HUGE scare!

I apologize in advance if I ramble...

I just had the scare of my life. I had to rush my Cassidy to the vet due to an allergic reaction thought to have been caused by a new food. Last week, I made the switch to a new dry kibble (you can read the thread here: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=228291). I thought all had been going well, but in retrospect, Cassidy has been acting off for a couple of days. It's not been anything truly pronounced, but it makes sense now in light of this new development. But, I digress.

I went upstairs to play with the kitties and get in some grooming time, but noticed that Cassidy was nowhere to be found. I heard a strange "coughing" coming from the guest room and finally found her under the bed -- her eyes and lips swollen and hives around her neck. I quickly got her out from under the bed and called the vet. By the time I got the vet on the phone, I had already drawn up some Prednisolone to give her. The vet did suggest dosing her and told me to bring her right in. The whole thing happened so fast, but I did get a hold of my roommate who rushed home from where she was picking up a prescription and got us to the vet in record time. They administered Epinephrine and drew blood, but the vet was nearly 100% certain that it was due to the new food (there is nothing else the cats could have gotten into). One of the main ingredients in the new food I was feeding is lamb and, now, it looks as though that is the most likely culprit. I'll get the results from her labs as soon as they're available, but my main concern was getting her back home and comfortable as quickly as possible.

I don't expect anything to be off on her blood work. And, the vet agrees with me. But, nonetheless, it's better to be safe than sorry. For now, Cassidy is just fine, albeit very shaken. She's been sleeping in her carrier for a while now and I don't want to disturb her (though I am checking on her every 15 minutes). I have Epinephrine now, from the vet, but I'm hoping it's not something I am going to have to administer. ALL of the Solid Gold Katz-n-flocken has been picked up and moved outside into the trash bins. The floor has been vacuumed and there is nothing that anyone can get into. I would be feeding dry kibble at this point in the night, but, instead, I have given the girls an extra serving of wet food. And, just to be safe, Cass will be given Hill's Z/D once she's feeling a bit better. But, I'm just relieved that I caught this in time and that she will be okay. I never expected her to develop an allergic reaction to the food I was feeding her. But, lo and behold, that is exactly what happened. It could've been a tragedy. But, it wasn't. I thank my lucky stars for that.

It looks like I'll be going to the pet store to pick up a new food for the kitties tomorrow. And, you can bet that it'll be something that does not contain lamb. In the meantime, if you could offer a prayer or two or some vibes for my girl (and me), it would be very much appreciated. I don't know what I'd have done if I didn't catch this in time.

I know I rambled, but thank you for reading. I was so scared. Thank God she is okay...