You even notice the scratching almost always after meals.
Vomiting and diarrhea are a weekly occurrence.
But still, after much deliberation, you can’t really figure out why.
She is even missing a patch of fur on her back. Her back eventually becomes red, swollen, and bloody because of his persistent licking. It looks painful, but Kitty keeps on scratching.
You think: “Gosh! I need to do something for my poor cat. Kitty is miserable!”
So, you ask an employee at the holistic pet store for advice. Then, you ask an employee at the regular pet store, too.
They simply say, “It could be anything. It’s probably something she’s eating.”
Wow!
Thanks for the great advice! You sound like my veterinarian.
You look for more information.
So, you start reading and paying attention to the ingredients in your cat’s food.
You become more and more confused.
Your veterinarian will look the same way if he asks you what she’s been eating and you just forget.
There have been so many different foods!
Two years, five dry foods, and ten different brands of canned foods later, your cat is pickier. And, her itching and scratching are back.
And you can’t remember anything about what you have fed your cat.
Do your cat and yourself a favor.
Start a food diary!
Eliminate cat food allergies today.
How to Make a Food Allergy History File for Your Cat
Keep the following records in your cat’s file:
- Diet History
- Allergy Test Results
- Food Elimination Trial Results
- Terms of the New Diet
Diet History
A written diet history will provide the information needed to identify the ingredients causing your cat’s allergic response.
Here’s what you need for a diet history form:
- What your cat eats (food, treats, medicines, and supplements)
- How much and when your cat eats
- Length of time the cat was on the diet (1 month? 1 year?)
- Your cat’s reaction to the food
- Food preferences
The more detail you provide, the better!
Arm yourself with a written diet history.
A written history will save time at the veterinarian’s office.
But most importantly, the information provided will help in solving your cat’s problem. Do yourself and your cat a favor and write this information down.
It will help you remember the details of your cat’s epic struggle.
Allergy Test Results
After reviewing your cat’s diet history, your veterinarian will likely perform a RAST test or a skin test.
The RAST and skin tests may or may not give clear results – the culprit of a cat food allergy is more difficult to determine than for breathing or skin allergies.
Save your results!
Food Elimination Trial Results
The next step is to perform a food elimination trial for 2-3 months.
Elimination Diet Ingredients:
- One novel protein source
- One carbohydrate source
- High protein digestibility
- Palatability
- No additives
- Low level of vasoactive amines (like histamine)
Record the results of the food trial in the same way you recorded the diet history.
Include:
- What your cat ate (food, treats, medicines, and supplements)
- How much and when your cat ate
- Length of time the cat was on the diet (1 month? 1 year?)
- Reaction to the food
- Food preferences
If your cat’s clinical signs did not improve, restart the elimination trial with different food.
If your cat’s clinical signs improved or disappeared, stay on the elimination diet for a few more months.
Then, reintroduce the old diet. If your cat has an allergic response, you can confirm a food allergy.
Terms of the New Diet
Keep a record of exactly what your cat eats and the ingredients allowed.
Keeping good records is important if you ever have a pet sitter or need to board your cat. It is also important because cats can develop allergies over time.
Unfortunately, you may need past feeding records to start another elimination diet in the future.
If you cook your cat’s food at home, include pictures of the finished product.
More Powerful Tools for Overcoming Cat Allergy Challenges
There are many quick and easy changes you can make at home to help you give your cat an edge on easing allergy challenges.
- Learn more about cat allergies.
- Switch to a Limited Ingredient Cat Food Recipe. PET | TAO Limited Ingredient Cat Food Recipe is naturally low in foods that stimulate an allergic response.
- Supplement with medicinal mushrooms. PET | TAO Complement Immune Supplement is a medicinal mushroom blend for easing inflammatory response and ease allergy symptoms.
- Try digestive enzymes and probiotics. PET | TAO Harmonize Gi boosts gut health and combats food allergens.
- Feed Freeze Dried Lung Treats. According to TCVM, Lung is on the same meridian as the skin. Therefore, lung treats help both breathing and skin allergies. Lung treats support lung and skin similar to a glandular supplement in a “like treats like” fashion.
- Learn more about TCVM Herbal Remedies. Chinese medicine offers many amazing natural solutions for cat allergies Some good examples are:
