Need to change dry food

I have 3 cats, all of which have been fed dry food their entire lives (so don't start a whole debate about how I shouldn't dry feed them.)
Lately, one of my cats has been licking herself so much that she's leaving bald spots and scabs on her body. At first I thought it was separation anxiety because we were in the middle of moving houses, but she's in our new home with me 24/7 and is still doing it. Then I found out that it may be a food allergy.
Meow Mix is what we've been feeding them because it's inexpensive and our other cat refuses to eat anything other than meow mix. But its also very common for cats to have an allergy to ingredients in meow mix.
Any suggestions on what brands to start trying? I need something inexpensive.
I've been giving my dogs Purina their whole lives and have never had a problem with them, any reviews on the Purina cat chow?

Purina is garbage food. It's chock full of useless carb fillers like corn, brewer's rice, wheat, oat groats, etc.

I'd recommend feeding your cat's 100% wet food in the form of Fancy Feast Classics but you don't want to do that so you'll have to spend more on high quality dry.

Orijen, Rawz, Nature's Variety, Performatrin Ultra, Wellness CORE, Wysong Epigen 90, and Nulo are the only somewhat decent dry foods on the market.

I'd recommend you switch your dog and your cats off Purina...it will save you money on vet bills in the future

Hi and welcome! 

My cats eat Petcurean GO! Fit & Free

http://www.petcurean.com/for-cats/go/

If you feed only dry food, you want one that is grain free and as high in protein and low in carbs as possible. As mentioned above, grocery store brands do not fit that description. They are loaded with fillers that cats (who are true carnivores) do not need. 

This food is not inexpensive but you get what you pay for. You can also try Merrick Purrfect Bistro. It's a grain free food that's more middle of the road price wise. 

https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/49263

Some members here feed Taste of the Wild. This one is pretty affordable and grain free. 

https://www.chewy.com/taste-wild-rocky-mountain-dry-cat/dp/34263

What you can do is contact some manufacturers and ask for samples. Some have them some don't. It couldn't hurt to ask. 

If you suspect a food allergy, you may want to try a limited ingredient diet (LID) dry food for a little while, until you figure out what the allergy is (however it may be a bit more pricey than you'd like).  One I know of that isn't terrible in price is Merrick LID- and they have single protein ingredients in each bag which will help if it turns out to be some kind of protein allergy- there's 3 flavors to choose from.   If you feel strongly about wanting to try Purina for your cat, I would go with the Purina Beyond or Purine Pro Plan formula which is grain-free, but again, more expensive than the regular cat chow.   What is your budget per size of bag?

I agree with the above poster that it is (at least usually) a good idea to use wet food as much as feasible and Fancy Feast Classics is a brand that I have used and have had no issues with. Of course every cat and every situation is different so there is are no fixed rules.

While you may not "want" to hear that feeding only dry food is terrible for your cats, it's terrible for your cats. Kibble is also loaded with fillers which can trigger allergies. Meow mix is one of the worst dry foods out there. The obsessive licking you're describing is very common with allergies. Food allergies in pets typically appears on the skin first. The best thing for your cats is to move them to at least 1/2 wet food and higher quality kibble. No grocery store kibble, there are no decent ones, you'll need to invest in some better quality kibble if you're set on feeding it. Ideally moving onto a LID wet food, or even one that just doesn't have a lot of fillers like Fancy Feast pates. 

SallyK said:

I agree with the above poster that it is (at least usually) a good idea to use wet food as much as feasible and Fancy Feast Classics is a brand that I have used and have had no issues with. Of course every cat and every situation is different so there is are no fixed rules.

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missmimz said:

While you may not "want" to hear that feeding only dry food is terrible for your cats, it's terrible for your cats. Kibble is also loaded with fillers which can trigger allergies. Meow mix is one of the worst dry foods out there. The obsessive licking you're describing is very common with allergies. Food allergies in pets typically appears on the skin first. The best thing for your cats is to move them to at least 1/2 wet food and higher quality kibble. No grocery store kibble, there are no decent ones, you'll need to invest in some better quality kibble if you're set on feeding it. Ideally moving onto a LID wet food, or even one that just doesn't have a lot of fillers like Fancy Feast pates. 

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Like I said ,I don't need people telling me to wet feed my cats. One is 10 years old and has been on dry food her entire life and has no health issues.

destinyz12 said:

If you suspect a food allergy, you may want to try a limited ingredient diet (LID) dry food for a little while, until you figure out what the allergy is (however it may be a bit more pricey than you'd like).  One I know of that isn't terrible in price is Merrick LID- and they have single protein ingredients in each bag which will help if it turns out to be some kind of protein allergy- there's 3 flavors to choose from.   If you feel strongly about wanting to try Purina for your cat, I would go with the Purina Beyond or Purine Pro Plan formula which is grain-free, but again, more expensive than the regular cat chow.   What is your budget per size of bag?

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I'm guessing it has to do with wheat or corn, because we were given food once and it didn't contain either of them and she was okay on that but our other cat wouldn't eat it. We may even have to buy them different foods but it wouldn't hurt to try Mrs Picky on the food the allergic cat needs Lol

I totally agree with the above posts. My cat thrives on ff classic pates and no vet bills other than the required vaccinations. That is saving money in the long run. Hope you are able to give it a try . I know your poor kitty must be miserable.

damnemjay said:

Like I said ,I don't need people telling me to wet feed my cats. One is 10 years old and has been on dry food her entire life and has no health issues.

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All cats are "fine" on dry food, until they aren't. You can't properly treat a food allergy when you're feeding low quality kibble loaded with things obligate carnivores can't digest. 

missmimz said:

All cats are "fine" on dry food, until they aren't. You can't properly treat a food allergy when you're feeding low quality kibble loaded with things obligate carnivores can't digest. 

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Hence the reason I'm looking for a different food brand. You "treat" a food allergy by switching or eliminating the allergy item from the cats diet. Which is what I'm doing.

damnemjay said:

Hence the reason I'm looking for a different food brand. You "treat" a food allergy by switching or eliminating the allergy item from the cats diet. Which is what I'm doing.

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Right. You can't eliminate starchy ingredients unless you eliminate kibble. Whether you know this or not, all kibble contains some starchy ingredients. High end, low end, they all do. Certain brands market their kibbles as "grain free," but all they've done is replace 'wheat' or 'corn' with potatoes or peas, which can be equally as irritating and are useless to cats. Kibble contains so many ingredients that it's nearly impossible to narrow down exactly what is causing the allergy. Cats are obligate carnivores, you do them no justice by feeding them foods that contain inappropriate things. You're going to do whatever you want to do, but the answer to your problem likely won't be found in any "better" quality kibbles. 

This is a decent list of kibbles.

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2011/08/best-dry-cat-foods-so-far/