Nasal discharge
- Difficulty chewing
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
How to Change to a Low Allergy Cat Food
Cats are notoriously picky eaters, and it can be difficult to change from a standard food to a low allergy cat food, particularly if the taste is different. Plan to make the switch over a period of several weeks. Every few days, adjust the food that your pet eats at each meal so that there is a slightly higher percentage of the new low allergy food as compared with the old type of food. Eventually, your pet will eat mostly new food and then entirely new food, and he will not be aware of the difference.