As like humans, cats are sensitive to allergies. Identification of cat allergies is very important for taking care of a cat. Without the identification of allergy types, medication can cause the death of your cat. Let’s know how to identify cat allergies, what preventions you have to take for keeping your cat healthy and how you will treat it if your cats have already got allergies.
Types of cat’s allergies
Cats can suffer from allergies like humans triggered by various environmental, food, or contact factors. The main type of allergies found in cats are described in below:
1.Allergies in food:
There are some proteins that are allergic to cats. They are –
Fishes: Salmon, Cod, Tuna, catfish, and some Seafoods. Allergies from fish are common for cats. It may vary from cat to cat.
Meats: meat allergies are rare for cats but nowadays maximum cats are used to cat foods for this reason they can’t tolerate some meats. The most common meats which are allergic to cats are beef, turkey, ducks, mutons, lamb, rabbit, and some bird meat.
Dairy and eggs: This type of intolerance is very hard to see. The most common dairy products which are responsible for allergies in cat are given below:
- Cow milk
- Butter
- Yogurt
- Cheese
Some eggs such as duck’s egg, Koel’s egg are allergens for some cats.
Carbohydrates: Some whole grains such as barley, wheat, Corn are perform as an allergen to some cats. They can’t tolerate this.
2.Allergies from fleas:
Flees are the most common factor for dermatological allergies. This type of allergies are known as Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD). This type of allergic reaction happens due to saliva of flees when bitten.
3.Environmental Allergies:
Environmental allergens such as pollens, dust mites, molds, grasses, and some toxic indoor plants are responsible for allergic reactions in cats.
4.Inhalant allergies:
Airborne allergens such as performs, cigarettes, smoke, or cleaning sprays are another cause of cat allergies. Inhaling these allergens can cause serious irritation in cats.
5.Allergies due to drug and vaccination:
These types of allergies happen due to the reaction to drugs and vaccination. Intolerance of drug side-effects is the cause of this type of irritation.
Signs and Symptoms
Allergies show various signs with its varieties.
Food-related allergies show itchy skin, especially on the face, ears, or paws, vomiting, or diarrhea, ear infections, dyspepsia or indigestion as symptoms.
Flea Allergy Dermatitis gives the sign of severe itching, especially near the tail area, red or inflamed skin, or scabs, excessive hair loss.
Environmental allergies can happen all around the year or seasonally. These types of allergies show symptoms like itching (seasonally or year- round), excessive grooming, leading to bald spots, sneezing, or watery eyes in some cases.
Contact allergies are a special type of allergy that happens due to contact with irritants like cleaning products, fabrics, or plants. The signs of contact allergies are localized itching or redness, swelling, or irritation at the contact site. Some common triggers are detergent shampoo, rubber, or certain materials in this case.
The main symptoms of inhalant allergies are sneezing, coughing, or wheezing. In severe cases, it gives respiratory distress symptoms.
Drug or vaccine-generated allergies give the symptoms as swelling at the injection area, vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy, Anaphylactic shock in rare cases of emergency situation.
Diagnose for cat’s allergies
For diagnosing allergies in cats, we have to maintain a systematic process. Diagnosing allergies often requires a combination of physical examinations, medical history reviews and diagnostic tests. Let’s know, how you can identifies the cause of a cat’s allergies:
1.Detailed medical history:
You have to know detailed history about your cat. You must have to sure about these followings:
When allergic symptoms begin and if they are seasonal or not or year- round.
How your cat reacts with changes in diet, environment, or exposure to new substances.
What type of flea prevention routine you maintain.
What is the breed of your cat?
What is the family history of allergies in that breed?
These help you to narrow down the potential allergens for your cat.
2.Physical examination:
For identifying visible signs of allergic reactions, there are no alternatives to physical examination. In physical examination, you have to ensure skin issues such as: redness, scabs, rashes, or hair loss, signs of excessive grooming (licking or biting). Clear evidence of flea bites or flea dirt, or swelling in a particular area of skin, sneezing, or watery eyes.
3.Flea Allergy diagnose:
You can use a flea removal comb to check for fleas or flea dirt. If you find any flea allergy symptoms, you can try a flea prevention treatment. If symptoms improve after eliminating fleas, then it is FAD.
4.Food allergy diagnosis:
If your cat has symptoms like food allergy, then you have to ensure which food ingredients are responsible for allergic reactions. To find out you have to eliminate diet trials immediately. And feeding a limited-ingredient or hypoallergenic diet for 8-12 weeks. After that slowly or gradually reintroduce proteins to identify triggers.
If you found improvement on the hypoallergenic diet, confirm food allergies.
5.Environmental allergy diagnose:
Environmental allergy can be identified in two ways:
Intradermal skin testing: small amounts of allergens are injected into the cat’s skin to observe reactions.
Serum allergy Testing: a blood test measuring antibody levels to specific. It is less accurate than intradermal testing but useful in some cases. Positive results indicate sensitivity to specific environmental allergens.
6.Diagnostic Imaging or Biopsy:
If needed, you have to find out other skin conditions or Systemic diseases mimicking allergies, such as fungal infections or autoimmune disorders.
Treatment:
The main concept of treatment of allergies in cats focuses on managing symptoms and reducing exposure to allergens. And the exact treatment depends on the type of allergy. The common treatments brief in bellow:
1.Food allergies:
Transfer your cat to a limited ingredients diet or hypo allergenic diet.
Eliminates suspected allergens. To find out suspected allergens, conduct or run a dietary trial for 8-12 weeks.
Then gradually reintroduce proteins and keep out the allergen proteins.
In the long term, keep your cat on an allergen free diet.
2.Environmental allergies
Use antihistamines to manage itching and inflammation.
Provide omega-3 fatty acid supplements to improve skin health.
Regular baths with hypoallergenic or medicated shampoos to remove allergens from the skin.
Run immunotherapy to specific allergens identified through testing.
3.General symptoms relief :
Medications:
Corticosteroids: For severe inflammation or itching (short-term use).
Antihistamines: For mild to moderate itching.
Ciclosporin (Atopica): For chronic skin allergies and inflammation.
Topical treatments:
Use medicated shampoos for soothing and cleaning the skin.
Use sprays or ointments for localized irritation.
Supplements:
Omega-3 fatty acids to support skin health and reduce inflammation.
4.Flea allergy Dermatitis:
Regularly use flea control products.
Treat the home environment by vacuuming, washing bedding, and using flea sprays.
Use corticosteroids or antihistamines to reduce itching and inflammation.
Prevention Tips:
Prevention is key to healthiness. Before your cat gets sick, consider these preventive measures:
Provide a playful environment to reduce stress, which can worsen allergies.
Groom your cat regularly to keep their skin healthy and remove allergens.
Monitor for early signs of allergies.
When to See the Vet:
Chronic itching, hair loss, or skin infections.
Gastrointestinal symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea.
Difficulty breathing or severe swelling (possible emergency).