Need food for sensitive skin and stomach

I have two indoor cats, Etain is an 8 year old spayed female who is very lazy but only slightly overweight and Midir is a 5 year old neutered male who is very active, but also very fat. Etain has sensitive skin, it is especially bad around her face and neck, but I also find scabs on her lower back ... I think this is primarily because these are the two places where she can scratch and bite effectively. She also does not tolerate certain foods very well, especially ones with a lot of dye like Iams. She has seen the vet for this problem and was sort of generically diagnosed with dermatitis, the suggestion was just to try different foods, which I've been doing for years. We've had some luck with Science diet Sensitive skin + science diet canned food (she vomits and suffers from constipation if she doesn't have some wet food in her diet). But she still has break outs, and will scratch until her hair falls out and she has huge nasty scabs that appear to be painful to the touch. I've tried adding linatone to her food, but that seems to upset her stomach.

Because of their weight problem, I am interested in switching them over to canned food or if I can find a dry food that isn't loaded with fillers, keeping them on the dry+canned diet (which they seem to prefer) The food must be easily digestible and hopefully have ingredients that will benefit Etain's skin. I would love to find a food that fits all of these requirements and doesn't have all those nasty by-products, fillers and chemicals. It would be a real bonus to find something that is also good for oral care and urinary tract health (I always worry about male cats getting blockages). This may be too much to ask for in one package, but if anyone has any suggestions, especially for food that is readily available at Petsmart or other pet supply stores, I would really appreciate it.

Since I'm new here, I have about a million questions, I'll try to control myself

My cats were both adult strays when I got them, as such, it's been a challenge to trim their claws, but we manage to get through it. However, after all these years, it seems like their teeth are still off limits. I've tried every trick in the book to clean their teeth, to no avail. I've resigned myself to using the following products, I don't know if they do any good, but I figure it can't hurt. I'd like to know if anyone out there has opinions on these or other oral care products that they'd like to share.
M&C Breath and Dental Care Treats
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2002+113878
Petkin Liquid Oral Care
http://www.petsmart.com/global/produ...=1141608827744

I was also wondering if anyone has tried the following products or knows of an alternative they would suggest?

M&C Skin and Coat Treats
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2002+113878

Chicken Nibblets
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Produc...&N=2002+113878

I'm also looking for waterless shampoos or conditioners that might be good for sensitive skin.

Well, I think that's enough for today

I'd appreciate any input you guys have.

Hi and welcome to TCS!

Unfortunately I do not have any answers for you, but I'm sure some of the other members will.

Have you tried another vet for a second opinion on Etain's skin problems? I have a fur puller that reacts to stress and certain foods. The vet did give us a food supplement that did help for a bit.

I'm actually calling tomorrow to schedule check ups with a new vet. But I think the last vet's assessment of Etain was pretty fair, she has also had reactions to vaccines and to shampoos, so it seems logical enough that that she has food sensitivities too. And she definitely fares better on some food than others, I'm just hoping for something that is even more effective at relieving her symptoms.

Depending on if you have figured out what foods she may be allergic to, for a food available at Petco, try Natural Balance Venison and Green Pea (also comes in a canned version). Here is the link to this product's description and ingredients list page: http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/products/VenCat.html

I am not familiar with the dental product or treats you gave links for. But my suggestion would be, if you know what she does (or doesn't!) react to, try a quality single protein source treat. There are many on the market - companies such as Halo's Liv-a-Littles, Dr. Harvey's, Grandma Lucy's, and Whole Life all have a range of freeze-dried treats that are nothing but the protein listed i.e. beef, chicken, cod, salmon, liver, raw green tripe. Additional treats in this vein include freeze-dried shrimp, flaked bonito (a kind of tuna) - sold under varying brand names such as Kitty Kaviar, Cosmic and Dr. Fosters and Smith have come out with their own version (kitty kaviar was first on the market with this for pets).

If seeking an unusual protein - try Evanger's canned game - though it's listed for dogs, it is simply a game meat, nothing added, so requires supplementation but as just a meat (pheasant is one option) it doesn't contain anything a cat can NOT have. You can find evanger's online, and even buy directly from the company - they may also have a store locater for you.

hth a bit

California Natural's Chicken and Rice formula is also recommended for kitties with sensitive tummies and/or allergies.

Originally Posted by dawnofsierra

California Natural's Chicken and Rice formula is also recommended for kitties with sensitive tummies and/or allergies.

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I would try this first if you can find it ... If you have a Petsmart try looking at Nutro natural choice .... If Petco check the Natural Balence or the Nutro

Things to try and avoid .. grd corn , soy and by products

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. We do not have a Petco, but we have a store called Pet Supplies Plus and I think I've seen signs in their window for the California Natural and some other organic foods, I'm going to run there over my lunch break and see what they have.

They did not have the Natural Balance, but they had everything else. I bought a bag of the California Natural's Chicken & Rice, they had two kinds of canned food, chicken and rice and venison and rice (I think) I was looking at the label on the can and I was a little confused because it looks quite different from the dry food, so I didn't get any canned food today. Does anyone have any experience with the California Natural's canned food? Any opinions on the ingredients or quality?