Signs Of Allergic Reactions In Cats
When cats become ill with allergies, their eyes become swollen, their redness and mucus become irritated, and they vomit. It is frequently accompanied by a decrease in appetite and difficulty breathing. If allergies are not treated, they can lead to more serious problems such as anaphylactic shock. If you suspect any of these symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
What Is Food Allergy And How Is It Treated
Food allergies in cats are caused by an immune reaction to a food or food additive. The allergy most frequently develops in response to the protein component of the food for example, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. Vegetable proteins such as those found in corn or wheat, as well as food additives and preservatives, may cause food allergies in some cases. Food allergy may produce any of the clinical signs previously discussed, including itching, digestive disorders, and respiratory distress.
Food allergy testing is recommended when the clinical signs have been present for several months, when the cat has a poor response to steroids, or when a very young cat itches without other apparent causes of allergy. Testing is conducted by feeding an elimination or hypoallergenic diet. This means a diet in which the ingredients have not previously been fed to the cat . Because it takes at least eight weeks for all other food products to be removed from the body, the cat must eat the special diet exclusively for a minimum of eight to twelve weeks. If a positive response occurs, you will be instructed on how to proceed.
If the diet is not fed exclusively, it will not be a meaningful test. This means absolutely no treats, other foods, people foods, or flavored medications during this period. This cannot be overemphasized. Even accidentally providing a tiny amount of the offending protein can result in invalidating the test.
Checking For Signs Of Flea Allergies
Flea allergies are quite common for cats. Your veterinarian will check your cat for fleas at the appointment. Interestingly, because allergic cats overgroom, they may remove all or most of the fleas present, so your veterinarian might not see any fleas on your cat. But just because fleas are not seen does not mean they are not the cause for your cats skin disease.
Your veterinarian will ask if you are using monthly flea prevention. If you are not, they will recommend a product that you will apply to your cats skin monthly. Using an effective flea prevention and assessing your cats response to it will help to figure out if your cat is allergic to fleas.
It is especially important to use a veterinarian-recommended flea prevention every month to control fleas. This will not only treat and prevent a cats flea allergies, but it will also reduce any itching caused by fleas.
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Are There Any Hypoallergenic Cat Breeds
In short, no, there are no truly hypoallergenic cat breeds.
According to a study published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, there are no allergen-free or hypoallergenic cats. The study also explains that allergen production can vary significantly among cats, noting that male cats have been shown to produce three to five times fewer allergens after theyve been neutered. Similarly, female cats are generally known to produce fewer allergens.
That said, all cats are different, and its difficult to tell if a particular breed wont cause a reaction. It can be helpful to talk to veterinarians or a local cat club as youre trying to decide which cat breed is the right fit for you. Once youre ready to welcome a feline friend into your family, consider adoption from a local animal shelter or pet adoption event.
Additionally, some cats are considered better suited for people with allergies, such as those with minimal shedding and low grooming needs, including breeds like:
Always Consult A Doctor First
Before trying any of the suggestions listed above, consult your doctor. And if you plan to adjust your cats diet or lifestyle, talk to your vet.
Some people with more serious issues, such as asthmatic reactions to cats, shouldnt try exposure therapy because they might have a very severe response. So make sure you talk to your doctor and get an allergy test first.
Have you or anyone you know been able to overcome an allergy to cats? What helped you reduce symptoms? Let us know in the comments below!
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Clean The Litter Box Twice A Week
Cat Allergy And Newborns
If you are bringing home a newborn, keep your baby and cats apart for the first three months. Cats like soft cozy places to sleep, and babies sleep a lot in the beginning, so it is tempting for a cat to cuddle up in the bassinet. If your baby is premature , you need to be extra-careful to keep the cat away from your baby. A neonates immature lungs cannot cope with the irritating allergens produced by a cat.
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Picking The Right Breed
To have the greatest success it’s important to choose the right breed of cat to own. Several breeds of cat have far fewer allergy inducing dander and skin than other breeds. Cats that are safer for owners include Cornish Rexes, LaPerm, Oriental Shorthairs, and Devon Rex. These breeds are safer to own than other breeds when you are allergic to dander, because their fur has fewer layers. This means that there is less dander and less fur to fly around, so people with dander allergies are able to tolerate them much better.
The Sphinx cat, which is nearly hairless is one of the most popular breeds for people with dander allergies, while the Siberian is less likely to cause allergies for people allergic to the glycoprotein found in the saliva and skin, because their saliva has very low levels of Fel D1. There are nohypoallergenic cats cats that have been bred to show distinctive hypoallergenic traits, such as a lack of the allergy causing protein or different fur. Be wary of breeders or pet shops who make this claim.
How Cat Allergies Are Diagnosed
There are two ways to test for any allergy, including to cats: skin testing and blood tests. There are two types of skin allergy tests. A skin prick test and an intradermal skin test. Both tests give fast results and tend to cost less than blood tests.
Certain medications can interfere with skin testing, so talk to your doctor about which test is best for you. Skin testing is usually done by an allergist due to the possibility of severe reactions during testing.
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Can You Live With Cats If You Are Allergic
Yes, absolutely, although much depends on how severe your symptoms are. If you really suffer with a cat allergy then being near a moggy won’t make you happy but if your symptoms are mild or moderate, then you could try some simple steps to reduce the cause of the problem.
Using the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair, for example, will help to remove fur that could be coated with the Fed d 1 protein. You may also want to try different types of cat brushes to groom a kitty and ensure as much allergen-carrying hair is being removed as possible.
You may want to do this outdoors rather than risk spreading the protein inside your home and it could be an idea to wear goggles and gloves if you think you’re going to suffer. It’s a good idea, too, to ensure one or two rooms are cat-free.
You should also wash your hands if you touch a cat and ensure rooms are well ventilated. It’s a good idea to regularly wash cat bedding on a hot setting, too, and to wipe down surfaces in rooms where cats tend to roam. Consider allergen-trapping carpets and high-efficiency particulate air filters.
Use A Hepa Air Purifier
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What Are The Symptoms
Cat allergies can cause a variety of allergy symptoms. Some of the most common include:
- Inflammation: As your immune system tries to rid your body of the allergen, it incites inflammation. Your nose, sinuses, and eyelids may feel swollen and tender.
- Itching: This allergic response makes tissues itchy and may affect your eyes, nose, skin, throat, or even your tongue.
- Rash: For many people, cat allergies cause skin irritation that results in a red rash or hives. It often develops on the neck, chest, face, or where you touched the cat.
- Sneezing: Sneezing is one of the most common cat allergy symptoms. It may start as soon as youre around a cat or, if you have a mild allergy, it may only develop after a few hours of exposure.
- Coughing: For some allergy sufferers, cat allergies mean a nagging cough that may linger even after youre no longer around the feline.
- Wheezing: Because a cat allergy can cause inflammation to mucus membranes, it can result in wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
- Fatigue: When you have untreated allergies, it drains your whole system and can leave you feeling fatigued and exhausted.
How To Live With Allergies And Pets
Millions of people enjoy sharing their homes and their lives with pets, even those who are allergic to animals. Unfortunately, some people believe that once they are diagnosed with a pet allergy, they have no choice but to remove their pets from their family.
Thankfully, there are many solutions that can be explored that would allow an allergy sufferer to keep their beloved pets while successfully managing their allergies. You’d be surprised to know how many people with allergies that aren’t life-threatening are able to live happily with their pets.
In many cases, the benefits of having a pet outweigh the drawbacks of pet allergies.
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Wash Your Hands After You Pet Your Cat
What Is Inhalant Allergy Or Atopy
Inhalant allergy or atopy is not well understood in cats. In dogs and humans, atopic dermatitis generally refers to allergic reactions to environmental allergens such as pollens, grasses, molds, mildew, and house dust mites).
“Most cats that have an inhalant allergy are allergic to several allergens.”
Many of these allergies occur seasonally, such as ragweed, cedar, and grass pollens. However, others are with us all the time, such as molds, mildew, and house dust mites. When humans inhale these allergens, we express the allergy as a respiratory problem. In humans, atopy is also sometimes called ‘hay fever’. The cat’s primary reaction to atopy is severe, generalized itching.
Most cats that have an inhalant allergy are allergic to several allergens. If the number of allergens is small and they are seasonal, itching may last for just a few weeks at a time during one or two periods of the year. If the number of allergens is large or they are present year-round, the cat may itch constantly.
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Maintaining An Optimal Environment
The Future Of Human Cat Allergy Treatment May Be In Changing Cats With Food Vaccines Or Gene Editing
So far, only food is on the market.
Any cat lover who has watched an allergic friend react to a beloved pet knows the dark powers that lurk in that luxurious feline fur. Within minutes, an allergic human exposed to a cat can begin sneezing and wheezing. Eyes water and itch. The misery is obvious.
Solutions for people who want to be around cats despite allergies are labor-intensive, of questionable value, and sometimes defy common sense. How many emergency department trips would ensue if we all tried to give our cats frequent baths?
This predicament has triggered the imagination of researchers, who see a lucrative market for better solutions in a country that has more than 50 million cats in more than 20 million homes. Some scientists are now taking a different approach to human pet allergies. Rather than trying to change allergic humans or their environment, theyre trying to change cats.
Purina began the competition in the early days of the pandemic with a cat food Pro Plan LiveClear that it says can reduce the protein that most allergic people react to by 47% after three weeks.
This is really, in my mind as a veterinarian, a ground-breaking and revolutionary pet food, said Kurt Venator, Purinas chief veterinary officer. We truly believe this is going to help cats and people get closer together.
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How Can I Learn To Deal With Cat Allergies
If you or one of your loved ones are allergic to cats and are not helped by medication, what can you do? Other than replacing your loved ones or getting rid of your cat, there are some ways to reduce the effects of allergens in your home.
Image via Shutterstock
What Does A Food Allergy Look Like In Cats
The most common signs of a food allergy in cats are itchy skin and ear problems. Other signs can include vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. A food allergy is usually caused by an ingredient in the food that the cat is sensitive or allergic to.
Check your pets tolerance to food allergens with the Nutriscan Kit for Cats. You can tell whether your pet is sensitive to 112 different foods with this test because it is more precise than other options. You can feed your cat this in order to prevent him from becoming overly sensitive to certain foods.
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Recent Studies For Cat Allergy Cures
For the first time ever, science is offering hope to cat-allergy sufferers everywhere. In just a few years, your options may extend beyond HEPA filters, asthma inhalers, allergy medications and avoidance.
Two studies have discovered different ways to tackle the problem at its root. The idea is to neutralize the feline allergen itself instead of trying to minimize a persons allergic response.
