What is Raw Food Allergy?
Raw food diet for your cat can include fresh or frozen foods that are homemade or bought at the store. There are some cat food companies that now produce raw food that is available in frozen containers.
There are times when a cat may become intolerant or develop an allergy to something that is in their raw food diet. This can cause a lot of headache for cat owners as they try to figure out what is causing their cat to have an allergic reaction.
The most common food allergies for cats include chicken, beef, eggs, lamb, fish and dairy. An allergy can develop at any time to any protein that your cat is repeatedly exposed.
Many cat owners are opposed to the ingredients that are found in commercial cat foods and instead opt to feed their cat a raw food diet. Cats that are allergic to many of the ingredients in commercial cat food are also many times fed a raw food diet.
Symptoms of Raw Food Allergy in Cats
Sometimes it is difficult to determine if your cat is having an allergic reaction to their food or something in their environment. Food related allergies will generally be dermal or skin related and/or gastrointestinal related. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian for an appointment.
- Rash, especially around the ears and face
- Excessive licking on their paws, stomach and/or legs
- Red and/or itchy ears
- Severe itching either localized or generalized
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Inflammatory bowel disease
Causes of Raw Food Allergy in Cats
Over time, your cat can develop an allergy to certain ingredients in their food. When you feed a raw food diet that is high in protein, your cat can develop an allergy to one of the proteins in their raw food diet that is constantly fed. The most common proteins that cat can become allergic to include beef, chicken, fish, lamb, eggs and dairy.
An allergic reaction occurs when your cat is exposed to an allergen that their immune system views as foreign. Their immune system then attacks itself and the allergen that has invaded their body.
Diagnosis of Raw Food Allergy in Cats
Your veterinarian will take a full medical history on your cat and will ask questions regarding your cat’s diet and environment. A thorough physical examination will be performed and a complete blood count, urinalysis, fecal exam and biochemistry panel. This will help your veterinarian narrow down the possible causes of your cat’s allergy.
Many times your veterinarian will not be able to pinpoint the exact cause of your cat’s allergy without going through trial and error or essentially doing the elimination diet. This means that you will begin taking things away from your cat’s diet to try and determine what is causing the problem. This can be time consuming since it takes at least two weeks for your cat’s symptoms to improve following the elimination of the allergen.
Treatment of Raw Food Allergy in Cats
Once your veterinarian has diagnosed the raw food allergy in your cat they will discuss treatment options with you. Depending on the severity of the allergy, there will be different options that can be done to alleviate your cat’s allergic reaction.
Steroids are conventional treatments that work great when your cat is experiencing a food allergy. Steroids can be given in injection or oral form and are commonly called corticosteroids or glucocorticoids. The most common steroids prescribed are prednisone and prednisolone. For cats, prednisone is much harder to metabolize and it has to be converted in the liver to prednisolone before it is effective. There are serious side effects associated with steroids and it is a good idea to have your veterinarian closely monitor your cat when they are prescribed. Steroids can cause kidney damage and ulcers in the stomach. Diabetes is another possible side effect, especially if your cat is given the injectable kind.
Hyposensitization therapy is not a common treatment for cats since it does require that your veterinarian knows the exact thing that your cat is allergic to. If the allergen is known, the allergen is diluted and then injected into your cat to trigger the immune system into realizing that the allergen is not harmful. These injections need to be given by your veterinarian every 1 to 3 weeks.
Prescription diets and hypoallergenic diets may be recommended. These diets utilize novel protein sources and carbohydrate sources. These diets should contain one protein source, one carbohydrate source, minerals and vitamins and no other additives or fillers. Diet trials will last at least 12 weeks. During this time your cat will need to be fed only the trial food with no treats or supplements given.
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Recovery of Raw Food Allergy in Cats
Once your veterinarian has determined the cause of your cat’s raw food allergy, the best way to keep your cat from experiencing problems is to simply avoid that food. When feeding a raw food diet make sure it is a balanced diet with one protein source, one carbohydrate and necessary vitamins and minerals. Do not feed the same protein source for long periods of time; your cat will have an increased risk of suffering intolerance if fed the same protein every day. It is suggested that you rotate their protein source often. You can speak with your veterinarian and ask for their suggestions regarding your cat’s raw food diet.
Raw Food Allergy Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Normal breed
Romeo
1 Year
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Scratching
Hair Fall Patch On Body
Behind Ear And Neck Hair Fall
Hai doctor, my cat having this hair fall between his ears and neck..some patches of hair fall on his body. The sickness become worst day by day because he keep on scratching his body and even he cant sleep at night. What should i do for my cat..please advice..thank you doctor.
Aug. 5, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
I'm sorry that Romeo is having that problem. Hair loss and itchiness can be caused by a number of things, and they are all treated differently. Parasites, bacterial or fungal infections, or allergies can all appear the same. Since I can't see him, it would be best to have him seen by a veterinarian, as they will be able to examine him, determine what might be going on, and get any treatment for him that may help the situation and make him more comfortable.
Aug. 5, 2018
Thank you doctor
Aug. 6, 2018
Romeo's Owner
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house cat
Felix
1 Year
2 found this helpful
2 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Scratching
Soars
Under The Chin And On One Ear
My cat was perscribed a hypoalergenic kibble diet. I realy dont like the fact that we will be on it for at least 8 to 12 weeks. I understand why it is necessary but wouldnt it be better to feed him raw food? I saw some good point why it would be a good thing to do. And to be honest I am failling to listen to my cat cry and be aggressive towards me since he only eats the kibble food now. He used to eat Applaws canned food but started scratching a lot, so I changed the food to Miamore and he got rashes and his furr started falling of on certain spots. I tried to switch between tuna, fish, chichken but he hardly eate the whole chicken can, he loves tuna. Now even though he is suppose to eat only the hypo kibble I cook him some meat on the side, or give him raw peaces of beef and it doesnt seem to affect him. And he is only inside.
What shuld I do? I feel sorry for him!
June 27, 2018
2 Recommendations
Food allergies are more complicated than most people think, it is more important to determine the specific allergen than it is to think about raw food, grain free or anything else; whilst you may not be happy with Felix’ reaction to the kibbles, it is more important to determine the allergen which is causing these issues. Hypoallergenic and restricted ingredient diets are good starting points to monitor for improvement, then add other ingredients one by one and monitor for any reactions. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
http://vetnutrition.tufts.edu/2017/01/food-allergies/
June 28, 2018
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stray
Marshmallow
1 Year
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0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Skinny ,Sores , Weight Loss
Hi . My name is Erica . I have 2 cats marshmallow and sassy . They are sisters. Sassy is perfectly healthy but marshmallow is not. While she seems to be acting fine she does not look fine. It started out with little scabby sores on her ears then it moved to an ulcer type thing in her mouth then sores in between her toes to her whole paw and also nose.She is also very skinny. She has periods where she will clear up and put a little weight on but out of nowhere go right back to looking terrible.
June 26, 2018
0 Recommendations
There are various possible causes for these types of reactions which may include food allergies, environmental allergies, autoimmune diseases among other causes; without examining Marshmallow and examining the sores I cannot say what the specific cause is. You should have your Veterinarian examining Marshmallow and also review diet (like trying a limited ingredient diet or novel protein) to see if there are any long term improvements. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
June 27, 2018
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Main Coon
Winter
5 Months
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Hair Loss
Constipation
Head Scratching
Hi Doc, I have tried raw feeding my cat for a week with chicken meat, liver, heart and egg yolks. She keeps scratching her head, above the eyes that leads to hair loss so I stopped feeding her raw chicken food and switched to commercial food and it minimizes her scratching. Also, when she was in a raw chicken diet, she did not poop until on the 3rd day. At night in her 3rd day, she pooped black. Is it normal? And is the chicken the culprit of her scratching? Thanks!
