You are probably wondering what a hypoallergenic diet for cats is, or under what circumstances your cat might need this type of diet. Like humans, the rest of the mammals can suffer from allergies of all kinds, from one related to elements found in the environment, such as dust and pollen, to those that are triggered by the consumption of certain foods.
On this occasion, our site wants you to know all the details about this type of cat diet, because we know that proper nutrition It is the most important thing to keep your feline happy and he althy, contributing to its full development.
Is my cat allergic to your food?
Some animals, like humans, can develop allergic reactions to certain foods, and the cat is one of them. When this happens, it is said that the cat suffers food allergy, because after ingesting the food that is to blame for the problem, the animal's body generates antibodies to protect itself of the pathogenic agent, which results in the typical symptoms of allergy.
Food allergy can appear from two years of age, even with your cat's usual food. If you notice that your cat scratches a lot, has diarrhea, and vomits, begins to lose its hair and develops dermatitis, it may be a food allergy, since around 30% of the feline population can suffer from it. When this happens, and to make sure that the problem is due to food and not to some other agent, it is necessary to implement a hypoallergenic diet for cats.
What is a hypoallergenic diet?
It receives this name because it is a diet that reduces the chances of the cat suffering an allergic reaction, thanks to the elimination of foods known to be histamines, or of specific foods that have been proven to trigger this type of problem in the feline.
The idea is that you provide the feline with foods whose possibility of causing allergies is very low, and for this it is necessary to subject him to an elimination diet, through which it is possible to detect which are the foods that produce the allergic reaction.
It is common that foods usually used for the manufacture of processed food, such as wheat, soybeans, corn, milk and even some type of animal protein, such as beef, can reach cause allergies in cats, so they are the first to be eliminated.
What is the elimination diet?
This is the only way to diagnose a possible food allergy, after which it will be possible to determine if the problem lies in the cat's food, and a hypoallergenic diet should be chosen, or if you have to keep looking for the cause of the discomfort.
The elimination diet consists of suspending the food that has been ingested until that moment, to feed the cat different pieces to determine which ingredient is causing the allergy. To do this, you must follow the following tips:
- The test of each ingredient should last a week to rule out any reaction, although if it is the allergen you are looking for, symptoms are likely to manifest in just a few hours.
- While this trial and error is going on, vitamin supplements and outside visits by the cat should be avoided, in order to be sure of the root of the problem.
- It is recommended to start with lamb meat and vary the ingredients according to those that appear in the table of the processed food that the cat usually consumes, to find the problem faster.
- To confirm that the symptoms are caused by food, it is recommended to return to normal food after following the elimination diet for seven days. If the same allergy symptoms appear, it is confirmed that the problem lies in the diet. Consumption should be discontinued immediately and return to the elimination diet.
Improvement should be noticeable between the first and third week (a period of eight weeks is recommended to fully detoxify the body from cat). If during this time no progress is observed, then it is not a food allergy and you should go to the vet.
Once you have determined which ingredient or ingredients your cat is allergic to, you can choose between two options: look for a processed food that does not contain them, or create your own menu at home and, therefore, prepare a homemade hypoallergenic diet for cats.
Hypoallergenic diet options for cats on the market
Many brands of processed cat food offer hypoallergenic options made with hydrolyzed proteins, which reduces the risk of an allergic reaction.
It is a matter of researching what options are available in your country, and making sure that the food in question does not contain the ingredient to which you have already discovered that your cat is allergic. However, about 30% of felines don't do well with processed hypoallergenic foods, so you'll want to go with the second option.
Homemade hypoallergenic diet for cats
Feeding your feline homemade food may seem complicated, but in reality it's just a matter of knowing which food groups are necessary. Of course, you will have to completely eliminate the ingredients that you have discovered that cause allergies in your feline.
We recommend that you use lamb, chicken, fish and turkey to prepare a homemade hypoallergenic diet for your cat. Most of the food must be made up of protein, since felines are carnivorous animals. To this, you will add rice in small portions, plus some vegetables, salmon oil and taurine. If you still don't know the best vegetables for cats, don't miss our article!
When cooking the foods mentioned to prepare the homemade hypoallergenic diet for cats, you must bear in mind that you can only offer them boiled in water. The cat's metabolism is different from ours and, therefore, it does not digest food in the same way as we do. In this way, we will avoid cooking the meat with oil, spices and other typical products of our kitchen. The more natural the food, the better. In the following video we offer you two simple and quick homemade cat food recipes for you to take as a guide.
You can search for different alternatives to prepare different diets. Remember to vary the ingredients to achieve a balanced and complete diet. Consult your veterinarian about what is best for your cat with a food allergy.
