Food Allergies in Cats

Food Allergies in Cats: Overview

A food allergy in cats is an adverse immune response that occurs when a cat’s immune system reacts excessively to a specific food substance that it has been exposed to before. These allergies are relatively rare in cats, estimated to affect around 1% of all cats and up to 15% of cats with persistent itching. Food allergies can manifest with various symptoms, primarily affecting the skin and, less commonly, the gastrointestinal tract.

Symptoms of Food Allergies in Cats:

Constant Itching: The most common symptom is persistent itching, which does not vary seasonally.
Skin-related Symptoms: This can include licking, scratching, overgrooming, biting, and the presence of skin lesions such as small crusts, redness, papules, self-induced trauma, self-induced hair loss, ulcerations, and plaques.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms: In some cases, food allergies can affect the gastrointestinal tract, leading to symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.

Causes of Food Allergies in Cats:

Food allergies can develop at any age, even if a cat has been consuming the same food for an extended period without issues.
Most food allergies in cats are related to an abnormal immune reaction to proteins in the food.
Common allergenic food sources include beef, fish, chicken, wheat, corn, dairy, lamb, egg, barley, and rabbit.

Diagnosis of Food Allergies in Cats:

Elimination Diet: The gold standard for diagnosis involves feeding the cat a strict hypoallergenic diet for 8 to 12 weeks to observe improvements in symptoms.
Hypoallergenic Diet: Ideally, a home-cooked diet with a protein source that the cat has never eaten before is used. However, commercial novel protein or hydrolyzed diets are often prescribed.
Trial-and-Error Process: If symptoms improve on the hypoallergenic diet, the old diet can be reintroduced, and individual ingredients are introduced one at a time to identify specific allergens.
Tests: While various tests exist (blood, hair, saliva), none have proven accuracy in clinical studies.

Treatment of Food Allergies in Cats:

Dietary Management: The primary treatment is providing a diet that does not contain any allergy-inducing ingredients. Prescription diets are often recommended for stricter quality control.
Symptomatic Treatment: Cats may be given low-dose corticosteroids to manage itching during the hypoallergenic food trial.
Addressing Secondary Infections: If there are secondary bacterial or yeast infections, they must be treated with antibiotics and/or antifungals.

Recovery and Management:

Timeline: Symptoms may take up to 10 weeks to resolve on an appropriate hypoallergenic diet.
Strict Dietary Management: Lifelong strict dietary management is essential to prevent the recurrence of symptoms.
Supplements: Supplements are generally not recommended, as hypoallergenic diets are formulated to be balanced and complete.

It’s crucial to work closely with a veterinarian to diagnose and manage food allergies in cats, as the process involves dietary trials and ongoing dietary management.