Food preservatives like bha and bht are occasionally linked to allergic reactions in animals and humans alike.
Cat food intolerance.
Food intolerance is often confused with cat food allergies.
Cat food intolerance develops in pets of all age ranges and occurs due to an adverse reaction by the body to certain ingredients present in food.
Food allergies and food intolerance are not the same although they both often have a similar course of treatment and are both caused by a reaction to a protein.
The main goal in managing allergies or adverse reactions to food is to find and avoid the food ingredient responsible for causing the skin and or gastrointestinal signs.
Surprisingly grains are not the most common allergens for cats.
Food intolerance in cats is a condition where the cat experiences an adverse reaction to a certain food.
Between avoiding harmful substances and staying up to date on the latest pet food research managing cat allergies can be a handful.
However the symptoms of food intolerance vary from cat food allergies and pet owners should watch for any unusual symptoms and seek prompt medical help.
What are the most common cat food allergies.
A sensitive stomach from food intolerance can also happen when a cat lacks an enzyme needed to fully digest a certain food has irritable bowel syndrome or is stressed.
A cat with food allergies may develop scabs from the scratching loss of fur from constant licking and even have red bumps on his face ears and abdomen says dr.
Here s what you should know.
Blue basics limited ingredient fish potato dry cat food is another limited ingredient dry cat food that is perfect for your food sensitive cat.
Food allergies or food intolerance may last a lifetime.
Your cat can have the same food allergies for life whereas their food intolerance can be triggered by specific ingredients.
The top cat food allergies are chicken beef dairy egg and fish.
Both dogs and cats can be allergic to any food ingredient but for cats common proteins are the biggest issue.
This diet will be free of potential allergy causing ingredients and will ideally have ingredients your cat has never been exposed to before.
Food intolerance can occur in cats of all ages and it can be caused by food poisoning from spoiled food your cat mistakenly ate or a sensitivity to a certain ingredient.
Differentiate between food intolerance and food allergies.
Your furry friend might love tuna but seafood is becoming a more common cat food allergy too.
If your cat suffers from food allergies it s even more important to feed the right cat food.
The only way to diagnose a food allergy is to feed your cat a prescription or hydrolyzed protein diet exclusively for 12 weeks that means no flavored medications or treats.