need effective allergy treatment for my cat

[mainecoonlova]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this site but I like what I see so far.

I have either a Maine coon mix or possibly a Norwegian Forest Cat. He is 15+ lbs of big white fluffiness. However, he has allergies and I am having one heck of a time finding a good non chemically based treatment for him.

I have already tried Doc Ackermans allergy relief formula which works but, he does not like the taste of it so, because he don't eat all of his food, it doesn;t work 100%.

I am also looking into EcoBalance[emoji]8482[/emoji] Anti-Allergy Liquid Concentrate for Cats which I have not been able to find a local store to get it yet.

One more thing, because of his allergies, he scratches a lot and it drives me up the wall a lot of the time. I HATE seeing him suffer and I feel helpless a lot of the time to do anything without resorting to chemical treatments that have unacceptable side effects.

If anyone has any sure fire allergy treatments for cats that work, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks,

MCL

Dec 27, 2010 008.jpg

• mainecoonlova
• May 29, 2015

My big guy

 

[stephanietx]

Is he suffering from food allergies, environmental allergies, or seasonal allergies?  What does he currently eat?  Have you tried a grain-free food and over the counter allergy meds like Claritin?

 

[LTS3]

Have you taken the cat to the vet? A vet can determine what the allergy is caused by (food? fleas? skin parasite? seasonal allergies much like what Humans get? etc)  and can suggest treatment options, including non-chemical options. A holistic vet may also have suggestions.

 

[stephenq]

 

Cats frequently respond well to a cat sized dosage of an OTC anti-histamine like benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton.  I would discuss the type of allergy with your vet, and as @stephanietx   said sometimes diet will fix it, and if not discuss meds with your vet that can help.  It may sound simplistic and yet its true, the reason anti-histamines work is they counter histamines which are causing the reaction.  Ideally, you remove the allergen if possible, and if not possible (like its environmental, not food related) then you counter the allergen medically.

 

[mainecoonlova]

 
Is he suffering from food allergies, environmental allergies, or seasonal allergies?  What does he currently eat?  Have you tried a grain-free food and over the counter allergy meds like Claritin?

On the allergies, YES

We have already been down the changing the foods trail for a while now. He eats ONLY grain free foods that are as close to organic as I can find. (food is not the issue at this point) As I said in my post, I am not going to give him any chemical based allergy medications. This includes any over the counter ones like benedril and Clariton and the like. I took back some medication to the vet because #1 it was chemically based and #2 one of the side effects was death! No thanks!

I apologize guys for not being more specific in the description.

We have already been to the vet several times and we have had a blood test done already to find out exactly what he is allergic to. In addition, we have been to my local "holistic" vet and she couldn't give me anything to help that was non chemically based either. (Kinda weird to me since she is a chinese medicine type of vet)

Hope that clears things up.

 

[mainecoonlova]

Again, for the sake of clarity..  I have used the following allergy relief formula and it works IF he eats all of his breakfast. However, since he doesn't like the taste, it's not all that often that it is effective for the entire day.

153011_500.jpg

• mainecoonlova
• May 30, 2015

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Doc-Ackermans-Herbal-Allergy-Relief-Formula/153011.aspx

In addition, I am trying to find this one..  but since it's sold out, I am having difficulty finding it..

cat-anti-allergy.jpg

• mainecoonlova
• May 30, 2015

http://www.vet-organics.com/product/ecobalance-anti-allergy-liquid-concentrate-cats/?add-to-cart=701

 

[puck]

 
On the allergies, YES

We have already been down the changing the foods trail for a while now. He eats ONLY grain free foods that are as close to organic as I can find. (food is not the issue at this point) As I said in my post, I am not going to give him any chemical based allergy medications. This includes any over the counter ones like benedril and Clariton and the like. I took back some medication to the vet because #1 it was chemically based and #2 one of the side effects was death! No thanks!

I apologize guys for not being more specific in the description.

We have already been to the vet several times and we have had a blood test done already to find out exactly what he is allergic to. In addition, we have been to my local "holistic" vet and she couldn't give me anything to help that was non chemically based either. (Kinda weird to me since she is a chinese medicine type of vet)

Hope that clears things up.

Let's clear up some other stuff first.  Your boy is a domestic longhair, beautiful, gorgeous, but to effectively treat him, you gotta call a spade a spade.

Getting hung up on the word "chemical" is gonna hinder your ability to help your cat.  Oxygen is a chemical. As is nitrogen, argon, radon, xenon, and krypton. We breathe these in every day in that lovely thing called air. If these didn't exist, trees would die, we would die, your handsome stud would die.

All good things in moderation. Even a "non-chemical labeled" treatment can be toxic or ineffective in the wrong amount. Most herbs and essential oils are administering the whole plant or tissue, rather than the little, itty bitty extracted part that will actually help treat the problem.

Garlic can be antimicrobial. The sulfur in it can also be highly toxic to red blood cells.

Pyrethrin, derived from that all to popular chrysanthemum flower, can be live saving to pets, keeping ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes away; it keeps pest species away from vital crops. But, too much can be toxic. A minor amount can kill a cat. Yet, such a long history of helping people, livestock, and crops.

Tea tree oil, aka malaleuca, can be bacteriostatic when topically applied. It can also be highly irritating, causing pruritis, chemical burn sensation, and is Highly toxic when ingested, very common amongst dogs and cats as they groom themselves. It shouldn't be used as a result.

Black walnut hulls, crushed, are used by some "chemical free" pet owners as intermittent heartworm preventative. Juglone, component of all parts of the black walnut tree/nuts/leaves/roots, is highly toxic to cellular protein, causing cellular death, with countless rippling side effects upon tissues and organs. This problem is why I don't recommend Blue Buffalo's newish black walnut litter to clients/owners, as some crazy cats that put everything in their mouths, and most dogs, will eat litter, to their detriment. At a minimum, impaction/constipation or diarrhea/gastritis/enteritis/colitis results; at worst GI, renal, and hemo toxicity result.

Has your boy seen a board certified dermatologist? They help with not only skin allergies, but immune-mediated disorder/disease, food allergy, systemic allergies, and formulate some seriously detailed treatment plans. Ensuring he is parasite free, both ectoparasites, and endoparasites, is paramount prior to looking for allergies. When we hear hoofbeats, we look for horses, not zebras.

What are his symptoms, other than pruritis? History of bacterial skin infections, localized or generalized? Red pustules, staph collarettes? What is the severity of his scratching? Self-inflicted excoriations and wounds around the head, ears, chin, abdomen, tailhead? These are the classic presentations of allergies in cats. If he doesn't have these, other diagnostics for other causes of his discomfort are in order.

For the allergy cat, loratidine, aka Claritin, is one of the few antihistamines that effectively help them combat the inflammatory histamine release. Histamine release is the release of a chemical within your cat's bloodstream by his white blood cells and mast cells in response to an antigen, aka allergy stimulant. His whole body is made up of chemicals. Adenosine triphosphate abounds. As well as potassium/sodium ion gated channels. Much of it an owner isn't going to analyze and learn the physiology. That is why you find a veterinarian you trust, with a medical team you can also trust. To deny a cat so many treatment options, when they already are given the short end of the stick by the treatment fairies compared to dogs and humans, is doing a cat a disservice. We must consider, weigh, evaluate, and compare any options available to effectively help and treat the animals we long ago domesticated and forced to rely upon us.

Don't discount a therapy until it's known to not help a diagnosis by a trained, licensed, doctor of veterinary medicine. We are foolish humans, to think we are experts in everything. We must trust others, and delegate at some point. We are not omniscient, omnipotent beings. Let those that understand and study science for a passion, for a living, do what they do best, and we get to take hella advantage of it ;]

 

[LTS3]

Just adding that you should discuss OTC Human allergy medicines such as Claritin before giving any to the cat. That way the vet is aware of how the cat is being treated and the vet can tell you the proper dose (likely not an entire pill).

OnlyNaturalPet.com has some homeopathic-type allergy treatments you coud try, again after consulting with the vet: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/search/cats/allergies

 
On the allergies, YES

We have already been down the changing the foods trail for a while now. He eats ONLY grain free foods that are as close to organic as I can find. (food is not the issue at this point)

Sometimes even grain-free foods can cause skin issues. Some cats have an allergy / sensitivity to a particular ingredient in food and until you figure out what that is trying various bands won't help. Some cats can't handle chicken, for others it may be eggs. There are many other ingredients in commerical foods that can cause sensitivites.

 

[puck]

 
Is he suffering from food allergies, environmental allergies, or seasonal allergies?  What does he currently eat?  Have you tried a grain-free food and over the counter allergy meds like Claritin?

 
Cats frequently respond well to a cat sized dosage of an OTC anti-histamine like benadryl or Chlor-Trimeton.  I would discuss the type of allergy with your vet, and as @stephanietx   said sometimes diet will fix it, and if not discuss meds with your vet that can help.  It may sound simplistic and yet its true, the reason anti-histamines work is they counter histamines which are causing the reaction.  Ideally, you remove the allergen if possible, and if not possible (like its environmental, not food related) then you counter the allergen medically.

 
Just adding that you should discuss OTC Human allergy medicines such as Claritin before giving any to the cat. That way the vet is aware of how the cat is being treated and the vet can tell you the proper dose (likely not an entire pill).

OnlyNaturalPet.com has some homeopathic-type allergy treatments you coud try, again after consulting with the vet: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/search/cats/allergies

Sometimes even grain-free foods can cause skin issues. Some cats have an allergy / sensitivity to a particular ingredient in food and until you figure out what that is trying various bands won't help. Some cats can't handle chicken, for others it may be eggs. There are many other ingredients in commerical foods that can cause sensitivites.

She doesn't want to use antihistamines, as she responded to both stephanietx and StephenQ. The response in my post details what histamines are, and that, for example, an antihistamine that is very effective for cats, and why it should't be labeled a chemical toxic to cats. Not to administer it. As I didn't give a dose or prescribe it.

The current treatments she is giving should be closely reviewed by a vet, or ASPCA toxicologists at CVM U of Illinois.

Benfotiamine, butterbur, bromelain, nettle leaf extract, oleic acid as well as chamomile, papaya, hops, horseradish, green tea, mullein leaves and wild cherry Are Not all harmless, helpful treatments for felines. Some of these cause mucosal irritation, seizures, ataxia, gastroenteritis, erythema/pruritis (opposite of what the suppl is to treat), colitis, hypersalivation, dyspnea. In other words, toxicity. Where as there are very low effective, measurable doses of known medications that could be beneficial to a pruritic cat.

 

[mainecoonlova]

I understand what you are suggesting and as I have said already, we have the food part of this situation under control.

Thanks for your input.

 

[momto3cats]

If I were in your situation, I would consult a qualified homeopath (not a vet who has taken a short course in homeopathy along with other holistic methods, but someone who has dedicated themselves to studying homeopathy specifically). Homeopathy is very safe and does not have side effects like conventional meds, or like herbs (and the remedies have no taste, which helps in getting a cat to take them); but you do need someone who knows what they're doing for a case like this, not just a "band-aid" solution. I have had a lot of success with it for my cats' health issues and for my own, when conventional medicine couldn't help.

 

[mainecoonlova]

 
If I were in your situation, I would consult a qualified homeopath (not a vet who has taken a short course in homeopathy along with other holistic methods, but someone who has dedicated themselves to studying homeopathy specifically). Homeopathy is very safe and does not have side effects like conventional meds, or like herbs (and the remedies have no taste, which helps in getting a cat to take them); but you do need someone who knows what they're doing for a case like this, not just a "band-aid" solution. I have had a lot of success with it for my cats' health issues and for my own, when conventional medicine couldn't help.

Thank you kindly @momto3cats I appreciate your mindful and specific reply.

I agree with you 100% and if I didn't live in BFE, I would run right over to the nearest homeopath and seek there advice. However, I live an hour from "civilization" and I have not looked into this avenue because of that. I may see whom I can dig up locally to me that may know where I need to go. I have many friends that hang out in the "non traditional" circles as I do.

So again, thanks for your reply and I will look further into this option.

namaste