So frustrated with food!

Has *anything* at all made her nervous or anxiety prone in recent months? I know you said Raj is so happy and affectionate, but with all the scratching one can't help but think of an OCD-type manifestation.

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Well, since the intense scratching stopped (i do see her scratch a little, but her fur is almost completely restored) i am inclined to think it's not an OCD behavior, although the vet has thought that might be it as well - he initially thought it was a psychogenic effect of the Valium which she was on as an appetite stimulant for the anorexia. We stopped the Valium, he gave me a cortisone/antibiotic topical for the hairless areas, and that worked great until it ran out.

My gut instinct is that she's not OCD. She is the self-assured, quiet type of dominant female, like royalty - and does not exhibit anxious behaviors although my other cat does, so i am familiar with them. I'll be taking Elvirah to the vet for it soon, before i found this place i didn't realize that feline anxiety was treatable! And Rajah's hair loss resolved with the diet change. The only other possibility i can think of is oak pollen. The local oak trees finally tapered off about the time of the food switch - they drop an incredible amount of pollen, can turn a car completely yellow in a single afternoon, and there are several trees right outside the apartment (she's indoors, but pollen travels). I guess if it happens again at the same time next year i'll know for sure. The vet indicated that the hair loss pattern is classic food allergy, i guess hair loss is usually different for inhaled allergens?

What antihistimine was she on? Cyproheptadine? I know that is also been sucessful in stirring up appetite. Bleh on those side effects.

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She was on Cypro for appetite (unsuccessfully) before the Valium, but he gave her a different antihistamine for the itching, can't remember the name off the top of my head.

Ahh ok. Just thinking out loud for you and Raj

Sounds like you and your vet are as on top of this as best as you can be. True about hair loss pattern = food allergy (usually textbook).

We need a "House" like vet-doc for these cases

I am interested to know what the final is on this!

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty.
There are so few limited ingredient foods out there, without going into Rx food with crappy ingredients.
I would definitely try California Natural again, from a different lot.
Not good that she can't hold Herring and Sweet potato, it probably is fish she doesn't like.

Natural balance venison & pea got recalled, so unexpectedly, my friend is trying to replace that food at the moment for his kitty as well.

Nature's Logic rabbit might work, along with Felidae Chicken and Rice (I fed this food for a while), my girls prefer California Natural though.

One more I never tried but is an option is Wysong Anergen.
http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/produc...030&click=6875

Have you tried homemade food? My cat has serious allergy problems, though she is not a picky eater, and she has eaten homemade food for about 12 years (she is 21 now).

We got a recipe from the vet - my vet is really against homemade food, but she gave in, and got us a recipe - it has turkey, millet, vegetables (usually squash and carrots) and some vitamins that we get free from the vet. We make it about once every couple of weeks, freeze daily servings in sandwich bags and microwave it. It does not take much time to make - just stir a bunch of stuff together - and you only have to make it every couple of weeks anyway.

Thanks for the input. I put a few kibbles of the Nature's Logic in with the IVD and at least one of them threw up, but that happens anytime i have to switch their food so i'm not too worried about it. Elvirah gorged herself on the wet food and threw that up too (what a mess i had this morning!) and Raj even tried a little of the wet food after i put some catnip on it! I think she kept her wet down, but i'm not sure. If their stomachs don't settle down in the next couple of days i think Felidae is next on my list. The only source for California Natural i have locally is the store where i got 2 bad bags of it and a rancid bag of Felidae, so i really don't want to buy from them - i worry that perhaps their storeroom is not properly climate controlled? Either that or i just have really bad luck! I suppose i could order it online, the odds that i get the same lot number from an online retailer are probably vanishingly low.

As far as homecooking - i don't think it will work for Raj. She has exactly zero interest in anything resembling people food, and i really doubt she would eat it. She became anorexic rather than eat the wet food that was all she was allowed after her dental surgery. Then again, she tried a little wet yesterday, so maybe she would eat it. But the real reason, although i am ashamed to admit it, is that i just don't have it in me to homecook for the cats, i rarely even homecook for my husband and myself. I'd be willing to give it a try as a last resort, but i haven't come close to exhausting the commercial options yet.

I figure i would update this thread since it was the one people were reading.

The Nature's Logic seems to be triggering the allergy, she's scratching pretty intensely - i found a scab on her neck this morning and she was rubbing her paw at her eyes.

Of course i was stupid and introduced a new dry and a wet at the same time, although in my defense i had no idea she would like the wet! That's right, she is enthusiastically eating her evening wet NL rabbit meal each night! I am floored.

I would not have even chosen this dry food for her if i had paid more attention to the ingredients (i swear i looked them up so many times and somehow failed to notice millet as the second ingredient, ~sigh~). I stopped adding the NL kibble to the dry food, and am going to keep giving her the wet until i can tell if it might be the culprit. Or maybe i should stop feeding it until the symptoms are gone, and then try individually to be sure? I'm seeing some questionable stuff that was also in the CS, and that makes me want to just move along to the next option. I really wish i knew exactly which ingredients do this to her, life would be so much easier. And incidentally, why is Nature's Variety claiming their wet foods are "grain-free" when they contain flaxseed? Isn't flax a grain? And what in the world is this montmorillite clay for? I've seen it in many brands now.

I wonder if she would eat other wet foods now, hmm. Perhaps i should just try a different wet rabbit or venison food that is simpler like the Wysong or Evangers, (or the Evo dog food?). I know those aren't complete foods, but they would be supplemental. Meh, this has all really worn me out.

Flaxseed is actually a legume.. related to soy , beans and alfalfa

So yes technically flax can be a grain free item...

Flax DOES act like a grain in the body

Interesting! Well i realized that there is flaxseed in the California Natural dry that she seemed ok with as far as the allergy goes, so hopefully she's ok with that because flaxseed seems to be in everything!

Originally Posted by sharky

Flaxseed is actually a legume.. related to soy , beans and alfalfa

So yes technically flax can be a grain free item...

Flax DOES act like a grain in the body

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How common are flaxseed allergies?

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Luxum, now that she loves the wet, maybe all-wet is the answer? Sorry this process has been so difficult for Rajah (and you)!

Well, i really don't think i can put her on total wet - if they don't have something to munch on between meals they throw up stomach acid. I think i have to keep at least some dry around for snacking. And i noticed that when i first put the wet down last night, she didn't want anything to do with it until i put out her fresh dry. It's like she wanted the wet, but wanted to make sure i wasn't trying to ~make~ her eat it! She's such a brat.

I would like to move her towards wet being most of her food though, if she doesn't turn picky on me or something. I'm going to have to offer her some other wet foods and see how it goes, it certainly does open up a lot more possibilities. However, this is literally the first time in her life that she's accepted wet, so i don't want to overwhelm her or push her too fast in the transition.

Originally Posted by whuckleberry

How common are flaxseed allergies?

.
Luxum, now that she loves the wet, maybe all-wet is the answer? Sorry this process has been so difficult for Rajah (and you)!

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I wont say common .. but I see them far far more than four yrs ago since many foods now have it ... and since it reacts like a grain in the body many cats think it is a grain

You know, i am just so frazzled that i am doing stupid things. Not only did i introduce two new foods at once, i just realized that i started giving her laxatone at the same time, and it has corn and soy ingredients. At this point i am stopping everything but the IVD until the symptoms go away, and then i will try ONE THING AT A TIME! Maybe the NL isn't the culprit at all.

I'm probably going to chuck the NL and the laxatone - i've seen some similar products on the market without the corn and soy ingredients. I know one of these (or more than one) triggered the allergy symptoms, and i really don't want to expose her to stuff that makes her so uncomfortable just to prove which one(s) are the culprit.

At this point, i've revised what i'm going to try next once the symptoms recede - Natural Balance venison and green pea canned (and let them stay on the IVD dry for now - hopefully if i can make it less of the total intake the gigantic poops might shrink?). I feel sort of nervous due to the recalls and all, but at this point if i try to avoid any company associated with a recall i just don't have anything to work with. This particular variety has not been recalled and i feel that's it's the best allergy option i have now that Rajah is suddenly accepting wet food. I looked at the wet version of the IVD food and it leads with by-products, meh. I'm not happy with what the dry has done to their stools, so i don't think i'd want them on the canned version anyway.

Edit: well, it was a good idea but not gonna happen, i went to 2 different stores that had pulled all NB canned due to recall and had not bothered to keep track of which specific varieties were recalled. So instead i picked up some of the new EVO 95% rabbit dog food (they actually had the small cans). I hope the seaweed in it doesn't trigger, we'll see i guess. I won't be trying it until she stops itching, it seems to have tapered off but she has scratched a few small bald spots on her head now. I know it can only be used supplementary.

Originally Posted by luxum

Edit: well, it was a good idea but not gonna happen, i went to 2 different stores that had pulled all NB canned due to recall and had not bothered to keep track of which specific varieties were recalled.

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Do you have a Petco in your area? They "should" still have it out, although all of the stores "should". Since the recalls, I have only been able to get the canned NB V/P food here at Petco...nowhere else. One time, they brought some from the back as they had pulled it once, and not bothered to replenish the shelf when they were given the OK to do so.

Originally Posted by luxum

And what in the world is this montmorillite clay for? I've seen it in many brands now.

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I would know the answer to this one as well. I've tried googling it, and gather it's some kind of mineral? It just doesn't sound like something that should be in cat food.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

I would know the answer to this one as well. I've tried googling it, and gather it's some kind of mineral? It just doesn't sound like something that should be in cat food.

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I agree with you about montmorillonite clay. I've seen it in foods also and wondered about it.

According to Wikipedia it's used in animal foods as an anti-caking agent. It may also bind mycotoxins in the digestive system. Here's the link to the Wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmorillonite

Originally Posted by Jean44

I agree with you about montmorillonite clay.

I've seen it in foods also and wondered about it.

According to Wikipedia it's used in animal foods as an anti-caking agent. It may also bind mycotoxins in the digestive system. Here's the link to the Wikipedia article.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmorillonite

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it is used to bind with stuff and exist the body... at least that is the answer I got from a few companies that use it and my vet ( thou she didnt think it was nessessary)

Do you have a Petco in your area? They "should" still have it out, although all of the stores "should". Since the recalls, I have only been able to get the canned NB V/P food here at Petco...nowhere else. One time, they brought some from the back as they had pulled it once, and not bothered to replenish the shelf when they were given the OK to do so.

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Yes, i have a Petco, but i had already been to 2 different stores and had some frozen fish food i picked up at the first shop sitting in my car in the hot Florida heat and i didn't want to go to a third location. I may order some online if the Evo 95% rabbit doesn't work out. The only potential allergen that i see in the Evo is "seaweed extract".

Originally Posted by luxum

Yes, i have a Petco, but i had already been to 2 different stores and had some frozen fish food i picked up at the first shop sitting in my car in the hot Florida heat and i didn't want to go to a third location. I may order some online if the Evo 95% rabbit doesn't work out. The only potential allergen that i see in the Evo is "seaweed extract".

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Just an fyi warning

Rabbit is not a good LONG term meat ( lacks taurine) and the 95% are Supplemental ONLY not complete

Yeh, i already noted that i know it's not complete, i will only be feeding it supplemental.