I was wrong about cat food allergies and learned that the hard way. Jericho has a really bad reaction when he eats beef. But I still have some unfiltered opinions on why cats get food allergies.
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We’re feeding our cats inappropriate proteins
Feral free-roaming cats (same cats that we have) eat whole prey. The majority of those prey are rodents, rabbits, and small birds. They also eat a very tiny amount of fish, carrion, eggs, etc.
The most common allergens are beef, chicken, dairy, and fish. Only one of those proteins (fish) are actually part of the cat’s natural diet. And that’s a very tiny amount of their diet.
I’m testing for fish allergies now after Jericho’s vet recommended it.
Technically a food allergy is the immune system overreacting to the protein. So it makes sense that cats would have allergies to proteins that they aren’t designed to eat.
Overvaccination can cause immune issues and allergies
I feel like I overvaccinated Jericho. He had the typical vaccines when the TNR people got him. I adopted him shortly after that. Then one year later, we did another round of vaccines. We did the 3-year for each rabies and FVCRP. He had a really bad reaction to them, but his vet said that was normal.
3 years later, after I knew better, we did an antibody titer test for all of them instead of doing another round of vaccines. Guess what? Jericho was immune!
So that means that we probably didn’t have to do the 3-year vaccine at all.
Technically, herpesvirus was low. But Jericho is a single cat and doesn’t go outside. So his vet and I are not concerned about that.
There are a few veterinary resources and a study that I found that says overvaccination can cause adverse reactions like immune system issues and allergies:
- Staples Animal Hospital
- PubMed study
- Dr. Dym
- Dr. Lisa Pierson, Cat Info
- K. Hartmann, Overvaccination in Cats
So that makes sense for Jericho that he developed a weakened immune system and got allergies after I feel that we overvaccinated him.
Antibiotics ruin the gut which can cause allergies
Our cat’s gut is responsible for a lot. The gut microbiota helps our cats digest food, of course, but also helps regulate the immune system and neuro-behavioral development.
“Changes in gut microbiome are associated with diseases, including inflammation, obesity, metabolic syndromes, and mood disorders…
“A state of dysbiosis is found in a wide range of diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), obesity, allergy, diabetes, and autism, but it is unclear if it is a cause or a consequence.”
And we know that antibiotics damage gut bacteria.
Jericho has had a few rounds of antibiotics in his life. He had an antibiotic ointment after burning his paw pads on the stovetop (3 times!). Plus anesthesia, pain meds, and antibiotics for his dental cleaning.
I used to think that Jericho didn’t need probiotics and enzymes since he ate a fresh food diet. But after his allergy disaster, I know he needs them.
So I’ve been using a probiotic and enzyme along with slippery elm in his food. And that’s helped him stop regurgitating his food. Of course I’ve also eliminated potential allergens from his diet. But the supportive gut supplements have helped a lot too.
How I’m tracking my cat’s food allergies
I’m using a physical journal that I created so I can keep track of Jericho’s appetite, energy, meals, litter box, and more.
Then I have a printable to summarize each week during the diet reset. Tracking has been so helpful for me to figure out what the heck is going on. It’s been exhausting but I’m glad I finally have some answers!
If you need help switching your cat’s food, check out my switch from kibble to wet or raw post next.
