Cat has an allergy to something, where do I start??

[oneandahalfcats]

 
At petco, cans are $2.89 each, the bags of dry were alot more, I think it was $36.99 for a 5 lb bag, that's insane. 2.5 lb bag was $19.99 or so.

I would need both as she eats canned for breakfast and dinner, with dry in between.

If this is just for the straight NV grain-free, then yes, that is considerably more expensive. Our 5lb NV grain-free chicken dry here is about $28 and change. That said, it depends on the meat protein. The rabbit and duck canned and dry will be more expensive on average as these ingredients are just more expensive to source. Rabbit is $3+ for a 5.5 ounce here.

You should take a look at Authority which is available at Petsmart, as one chain. It has Lamb, Turkey, Chicken, Fish and Beef varieties. Contains no grains, carageenan (most) or by-product. It is very reasonably priced at between $75-80/5.5 ounce can. Here is a link to the canned varieties :  http://www.authoritypetnutrition.com/cat-products/adult/canned-food.shtml

Some of the varieties will contain carageenan if this is important to you. Most do not.

Here is a link to Authority at Petsmart : http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4230546. Just changed the location at the top of the page from Canada, to US.

 

[catwoman707]

 
If this is just for the straight NV grain-free, then yes, that is considerably more expensive. Our 5lb NV grain-free chicken dry here is about $28 and change. That said, it depends on the meat protein. The rabbit and duck canned and dry will be more expensive on average as these ingredients are just more expensive to source. Rabbit is $3+ for a 5.5 ounce here.

You should take a look at Authority which is available at Petsmart, as one chain. It has Lamb, Turkey, Chicken, Fish and Beef varieties. Contains no grains, carageenan (most) or by-product. It is very reasonably priced at between $75-80/5.5 ounce can. Here is a link to the canned varieties :  http://www.authoritypetnutrition.com/cat-products/adult/canned-food.shtml

Some of the varieties will contain carageenan if this is important to you. Most do not.

Here is a link to Authority at Petsmart : http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4230546. Just changed the location at the top of the page from Canada, to US.

Thank you! So for an allergy cat, which would be the most likely to help?  AND tastes good so she will eat it?

 

[goholistic]

Prices vary by market. A 5.5 oz. can of NV Instinct at my Petco are $2.99 each (regular price). This is more than the prescription canned food I had Sebastian on! And, of course, he's now on NV, so I'm going the wrong way. 

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Thank you! So for an allergy cat, which would be the most likely to help?  AND tastes good so she will eat it?

I would probably to stick with Turkey, Lamb, Chicken & Liver, Chicken and Lamb and maybe a bit of the catfish (for variety) as it is not an ocean-going fish so will likely not contain questionable things like PCBs, mercury, etc.

Now, I just looked at the Authority dry food and I wouldn't go there in case you were thinking about it. The dry contains corn and ground corn as an ingredient which is a cheap form of protein when found at or near the top of the list.

If you still need to feed dry food, then I would go with Taste of the Wild which is decent at a moderate price. Here are links to the two varieties for cats :  http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/cats/dry_food/rocky_mountain_feline_formula/ / http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/cats/dry_food/canyon_river_feline_formula/

Expect to pay about $20.00 / 5lb bag of the TOTW. While you are at it, you might as well have a look at the TOTW canned food which will be a bit better than the Authority for ingredients.

EDIT: Here is a link to the TOTW Rocky Feline canned : http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.co..._food/rocky_mountain_feline_formula_in_gravy/

 

[catwoman707]

This is a big help.

These are appropriate for her when trying to eliminate for allergies?

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
This is a big help.

These are appropriate for her when trying to eliminate for allergies?

I guess this will be up to her, depending on what you feel she might be allergic to. As she has been on dry, this could have been corn or wheat, soy, or some other ingredient in dry food. Chicken can be a trigger along with Beef in any food be it dry or wet. Not so much Lamb, Rabbit, Duck as these are lesser fed meat proteins. The only way to know for sure that it is a food allergy, is to do a food trial of a novel protein using Rabbit, Duck, Venison, Lamb, or going with one of the limited ingredient foods such as the NV or NB. But I recall you said that she was much better on wet food versus dry and so doing this switch is a good place to start.

 

[goholistic]

 
These are appropriate for her when trying to eliminate for allergies?

The most common allergens are poultry, beef, fish, grains, and gluten. Of course, like humans, cats can be allergic to almost anything. I think my Sebastian may have a sensitivity to "gums" (guar gum, xanthan gum, etc.) used in cat food. I agree with @oneandahalfcats that rabbit, lamb, and venison are novel enough proteins to try. Duck may be okay, but if she already eats food containing duck, then it might not be novel for her. The idea is to feed her proteins she's never had before...IF the protein is the problem. For some, eliminating fish and grains did the trick.

An elimination diet for food allergies is such a daunting task!  

 

[catwoman707]

Actually, it was back when Krissy was eating dry diet Iams that she did not show any signs of allergies, I hate to say this but now that she is mainly eating canned food and just a small amt of dry during the day, this is when I have noticed her licking and chewing all the time.

As well as her eos being twice what the normal level is, ruled out parasites and fleas, so allergies is all that's left.

So I'm starting from scratch with this, trying to start somewhere, and am more lost than ever on this.

Honestly I think I should eliminate fish and grains as a start, so what would be advisable/appropriate canned and dry foods that she will actually eat that don't have grains or fish?

Maybe if I just started with fish and deal with grains later, since Iams which has plenty of grain didn't give her a reaction. Not to mention, grain free canned she will not eat except fancy feast. (chicken and turkey pate)

No, that's not gonna do it either, after I typed that I thought about how she only gets under a half a can of fish flavored for dinner.

See?! It's making me a nut case already....

 

[abbyntim]

 
Actually, it was back when Krissy was eating dry diet Iams that she did not show any signs of allergies, I hate to say this but now that she is mainly eating canned food and just a small amt of dry during the day, this is when I have noticed her licking and chewing all the time.

Hmm, maybe it's not the protein but one of the gums or thickeners in canned food. Or it could be a food sensitivity that developed over time, these things can come up suddenly.

My male cat was in pretty good shape on dry food, except that he got horribly constipated. But his fur was soft, his urine pH was 6.0, he had no crystals. I switched him to Wellness to resolve the constipation and his urine pH went up, he may have developed crystals (or it was a false positive), and he started vomiting after every meal. I first thought fish, then chicken, and now I'm not sure. I've eliminated both of those, along with carrageenan and all gums. Once I'm feeling more comfortable with his progress, I'll try chicken and a few foods with guar gum.

Who knows, this is a tough thing to figure out.

BTW, I pay $1.89 a can for NVI LID turkey, and $2.49 a can for NVI LID duck and NVI rabbit. I purchase my food at an independent pet store. If I were to purchase at Petco, it would be quite a bit more.

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Actually, it was back when Krissy was eating dry diet Iams that she did not show any signs of allergies, I hate to say this but now that she is mainly eating canned food and just a small amt of dry during the day, this is when I have noticed her licking and chewing all the time.

As well as her eos being twice what the normal level is, ruled out parasites and fleas, so allergies is all that's left.

So I'm starting from scratch with this, trying to start somewhere, and am more lost than ever on this.

Honestly I think I should eliminate fish and grains as a start, so what would be advisable/appropriate canned and dry foods that she will actually eat that don't have grains or fish?

Maybe if I just started with fish and deal with grains later, since Iams which has plenty of grain didn't give her a reaction. Not to mention, grain free canned she will not eat except fancy feast. (chicken and turkey pate)

No, that's not gonna do it either, after I typed that I thought about how she only gets under a half a can of fish flavored for dinner.

See?! It's making me a nut case already....

Sorry, I must have misunderstood the timeline re. foods. So, the problems may have begun with the introduction of canned food, correct? It could be a meat protein that is causing the licking and chewing but could also be another ingredient altogether. Eliminating fish would certainly be something to slow down on due to fish containing histamine protein which can trigger allergies in some cats. Feeding half a can of fish daily is too much really, and it could be that if not an allergy, there could be an intolerance to this or one of the other foods. I seldom feed my cats canned fish, preferring to give them sardines or tuna in water once in awhile as a treat. I give them a good quality alaskan wild salmon oil supplement so they get their omegas this way.

As far as eliminating grains at this point, its up to you but my thoughts are that as your cats are getting older, it is more important now than ever to feed them a good quality diet which means high protein, low carb and moderate fats. Dry food that contains things like corn, wheat and glutens can cause problems with digestion, blood sugar and weight and are just not good sources of protein. Unless you are feeding controlled meals, your kitties will continue to experience problems with weight on dry foods that contain these ingredients. As an example of this, Max was on RC Rx High Fibre food which contained corn, wheat and glutens for his constipation problem, and he got up to almost 17 pounds. He was always bloated on this food and I attributed this to the corn. Since going to a 80% wet diet, he has started to lose some of this weight. Depending on which IAMS dry you are feeding, some may be slightly better than others but they all seem to contain a corn product.

I know that switching foods is never easy, but it will be good for them in the long run.

 

[catwoman707]

 
Sorry, I must have misunderstood the timeline re. foods. So, the problems may have begun with the introduction of canned food, correct? It could be a meat protein that is causing the licking and chewing but could also be another ingredient altogether. Eliminating fish would certainly be something to slow down on due to fish containing histamine protein which can trigger allergies in some cats. Feeding half a can of fish daily is too much really, and it could be that if not an allergy, there could be an intolerance to this or one of the other foods. I seldom feed my cats canned fish, preferring to give them sardines or tuna in water once in awhile as a treat. I give them a good quality alaskan wild salmon oil supplement so they get their omegas this way.

As far as eliminating grains at this point, its up to you but my thoughts are that as your cats are getting older, it is more important now than ever to feed them a good quality diet which means high protein, low carb and moderate fats. Dry food that contains things like corn, wheat and glutens can cause problems with digestion, blood sugar and weight and are just not good sources of protein. Unless you are feeding controlled meals, your kitties will continue to experience problems with weight on dry foods that contain these ingredients. As an example of this, Max was on RC Rx High Fibre food which contained corn, wheat and glutens for his constipation problem, and he got up to almost 17 pounds. He was always bloated on this food and I attributed this to the corn. Since going to a 80% wet diet, he has started to lose some of this weight. Depending on which IAMS dry you are feeding, some may be slightly better than others but they all seem to contain a corn product.

I know that switching foods is never easy, but it will be good for them in the long run.

Oh I def. agree! Until I put her on timed meals, then canned timed meals, her weight was a big issue, well she is still a chunk but since switching to canned she has lost 2.4 lbs, which is progress imo

Funny thing though, in the past week I have now eliminated the fish from her diet, she has been solely eating fancy feast chicken in the am, fancy feast turkey in the evening, and Iams regular dry in between, daytime only.

While I understand a week is NOT enough time to see changes, I have sure noticed she is chewing and licking more than ever.

Go figure!! Is it the poultry??! How wierd is that.....

I would like to find a grain free dry, for in between (she is mainly on canned) and was thinking this am, why not go with B.C. 95% chicken dry food, that would be fine as she will eat that, but now am wondering....is is chicken over fish that is causing all this? What a pain, like searching for a needle in a haystack........!

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Oh I def. agree! Until I put her on timed meals, then canned timed meals, her weight was a big issue, well she is still a chunk but since switching to canned she has lost 2.4 lbs, which is progress imo

Funny thing though, in the past week I have now eliminated the fish from her diet, she has been solely eating fancy feast chicken in the am, fancy feast turkey in the evening, and Iams regular dry in between, daytime only.

While I understand a week is NOT enough time to see changes, I have sure noticed she is chewing and licking more than ever.

Go figure!! Is it the poultry??! How wierd is that.....

I would like to find a grain free dry, for in between (she is mainly on canned) and was thinking this am, why not go with B.C. 95% chicken dry food, that would be fine as she will eat that, but now am wondering....is is chicken over fish that is causing all this? What a pain, like searching for a needle in a haystack........!

Oh that's awesome about the weight loss!

Yes, until you are further down the road with this, it could be anything at this point. This would be a good time to start journalling so you can track changes as you try things/eliminate things. Not sure what BC chicken is? The 95% chicken sure sounds good though if this relates to the protein source

 

 

[catwoman707]

 
Oh that's awesome about the weight loss!

Yes, until you are further down the road with this, it could be anything at this point. This would be a good time to start journalling so you can track changes as you try things/eliminate things. Not sure what BC chicken is? The 95% chicken sure sounds good though if this relates to the protein source

 

Shoot, I meant B.G. which is Before Grain 95% chicken. Have you heard of this? They also have canned, but grain free canned is not an option according to Princess Krissy! 

Although isn't ff pate grain free? She eats that........??

 

[oneandahalfcats]

 
Shoot, I meant B.G. which is Before Grain 95% chicken. Have you heard of this? They also have canned, but grain free canned is not an option according to Princess Krissy! 

Although isn't ff pate grain free? She eats that........??

Ahh, okay. Yes, I have heard of the Merrick's BG. Haven't tried it though, but just looked at the ingredients for the Before Grain and it looks pretty decent. A lot less carbs than the regular Merrick.

Just to confirm, this is the Merrick BG I am looking at : http://www.merrickpetcare.com/consu...ries=Cat-Before-Grain-Dry&age=All_Life_Stages. But am not seeing how they get 95% chicken?

Re. the FF pate varieties (CLASSICS for you folks in the states), yes these are the ones that are grain-free, and also contain no carageenan, but just the pates - The chunky/shredded stuff does contain carageenan.

 

[catwoman707]

 
Ahh, okay. Yes, I have heard of the Merrick's BG. Haven't tried it though, but just looked at the ingredients for the Before Grain and it looks pretty decent. A lot less carbs than the regular Merrick.

Just to confirm, this is the Merrick BG I am looking at : http://www.merrickpetcare.com/consu...ries=Cat-Before-Grain-Dry&age=All_Life_Stages. But am not seeing how they get 95% chicken?

Re. the FF pate varieties (CLASSICS for you folks in the states), yes these are the ones that are grain-free, and also contain no carageenan, but just the pates - The chunky/shredded stuff does contain carageenan.

Yes! That's the one

The ff they eat is only the pate classics, so no grains there.

That's what I will do then, hopefully it is NOT chicken that she is allergic to!!  Maybe it's the grain, now that is doable and easy!

Thanks so much!

 

[oneandahalfcats]

You're welcome .. Just a friendly reminder to transition gradually .. Fingers crossed for positive results!

 

[catwoman707]

Okay so here's the latest update on Krissy....

I actually believe I'm going to get lucky here and find out it was the grains in the dry food she eats in between, as I have now gradually switched her dry to B.G. Before Grain chicken dry, and notice she is chewing less, at least it looks that way.

However, one side effect that bugs me, she has gas! Stinky little farts, I don't think I have ever known her to fart, ever.

She is now!

Does make me think it's a bit hard on her to digest? I took it slow, started the change adding 25% of the new, then 50%, etc over a least a 2 week period.

You'd think that was enough time.

 

[goholistic]

Let's hope it was the grains and Krissy's chewing stops soon! I may have said this already, but a couple years ago, I had Sebastian on a food with grains and he started scratching his neck and face so bad that he bled. As soon as I took him off the food and moved to grain-free, the scratching stopped.

Actually, I think a higher protein, grain-free food should be easier to digest. 

 

[catwoman707]

Gosh so did I......that's why I'm a little stumped on this.............

 

[oneandahalfcats]

Glad to read that things are going well with the transition! ..

Re. the stinky toots .. Flatulence is usually a symptom of malabsorption or food intolerance and so I wonder if the toots are being caused by some ingredient in the food, or the fact that the food is just a lot richer than her digestion is used to? I had my crew on Orijen which is a lot more concentrated for protein, and recall that the stools were a bit on the stinky side, initially.

If you aren't already, you could incorporate a good probiotic and see if this can make a difference. Probiotics can be really beneficial for both of your cats at this stage in their lives in improving gut flora which in turn leads to better digestion once the bad bacteria is replaced with good bacteria. This is what probiotics due. In addition, the immune system is better supported when digestion is optimal. I use the Natural Factors Double Strength Acidopholus Bifidus, which has worked wonders for Max, but there are some others out there.  Ultimately, you want to look for a probiotic that contains at least 10 CFU, CFU in simple terms means the live cultures. Live culture probiotics need to be kept refrigerated.