Itchy Scratchy

[Katwilm]

I've started rubbing coconut oil on my cat's skin disturbances and it has really helped in a few different conditions.  It cured one of my cat's back dandruff after only 2 applications.  One of them gets a nasty cough so I rub a half a teaspoon of melted coconut oil on her inner front paw for her to lick off and it has helped her cough.  My other cat gets scabs around her neck and putting it on those helps for them to heal quickly.  It does leave the fur oily for a couple of days but it helps to use a damp washcloth with just a tiny bit of mild soap and rub some off after it's been on them for a day or so.  I like a vitamin called Pet Tinic too, it really gives them energy and a general health boost.
I worry that all pet food is made with GMO's and that it may contribute to their health issues. I've tried making it from canned chicken or salmon but they're not too interested in it.  If anyone knows of an affordable organic cat food let me know.  Thanks


This discussion is related to excessive itching to raw skin and blood.

[opus88]

oh they'll all prefer dry chemical loaded dry food if they can get it.....hard to get them off of it once started. the site I gave you has good suggestions on how to switch...just remember to do it slowly to prevent rejection also diarrhea....

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/Tips%20for%20Transitioning%20PDF%201-14-11.pdf

[Katwilm]

Thank you for the suggestions.  I'll try them and see if my Miss Picky's will eat any of these.

[Katwilm]

Thanks a lot for all the good info.  I'll look into it further.  you'd think some enterprising person or company would see the desire for quality pet food at an affordable price and start a good business.

[opus88]

excellent post FB!!!!....all you said needs to be continually reinforced...thx.
there is a site from a very respected Vet, Dr. Lisa Pierson who stresses the importance of feeding a canned grain free diet, she also has many pointers on how to transition our kibble head addicted cats OFF dry food, many good links to follow on her site and I will add this link once again...

http://www.catinfo.org/

Wellness, Merrick and Natural Balance a 3 very good grain free products. Itchy skin, dry coat and crystals, bowel and stomach issues are just a FEW of the health problems associated with dry food.

[FurballsMom]

I don't know any that are affordable.  The best I can afford is grain free, which does eliminate most GMO produce.  It is one of the better brands, but I still spend a little over $50/mo for one cat on the economy cans.  It is the Wellness grain free.  No, it's not exactly what you're looking for.  It isn't easy to find an affordable organic cat food.  Those are all nearly $3/serving, which is one little can.  I wouldn't be able to feed my cat if I had to pay so much for those smaller sized cans.  Akira still gets a little bit itchy with this food, but not like before when her food wasn't grain free.  

There are bags of dried grain free cat foods. Akira would love me if I gave those to her.  I won't, even if it would save a lot of money for me.  The dry is still too irritating for her stomach, and since cats would normally get most of their moisture or water content from their food, what would be their native diet,  they don't usually drink very much water.  So, they still do far better on canned food.  The vet said that this is likely why the dried stuff irritated her stomach.

I would first check to make sure that the food you give your cat is grain free.  Not all canned foods are grain free.  You need to read the labels and understand which ingredients will be a grain source.  Many rely on Fancy Feast and cheap stuff like that, which doesn't sound like what you're doing, but those ALL have grain in their formulas.

Also, you should be aware that cats are very much like us, they will actually crave the stuff they're allergic to.  Akira used to really want the kind of Fancy Feast with gravy.  Now I know why.  I didn't use that stuff for very long, because she started showing signs of food allergy.  The vet was impressed with my reasoning on how I figured it was grains she was allergic to.  I reasoned that if my eczema can flare up from foods with gluten, then why wouldn't an animal have the same issue.  I was close, but with her, and likely your cat, too, it's all grains. In this context, white potatoes are considered to be a grain, just so you know. Still, I was close enough, because Akira still does pretty good on the Wellness grain free canned foods.