Cat Food Allergies

Studies have shown that food allergies overall are the third most common type of feline allergy. Symptoms include Itchy, irritated skin and up to 15 percent of affected cats also exhibit gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting and diarrhea.

Food allergy symptoms include persistent scratching, skin lesions and hair loss which develop over a period of time. The cat’s immune system gradually mounts a defense against protein and carbohydrate that are present in most cat foods.

Since protein is essential for cat’s, a novel diet must contain protein, but it should be derived from a source which a cat has not been previously exposed to, such as venison, guineafowl or kangaroo. For carbohydrates, popular wheat, barley, and corn should be excluded from a novel or limited ingredient diet as chances are your cat has already been overexposed to them.

No two cats are alike and as a result, one cat might do well on novel protein like kangaroo cat food and another on duck or venison limited ingredient cat food. The key to food allergies is finding a novel protein and carbohydrate and patiently testing.