Allergies in cats are classified into 2 varieties - food and non-food. The second type includes reactions of the animal’s body to bites of insects or snakes. Food allergies may manifest as a negative reaction to foods, food additives or their ingredients. Most often it is triggered by a foreign protein that enters the cat’s body from the saliva of a flea or mosquito, or from snake venom.
Common food allergens include:
- milk;
- grains;
- chicken meat;
- eggs.
It happens that the animal does not tolerate the food produced by a particular manufacturer. Allergies can also occur to the cat litter box filler for sending natural needs or against the background of taking herbal preparations.
Symptoms of allergies in cats
Allergies in cats can manifest themselves in different ways. The main signs of the disease are as follows:
- sneezing and coughing;
- redness of the body;
- itching of the ears, back, tail;
- swelling of paws and peeling of their skin;
- lacrimation;
- nasal discharge;
- snoring;
- eczema between the pads;
- shedding of hair in shreds;
- vomiting and diarrhea.
Treatment of allergies in cats
If the influence of what factor provoked the allergy is known, then first eliminate it and monitor the well-being of the pet. It is also recommended to change the diet, enriching it with hydrolyzed protein. As medical treatment, the pet will be prescribed steroids, antihistamines or cortisone. For atopic allergies, the condition is relieved with antihistamines and hormones.