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There are some cats
that have special needs that often will be best
addressed by putting them on a special diet. However,
you should be cautioned that a special diet is not a
substitute for veterinary medical care. A diet alone
will not “cure” a medical issue that requires
medication, surgery or other treatment by a
professional. It is advised that you seek veterinary
advice before putting your pets on a special needs
diet.
Allergies – According to some studies, about 10%
of the allergies seen in dogs and cats are related to
food. Allergic reactions in cats usually show up as skin
irritations, or GI signs (loose stools, flatulence, or
vomiting.) In people, by contrast, allergies more often
involve the respiratory system. Basically an allergy in
cats is an over-response by the body to a nontoxic agent
in the food. There is nothing wrong with this ingredient
itself. The problem is that over a period of time, the
cat’s body builds up intolerance to the ingredient that
has been fed to the pet often.
The solution for most allergic cats is to switch to food
that has an uncommon protein sources, which for most
cats that are fed beef, chicken and fish diets, might
mean something like duck, lamb or venison, and uncommon
carbohydrate sources like green pea or sweet potato. The
fact that the cat’s body has not built up intolerance to
this novel source of protein usually means that the
allergy will go away. However, it may take up to 12
weeks for the allergic symptoms to disappear.
Many allergy formula cat foods have added Omega-6 and
Omega-3 fatty acids to help address skin and coat
issues, as well as other ingredients to counter allergic
reactions.
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