How I’m treating my cat with food allergies

I used to think that cat food allergies were from low-quality ingredients in processed food. But my cat who eats a clean raw and whole prey diet showed signs of food allergies.

So just like everything, I had to learn this the hard way.

I had to take Jericho to the vet because his scratching got so bad. He had cuts above his eye, and his right eye was swollen and half-shut.

His vet confirmed that there was no damage, and the swelling was from scratching. She also confirmed that it sounds like he has allergies.

It’s been exhausting dealing with this. But I do feel better knowing exactly what’s going on.

jericho's chin acne with scab from food allergies copy
Jericho had bad chin acne from food allergies

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How I found out Jericho has food allergies

Jericho has always had itching and recurring ear infections. I thought this was because he lived outside before we adopted him. I gave him immune support supplements, gut support supplements, and other supportive things to try to fix this.

Then I got frustrated because I felt like I was doing so much and using all these things that were supposed to be good for him. But he wasn’t getting better. And even if he did get better I was giving him so much extras that I didn’t even know what was working and what wasn’t.

So I decided to do a diet reset.

I got rid of all the extras and just fed him his whole prey and raw food. And after 2 months, he got better! Scratching went down, his ears were cleaner, and his scabs were finally healing.

So I added a new protein to his diet. Beef. Well, his scratching got worse, he got chin acne, and his ears were dirty again.

Then I did a diet audit. I saw that some of the extras I was giving (supplements and treats) had beef in them. So no wonder why that stuff wasn’t helping!

Jericho’s vet visit for allergies

Unfortunately, I make a lot of desperate decisions and don’t listen to the Ruach’s still small voice telling me no.

I used this dental gel because Jericho’s right teeth have some plaque and tartar on them. The dental gel has lactoferrin in it which comes from cow milk. And I still used it! Ug. Big mistake.

Jericho’s scratching got so bad that he had cuts above his eyes. And we woke up one morning, and his eye was half-shut and swollen. So he went to the vet that day.

She prescribed an antibiotic ointment to heal the cuts and his ear infection, a steroid ointment for his eye, and a steroid pill to relieve his itch. Jericho has perfect bloodwork except for one white blood cell which is elevated.

His vet said that’s consistent with allergic disease but could also be parasites. I know that it isn’t, but I ordered a mail-in fecal test kit from Affordable Pet Labs. I actually bought the urinalysis and fecal bundle since he is due for both anyway.

Thankfully, Jericho’s eye was better that night. And then back to 100% the next day. So he only got 3 applications of the eye ointment. His cuts also healed very quickly. I’m using the ear ointment every other day or so whenever I feel that he needs it.

She also prescribed a low-dose steroid to help relieve the itching. I’m only giving half a pill once a day. I was giving one full pill total for the day, but he was too low energy on that amount. He’s much more energetic and playful with half a pill a day. And I figure this is better since the pills will last longer through the food trial.

jericho eating ground raw

Jericho’s second diet reset for food allergies

Another issue that Jericho had was regurgitating his food. So I started giving him a probiotic and enzyme supplement and a bit of slippery elm mixed with water in his meals. No more regurgitating since adding that and removing the potential allergen from his diet.

I keep a daily journal for his meals, litter box habits, mood, energy, play, appetite, and any other important notes. This has been so helpful for me to pinpoint which food causes which reaction.

I’m also putting him on another diet reset to test for fish allergies. I know his last episode was from me using that dental gel. But I was thinking maybe I was giving too many sardines anyway. He had it in his food and in his homemade treats. So I want to give the food trial a fair shot and remove the fish.

So right now Jericho is eating day-old-chicks, a raw rabbit grind, and a raw duck grind. I get all of his food from Hare Today.

Technically, it’s supposed to be one protein. But I know from his original diet reset that he isn’t allergic to these proteins. The raw grinds include meat, bones, and organs, and they are single-protein. But I will have to add whole food supplements to make it complete and balanced after the 2 months.

What are the symptoms of cat food allergies?

The most common cat food allergy symptoms include:

  • Severe itching (pruritus)
  • Respiratory issues
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Chin acne
  • Neurologic issues
  • Ear infections
  • Behavior issues

Jericho experienced pretty much all of these. He’s had recurring ear infections and lots of scratching for many years. Every now and then, he has an on-and-off wheezing cough. Recently, he started regurgitating his food quite frequently.

Sometimes he’s a bit assertive (read aggressive) when he wants what he wants. He’s not afraid to use his teeth and claws. And chin acne started after introducing beef to his diet after the first diet reset I did.

What is the most common cat food allergy?

The most common cat food allergies are beef, eggs, chicken, dairy, and fish. But other allergies can include pork, rabbit, and lamb.

I know Jericho is allergic to beef, and there are a few other proteins I’m thinking may cause issues. I’ve learned this from keeping a daily journal to see when his symptoms flare up. I noticed patterns after feeding certain foods so that tells me those foods are potential allergens.

How do I find out what food my cat is allergic to?

The only way to properly diagnose a food allergy is through a diet elimination, also called a food trial. I call it a diet reset.

You feed a single protein food that your cat hasn’t had before. Your cat only eats this for a minimum of 2 months. You’ll have to track your cat’s symptoms to see if there is an improvement. Then you would add one protein back at a time to make sure there is no reaction.

The most common protein used in food trials is rabbit. Rabbit is a natural protein for cats, and most cats don’t eat it. So it’s a good test protein.

The best way to do this is to feed a home-prepared diet. Or you can feed a fresh commercial diet with minimal ingredients. Either freeze-dried, lightly cooked, or raw. Ideally, single protein so that you can test one protein at a time.

It’s difficult to pinpoint allergies when feeding processed dry and canned food diets because there are a lot of mystery meats in them. For example, “meat meal”, “meat by-products”, etc. They don’t tell you the exact protein that’s used. So it’s impossible to know for sure.

charlie eating homemade cooked chicken cat food recipe jess and jericho caticles.com

How do you treat food allergies in cats?

The best way to treat food allergies in cats is an elimination diet food trial. You only feed a single protein food for at least 2 months. Your cat’s vet can prescribe medication to relieve the symptoms during the food trial.

griffen eating homemade cooked chicken cat food recipe jess and jericho caticles.com

What food is best for cats with allergies?

The best food for cats with allergies is a fresh food diet with clear ingredients. Processed dry and canned foods have too many mystery meats and added fillers.

A home-cooked or homemade raw diet is the absolute best because you have control over the ingredients and how it’s made. You don’t have to worry about cross-contamination.

The diet doesn’t have to be complete and balanced during the food trial. However, the diet must be complete and balanced for long-term feeding after the food trial.

How long will it take for cat food allergies to go away?

Food trials should last at least 2 months. But you may have to go for 3 months depending on your cat.

I started to see good results after 2 months of our initial diet trial. But it was toward the end of those 2 months. Now I’m restarting that all over again after Jericho was exposed to an allergen in a dental gel that I used.

Keep a daily journal of what your cat eats and symptoms you’re seeing. Rate the severity or keep track of the number of times you see the symptom. For example, I keep a tally of how many times I see Jericho scratch himself throughout the day.

Need help with your cat’s diet? Check out how to switch your cat’s food next.