Kitty has allergy symptoms

[FurballsMom]

Okay, so I just took Akira to the vet.  The vet did tell me what I already knew--that Akira has some kind of allergy, since she has been scratching like crazy.  She prescribed a topical steroid called Animax and told me that I can also use Benadryl cream.  The vet thinks that Akira is likely allergic to beef and/or salmon as well as grains.  It could be something in the environment, too, because my own allergies have been driving me crazy big time lately, too--for about as long as Akira has been scratching more than usual.  It could be all of the above, too.  So, I was told to try the process of elimination by using just the turkey Wellness grain free.  It's a lot like an elimination diet that people go through for food sensitivities.

The vet had said that Benadryl cream by itself would be enough, but instinctively I knew it wasn't because I had used some sparingly on her itchiest areas and she was clearly still itching really bad.  And, I have allergies myself and sometimes need a touch of steroid to calm down the worst symptoms, so I thought the same thing would apply to the cat--to use the steroid cream temporarily, to calm down the skin inflammation enough for the skin to heal--then use the Benadryl in the manner that the vet told me after that, as it is a gentle antihistamine.  She also said to buy some Zyrtec and give Akira 1/4 tablet each day for her allergies.

She said that what I had read online about giving oral Benadryl to cats for their allergies is correct, but my instincts to not give it to her without talking to the vet first were right on, too.  She wants me to use Zyrtec for the cat right now and told me how much to give her.  Since this seems like the conservative approach, I trust what the vet says, although I do think I'll hold back on giving her any oral medication 'til I see how well she does without it.  

Does this sound like the right thing to do?  To first see how well she does with just the topical medications before trying to administer oral antihistamines--as in 1/4 of a Zyrtec that her vet advised me to give to her?

I mean after losing my previous cat to colon cancer, I just worry about giving anything to Akira orally, because I don't want to go through all that again.  Although, except for some itchy allergies, Akira is actually in good health.

When I first got Akira, she was already overweight.  I knew she had lost some of the excess weight, though, because she is a lot better shaped.  Her doctor said that she lost approximately 1 1/2 pounds.  She still needs to lose a little more weight, but it looks like she will lose the rest of the weight without too much effort.  Grains are also fattening, so going grain free helped in this regard, too--not just because of her allergies.  Her previous owner used to buy cheap stuff in bulk from one of the warehouse stores in an effort to be able to continue to be able to afford to feed her.  At that time Akira hadn't shown any signs of having these allergies, so her previous owner was unaware of this before she died.  She had certainly done the best she could to take care of Akira under the circumstances she herself was in.  That was a slow and steady weight loss, too.  

[FurballsMom]

There's lamb cat food available?

[opus88]

hi....yes so very frustrating to figure out isn't it!!
the thing is with food and allergies my vet said to give them something they have NEVER been exposed to before, so if she's never had chicken than try chicken see what I'm saying?...could be she's develped an allergy to salmon for sure....just keep away from anything with grains...I have one too that can't eat grains, I feed him INNOVA EVO and he loves it and he is very healthy....there are also many others on the market.

My Sami sure DIDN'T like the venison either nor the duck, may try lamb next time??

best of luck, glad she's not scratching today

[FurballsMom]

What you said about food, dust mites and pollen and how if allergic to one then likely allergic to all makes sense to me, since that's how it is for me, too.  

Feeding them something they haven't been exposed to is pretty tricky.  Akira's favorite has always been salmon.  Her vet thinks that fish is a more common allergy than poultry.  Well, time will tell.  My thinking is that since she has shown before that she craves the thing she is allergic to, like grains, that she very likely is allergic to her favorite--salmon.  But, I know that it's still going to take a process of elimination to figure out for sure which ingredient it is that is bothering Akira.  I would give canned food with venison, but I tried that one before--she hated it.  She definitely doesn't like venison.

I don't know if Akira has a dairy allergy or not.  One step at a time, I suppose.  But, at some point I could try the yogurt.  I haven't put any of the creams on her yet at all today and I haven't noticed any serious scratching.  This is good, because the less steroids are involved, the better.  Probably more effective when it is necessary to use them, too, if they're not used all the time.

[opus88]

I've done some reading on a homeopathic site for pets....and sure worth a try.

for allergies with skin irritation?;

1/4 cup PLAIN organic yogurt (i would imagine non organic could be substituted?...and i will also get one that has probiotics...i'm sure going to try that.

apple cider vinegar 50/50 diluted wirh water and sprayed on sponged on..................this one I think would sting if there are open scabs....and I think I wil try but very lightly to start with..

worth a try sometimes home remedies are more helpful than all the medicines and more agreeable for sure.

any thoughts from anyone on this therapy approach?

[opus88]

all goes hand in hand with the cats allergies, food, dust, mites, pollen...allergic to one and most likely sensitive to ALL...
The highest food allergy is birds......and than possibly fish.
but the trick with food allergies is to feed them something they haven't been EXPOSED to before, for mine he's never had fish food...so it was a good one to change him too...
We just need to keep digging there has to be an answer for these poor guys other than medications....

[FurballsMom]

Thanks for the reply.  The vet said that cats are often allergic to fish.  I was thinking that because animals and people both tend to crave the things they're allergic to that this was a strong possibility, because Akira loves salmon.

There is also a likelihood that there is something in the environment in my apartment, like dust or something, that is bothering Akira, because my allergies have been really bothering me a lot, too.  I'm trying to narrow this down, too.  It's a reasonable assumption, since my own allergies are driving me nuts, too.

I will certainly check out your posts on ASK A VET.  I may not be able to do it tonight, but I will definitely check this out.