Symptoms of Food Allergies in Cats
Cats have a very sensitive digestive system. It is very important to notice food allergies in cats, to help change their diet and maintain cat health. If you notice your cat scratches excessively, signs of dandruff and poor coat quality, it may be a sign of food allergy. You may even find the coat becoming excessively oily and odorous. The cat may fall prey to recurrent ear infections, suffer from chronic diarrhea, vomiting and gas. You may even notice your cat licking her foot all the time. Few cats may have watery eyes, nostrils flaring like beginning to develop an allergic reaction. They may suffer from excessive hair loss, and sores from continuous grooming and infections.
Hypoallergenic Cat Food
If you notice the above symptoms and eliminate doubts related to skin disorders, cat fleas and seasonal allergies, you should begin feeding your pet hypoallergenic cat food. You may have to try different brands before finding the one that suits your cat. It is very important to feed your cat the right cat food that helps overcome the food allergies, intolerance as well as gastrointestinal disorders. There are many specially formulated cat food brands that help provide nutrition that help make your cat stronger and healthy.
In order to test, the best hypoallergenic cat food brands, you need to feed your cat the food for about 15 days. After 15 days, switch back to the cat’s original cat food. If you find the symptoms that had lessened after using the hypoallergenic food, begin to appear again, it means the new food suited your cat. You should switch back to hypoallergenic food and feed your cat this new food permanently. If you feel the symptoms lessen or persist with the new cat food, you should try out other brands. Keep an eye on your cat to narrow down allergies due to dairy products, soybeans, food additives, etc.
Cats are obligate carnivores and do not require carbohydrates. Most of the commercial cat foods contain about 60% carbohydrates that cause the intolerance. Also, if a cat does not receive the required nutrients it will suffer from malnutrition and deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals. Therefore, you should choose a hypoallergenic food that contains proteins from rabbit, venison duck or lamb sources. The food should contain just 5 to 10% carbohydrates to decrease the intolerance levels.
Reviews
You can go through various reviews over the Internet as well as pet magazines. These reviews help you carry out thorough research related to foods that will suit your cat. The reviews contain information related to the cat food ingredients and nutritional levels of hypoallergenic cat food brands. These reviews will help you choose the best cat food brands available in your area. When your cat settles down on a particular brand, you will find a change in their energy level, shinier coats and lesser health problems.
You can even speak to a veterinarian regarding the different types of hypoallergenic cat diet suitable for your kitty. Hope the above information helps you find a healthy cat food brand for your pet. A happy kitty is a sign of an affectionate and loving owner.
