Sign of Food Allergy/Intolerance?

My cat has loose stools. No itching, no skin problems, no scabbing, no vomiting. Could this symptom alone be caused by a food allergy or intolerance? Or are skin problems the sole indicator of an allergy?

For a month, I had him eating California Natural Chicken & Rice dry. It didn't do any good. If loose stools ARE a sign of allergies/intolerances, he could have an issue with what - chicken? rice? natural flavor? rosemary? Cal Natural doesn't have that many ingredients!

I know there are many possible causes of loose stools...I just want to know if it could be an allergy or intolerance.

have you had a thourogh parasite check?

natural flavor can include things like msg and yes can be an allergy

rosemary can irritate the stomach

chicken can be though usually is not

rice is a grain thus can be

Bugsy is sensitive to Chicken... He never has normal stools, but without chicken in his diet, and adding probiotics and enzymes, yes, pretty close...
But if he eats chicken AT ALL, he has violent diarrhea...

Your kitty can also have IBS...
IMO vet to check for parasites, elimination diet to find what is causing the sensitivity, and adding probiotics, prebiotics and enzymes.

Did you just change your cat's food? A food change of any kind can cause loose stools and stomach upset. I always advise people use a probiotic when making a food transition.

If I have misunderstood, and your cat has been on this food for awhile, I recommend a vet check first thing.

Originally Posted by MissKalamata

My cat has loose stools. No itching, no skin problems, no scabbing, no vomiting. Could this symptom alone be caused by a food allergy or intolerance? Or are skin problems the sole indicator of an allergy?

For a month, I had him eating California Natural Chicken & Rice dry. It didn't do any good. If loose stools ARE a sign of allergies/intolerances, he could have an issue with what - chicken? rice? natural flavor? rosemary? Cal Natural doesn't have that many ingredients!

I know there are many possible causes of loose stools...I just want to know if it could be an allergy or intolerance.

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I have never read anything that showed loose stools as being definitively tied to food allergy. I've seen many times where people have come to the conclusion that their cat is "allergic" to a particular food but not for reasons that I would consider conclusive.

I'm not sure what is meant by "intolerance". I think it is a term that is used rather loosely to mean "something bad happens when my cat eats it". That makes "intolerance" more of a description of a symptom rather than a diagnosis. Sometimes that is the best we can do. I might say my Coco is "intolerant" of all processed foods because she can't eat them without an added digestive enzyme or she has loose stools. With raw she doesn't need the added enzymes.

In my opinion, after clinical causes have been eliminated, the cause is most likely a diet that is in some way inappropriate for the cat. Clinical causes, parasites, antibiotic use, illness, must be eliminated as possibilities first.

Unfortunately most people who have found a solution for loose stools do so by a sometimes very long and frustrating process of trial and error.

I think I'll start a thread where everyone who has found a solution for loose stools can post their solution. It's a very common problem and there are lots of possible solutions. I'll start it in the Health forum though.

Originally Posted by mschauer

I have never read anything that showed loose stools as being definitively tied to food allergy. I've seen many times where people have come to the conclusion that their cat is "allergic" to a particular food but not for reasons that I would consider conclusive.

I'm not sure what is meant by "intolerance". I think it is a term that is used rather loosely to mean "something bad happens when my cat eats it". That makes "intolerance" more of a description of a symptom rather than a diagnosis. Sometimes that is the best we can do. I might say my Coco is "intolerant" of all processed foods because she can't eat them without an added digestive enzyme or she has loose stools. With raw she doesn't need the added enzymes.

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If you research Intolerance you will find it to = NOT a true allergy but something that does cause / mimic symptoms ... True allergies can be TESTED for Intolerance are more trial and error as tests cannot detect them ...

a quick Google yielded web Md version , http://www.webmd.com/allergies/foods...gy-intolerance

Originally Posted by sharky

If you research Intolerance you will find it to = NOT a true allergy but something that does cause / mimic symptoms ... True allergies can be TESTED for Intolerance are more trial and error as tests cannot detect them ...

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Yes, I'm aware that allergies can be tested for.

My post was referring to how people in these forums tend to use the terms. People have sometimes come to the conclusion their cat is "allergic" but have no test to back it up. "Intolerance" is frequently used as a catch all if allergy isn't suspected.