Shellfish allergy?

This is probably a stupid question, but: can cats also be allergic to shellfish? I just got an email from a friend, describing how she fed her six cats canned food consisting of salmon, shrimp, and rice, and two of them reacted with severe vomiting. My husband and brother-in-law react the same way to shrimp or crabmeat. What else should I advise her to avoid? Lobster, crabfish?

Scallops, oysters and clams should be avoided as well. Also, no squid/calamari. I would also let the vet know about the allergy; some diagnostic tests that are done on humans use a dye made from squid ink as a contrast medium and this will affect people allergic to shellfish. I don't know if this sort of dye is used for animals, as well, but it would make sense to alert the vet just in case, so it is in the cat's chart.

That's a great point - I hadn't even thought about x-rays. Now that you mention it, my husband becomes very nauseated every time he is x-rayed, although he can eat calamari (squid).