There are 3 common types of cat allergies. The symptoms cause discomfort and irritation to the cat but if untreated will manifest themselves into troublesome issues, such as skin sores, eye irritation or respiratory problems all of which can lead to serious infections.
An allergy is an immune reaction to an estrange substance call allergen. This substances or allergens may come from inside the organism or from the environment. The most commons are grass, pollen, flea saliva, dust, or even fabric. Allergens enter your pet’s body via inhalation, ingestion, injection, parasites, or touch.
The 3 most common cat allergies are food allergies, flea allergies, contact allergies and inhalant allergies.
Food Allergies
These develop over time after the cat has been fed the same diet repeatedly. Symptoms are scratching around the neck and head, hair loss, diarrhea, flatulence and in the odd case ear infections.
The most common meals that produce allergy reaction in cats are:
- beef
- eggs
- dairy
- chicken
- pork
- rice
Treatment in cases of food allergy is to perform a food elimination test trial. The cat will be given a special diet for a few weeks. Once the cat’s diet has stabilized other foods are introduced, one at a time, until the cat exhibits another reaction. This method will take up to 3 months to detect the food which began the issues. All treats must also be withheld until the food causing the reaction has been determined. To reduce allergy symptoms some other drugs are used too as antihistamines like Diphenhydramine and Chlorpheniramine, or steroids as Prednisone.
Flea Allergies
This is the most common of cat allergies. The allergen in this case is a protein in flea saliva which causes the reaction in the cat. A bite per month is enough to keep the symptoms. The first sign will be at the base of the tail but signs are often found around the head and ears. The cat will show loss hair from excessive scratching and digging or chewing and licking of the irritated areas. If not treated, secondary bacteria infection may appear.
Treatment will include a monthly spot on flea control medication as Frontline Plus Cat, or Advantage II for Cats.
Inhalant Allergies
These allergies are actually quite common and are caused by an overreaction to airborne particles such as mold, pollen, and dust mites. The reaction normally produces an itching sensation around the cats face, chest, stomach or feet. In cases that are somewhat more serious there are signs of upper respiratory distress, like wheezing or persistent sneezing.
Intense itching will also be treated with antihistamines (diphenhydramine or Chlorpheniramine), or steroids (prednisone). Topical preparations as Dermacool-HC Spray and Genesis Spray may be used too, but in many cases the skin lesions are so distributed in the body that this is impossible.
In these cases medicated shampoos are recommended as ALLERGROOM shampoo or Allermyl Shampoo.
Diet supplementation with omega fatty acids as Welactin Feline Softgels will also help to support skin and coat health, the immune system and overall wellness, including nervous system development and kidneys.