How To Choose The Best Cat Food For Cats With Skin Allergies: The Buying Guide
How do you choose the cat food for cats with skin allergies? You must consider many things, such as the brand name, price, and product quality. In addition, you should also consider whether it is suitable for your needs or not.
So how do you choose the right cat food for cats with skin allergies? Here are some tips that you can use to help you find a good product:
What you Should Keep in Mind When Buying cat food for cats with skin allergies
When shopping for a cat food for cats with skin allergies, there are several things to consider. You need to think about the quality of the product, the price, and even how much it will benefit your life. However, you also need to keep these factors in mind:
What Should I Look For In Hypoallergenic Cat Food
When looking for a hypoallergenic cat formula, there are several things to keep in mind. Lets take a look at the important considerations:
- Proteins are the most likely allergen in the cats diet. So, the first thing you need to consider is the protein source. The formula should have a single protein source that is either derived from foods that are unlikely to be allergens or hydrolyzed.
- Novel Protein. A novel protein is something less commonly used than chicken, beef, or fish. Things like shrimp, duck, and venison are considered novel proteins.
- Hydrolyzed Protein. Alternatively, the proteins can be hydrolyzed broken down into smaller particles the cats immune system cannot detect.
- Limited Ingredient Recipe. Hypoallergenic cat foods have limited ingredients. This is because the smaller the number of ingredients, the lesser the risk of allergic reactions.
- Price. The cost of the food is worth evaluating. Food intolerances and allergies are an ongoing issue, meaning the cost of the food will add up in the long run.
Best Dry Cat Food For Skin Allergies
Brewers Rice, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Chicken Fat, Powdered Cellulose, Natural Flavors
Type of product:
Limited Ingredient Diet, Pea-Free, Veterinary Diet, Hydrolyzed Protein
Food form:
Best For:
- Designed for adult cats,
- Its formulated with hydrolyzed soy proteins, composed of low molecular weight, peptides, so they can be absorbed in the digestive tract with a reduced risk of triggering an immune reaction,
- Helps support healthy digestion in cats prone to digestive upsets, including diarrhea,
- Strict manufacturing procedures to help avoid cross-contamination.
Key Benefits:
- Help reduce skin and GI reactions that may be a result of sensitivities to common proteins found in pet foods.
- Reinforces the skin barrier with essential nutrients to support healthy skin in cats with skin sensitivity and irritation.
- Helps support healthy digestion with an exclusive blend of fibers and prebiotics.
This product is also available in Wet food formulas. Best For:
- Specially formulated to support your cats skin and food sensitivities,
- Clinically proven nutrition to help avoid reactions.
Key Benefits:
This product is also available in Wet food formulas. Best For:
Salmon Hydrolysate, Peas, Potatoes, Pea Starch, Canola Oil
Type of product:
Grain-Free, No Corn No Wheat No Soy, Veterinary Diet, Hydrolyzed Protein
Food form:
Dry Food
Best For:
Key Benefits:
This product is also available in Wet food formulas. Best For:
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Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Cat Food
- Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Cat Food is a great option as well since as the title states it only includes a few, high-quality ingredients. Its made with real turkey, so it can be a great option for cats with a sensitive stomach.
- It is specially formulated to promote healthy digestion as well as maintain healthy body weight. It doesnt contain chicken, beef, corn, wheat, soy, dairy, and eggs making it a good option for cats with food sensitivities.
- Contains LIFESOURCE BITS, which is a blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that will help to boost your cats immune system and a healthy oxidative balance.
- It contains easily digestible carbohydrates, and also contains omega-3 and omega-6s from fish oil to aid your cats skin.
Signs Of Cat Allergies And Food Sensitivities
Tell me!
Here are the telltale signs of something going on:
- Balding, itching, redness and other skin reactions.
- Hives and rashes.
- Dull, brittle coat.
- Snoring caused by a restricted/enflamed airway.
Food allergies in cats can be hard to pin down if youre not working with a vet. First, an allergic reaction can happen several minutes, several hours or several days after exposure.
Whats more, food allergies can develop in cats of any age.
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What Can I Give My Cat For Food Allergies
Most cats are allergic to one or more of the following food types: grains, chicken, beef, fish, or dairy. Anything else should be fair game. When buying a hypoallergenic food, look at the ingredients list. It should have a single source of protein and not have any grains or other fillers that could cause allergic issues.
All About Finding The Right Cat Food For Allergies
I feel bad knowing that many cat owners are spending time and money hunting down all kinds of ointments and creams for red and inflamed skin when the real culprit is hiding in plain sight in the food bowl.
Thats why Im hoping to help get the word out about food allergies in cats with this post and my post on sensitive stomach cat foods.
While identifying and cutting out certain foods can address food-based allergies, that process is harder than it sounds. In the end, your cat might even need special prescription hydrolyzed cat food that sneaks proteins past the immune system.
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How Can Changing My Cats Diet Help Reduce His Allergy Symptoms
A cats diet plays a major role in his health. While there are a number of reasons your cat may be suffering from allergies, food allergies are a very common cause to allergies in cats.
When looking for the best cat food for allergies, make sure you are still offering your cat high-quality cat food that is full of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other ingredients essential to his dietary needs.
Of course, we always recommend that you consult with your veterinarian before opting to change your cats diet, especially if he is exhibiting symptoms of food allergies.
What Are The Risk Factors For Food Allergies In Cats
Genetic predisposition plays an important role in food allergies. Food allergies are also often related to atopy many cats react to both food ingredients and environmental allergens. See handout Inhalant Allergies in Cats for further information on atopy. Food allergies can develop in a cat any time after three months of age. Male and female cats are equally likely to develop food allergies.
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Taste Of The Wild Canyon River Grain
Most Popular Cat Food for Skin Allergies: If you cant decide among the different cat food brands out there, you can always go with a popular one like Taste of the Wild. Not only is this one of our favorite brands, but it is also one of our top picks for the best dry cat food for allergies. This formula features fresh trout as a novel source of protein and the first ingredient. It also contains ocean fish meal and smoked salmon as supplemental proteins, both of which are also novel proteins for many cats. This grain-free recipe is highly digestible, featuring sweet potatoes and potatoes as the main carbohydrates. Youll also find fresh fruits and vegetables in this recipe which provide natural sources for key nutrients, not to mention anti-inflammatory ingredients and rich in antioxidants to support your cats immune system. This recipe contains no artificial additives or byproducts and is supplemented with prebiotic fiber, probiotics, and chelated minerals.
- Pros: Novel source of animal protein, several supplemental proteins, highly digestible natural ingredients, fresh fruits and vegetables, prebiotic fiber and probiotics, chelated minerals
- Cons: Not a single-source protein recipe, contains some plant proteins
American Journey Minced Turkey Recipe In Gravy Grain
Most Affordable Cat Food for Skin Allergies: If youre looking for an affordable cat food that wont trigger your cats allergies or sensitivities, consider this American Journey Minced Turkey recipe canned food. It features fresh turkey as the main ingredient and a single, novel source of animal protein. It also contains both turkey broth and chicken broth for maximum flavor and a higher concentration of moisture to boost your cats hydration. This recipe contains flaxseed, sunflower oil, and fish oil to provide the ideal balanced of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to support your cats skin and coat health, helping him recover from his skin allergy symptoms. Overall, this recipe provides 9% crude protein and 4% fat with 1% fiber which, converted to a dry matter calculation is about 50% protein and 22% fat with 5.5% fiber.
- Pros: Single source of novel protein, digestible natural ingredients, rich in flavor and moisture, blend of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, chelated mineral supplements, fresh fruits and veggies
- Cons: Contains some thickener , first source of fat is plant-based
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What Is The Best Cat Food For Cats With Skin Allergies
Purina ONE Sensitive Systems Adult Premium Cat Food
As a cat owner, its a jeopardizing situation to find out the way to make the cat get rid of allergies. Cats get the different allergic disease.
You have already tried one food after another. But you cannot come up with the solution. Vets recommend diagnostic tests to identify why cats are getting allergies. And if its food allergies, cats are in of cats foods with skin allergies. This can prevent allergies or infections. Cats are benefitted from this sort of food.
We are going to discuss the specialized diet for cats with skin allergies.
If your cat is having skin allergies, hope that these cat foods might come in to help.
Why Trust The Spruce
Adrienne Kruzer is a Registered and Licensed Veterinary Technician in three states and has been writing about pet and vet information for over a decade. She also regularly lectures on pet nutrition to fellow veterinary professionals and works for a major veterinary supplement manufacturer.
She has both a personal and professional interest in pet nutrition and enjoys helping owners solve problems with their pets. Her years of working in various animal hospitals alongside her formal college education and elective continuing education classes have provided her with a wealth of experience and knowledge.
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Best Wet Cat Food For Allergies
Yes, its true. Many cat owners and feline experts recommend steering clear of feeding your cat dry cat food on its own.
That is why we have listed these wonderful limited ingredient wet cat foods for cats with allergies.
One of the best cat food for allergies wet cat food products on the list is Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet Grain-Free Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food*.
Grain-free, limited ingredient, and made with turkey protein, your allergy-suffering cat may have just found his favorite new meal.
Still not sure?
Then take a look at Blue Buffalo Basics Limited Ingredient Diet Adult Indoor Grain Free Duck and Potato Wet Cat Food*.
Again, this wet cat food is a limited ingredient diet cat food made with duck.
Venison is seen less often in cat food and might be something your cat hasnt tried yet and therefore may not be allergic to.
Most Common Food Allergies In Cats
There are a few different types of food allergies that cats can suffer from, but the most common ones seem to be to proteins like beef, chicken, and fish. Some cats can also be allergic to the grains in their food, or to certain types of preservatives. If your cat is showing signs of an allergic reaction , its important to take them to the vet to get properly diagnosed.
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Iams Proactive Health Sensitive Stomach Adult Cat Food
- IAMS adult sensitive digestion and skin cat food is a great option that contains a unique fiber blend including prebiotics to aid in absorption
- Out of all the reviewed products so far, IAMs comes with the most affordable price tag. It however does seem to contain more ingredients. More ingredients can mean more things you need to ensure is not bothering your cat.
- It helps maintain strong muscles with high-quality protein, as real turkey is the main ingredient
- Its made in the USA and claims to use the worlds finest ingredients.
- Formulated for adult cats of all sizes and ages
Overall Best Cat Food For Allergies: Hound & Gatos 98% Lamb & Liver Formula Grain
In our review, the overall best cat food for allergies is Hound & Gatos 98% Lamb & Liver Canned Cat Food for its super simple Paleolithic formula with zero added carbohydrates.
Lamb, lamb broth, and lamb liver are the first three ingredients in this protein-rich cat food. There is no meat meal and no other proteins aside from lamb. There is some salmon oil, which is great for your cats skin and fur and is not a source of troublesome mercury. However, if you are concerned that your cats allergy is to salmon, this may not be the best food for you.
Hound & Gatos tops our list because they keep it clean and natural with 98% lamb and lamb liver. The formula is made in the USA and fortified with the vitamins and minerals that keep your cat healthy.
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How Can I Treat My Cat’s Food Allergies At Home
If you can identify and remove the cause of your cats food allergies then home treatment may be possible by allergen-avoidance. You can also use freely available products like essential fatty acids and shampoos at home. However, for other anti-inflammatory medication that may be needed, a veterinary prescription is needed, so you will need to visit the veterinarian.
Diagnosis Of Wet Food Allergy In Cats
Skin reactions exhibited by allergic felines closely mimics other skin disorders such as bacterial skin infections, fungal infestations, and even mites, and most veterinarians will choose to collect samples of the skin to perform a cutaneous cytology, a process in which the technician examines the sample under a microscope to see if any other organisms or malformations can be identified. Allergies are typically suspected where there are no problematic micro-organisms found, although determining the trigger for the allergies can be more challenging. Although both intradermal and serum assessments are available for cats that have developed allergies, they are not generally as reliable for detecting allergies relating to food.
The most commonly used tool for the veterinary diagnosis of food allergies is the elimination diet, a time-consuming but effective method in which the cats daily diet is switched to either a limited ingredient commercial cat food or a specialized hypoallergenic food. Some cat owners may choose to feed their cat a homemade diet of unseasoned meats, although this should only be done with the advice of a feline nutritionist in order to ensure the cat gets the appropriate ratio of nutrients to best support their system. Elimination diets are frequently made up of novel ingredients which are defined as any proteins or carbohydrates that are not currently included the cats current diet, preferably ingredients that the animal has never been introduced to.
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Checking For A Food Sensitivity
While youll see quick tests for cat food allergies advertised online, the Cummings Veterinary Center at Tufts states unequivocally that they dont work. Talk with your vet instead.
If your vet suspects your cat has a food allergy, they might ask you to switch your cat completely to a special prescription diet, called a hypoallergenic diet, for up to three months. The hypoallergenic diet consists of cat food made up of hydrolyzed proteinsthe proteins have been broken down so the cats immune system cant detect any allergenic components. If the allergy symptoms disappear in the hypoallergenic diet but then return when the cat goes back to regular food, its pretty clear your cat has a food allergy.
At that point, your vet may ask you to go back and forth between the hypoallergenic diet and various limited-ingredient foods to try to figure out which protein was the culprit in the allergic reaction.
Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Cat Food
Keeping pace with the growing demand for cat foods, Natural balance limited ingredient cat food has manufactured cat foods for cats with skin allergies.
In this cat food, all the ingredients are pure and standard as the ingredient sources come from different countries of the world. Their cat foods are specially manufactured to reduce cat skin allergies. Besides, cat foods will meet the nutritional need of cats. Dry foods are limited ingredient foods. Allergenic proteins are not included in Natural balance cat foods.
The primary ingredients are pea bad duck protein. According to the manufacturers, Green pea is the first ingredient. Overall it is plant-rich cat food.
Along with reducing allergies, the Natural balance cat food supports overall healthy growth as its a premium protein and carbohydrate cat food.
So you do not need to look for other brands for a complete nutritional healthy cat food. This cat food ensures a healthy coat, a proper digestion system, and keeps the heart function normal. Overall, moderate protein, moderate fat, and high carbohydrates help to reduce allergy along with healthy growth.
In most cases, the vet can not identify the causes of itching or allergies in cats. Pet owners face difficulties to find causes to get rid of allergies. According to some research, cats get allergies because of taking foods with chicken.
Pros:
A complete healthy meal for cats of all ages
Cons:
Heavy meal for cats with sensitivity
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