Our Calico cat, Taffy had allergies. Thankfully with the help of her vet back in Phoenix, Dr. Grant, that was discovered. For the 1st 2 years after we adopted Taffy, her prior Vet kept telling us she had 'ear mites'. Taffy would constantly be shaking her head, and scratching her ears, sometimes so badly, she would cause abrasions on her little face. We were instructed to use a solution to clean her ears at least 3 times a week, which did wipe out a brownish/black substance from her ears. Taffy simply HATED the cleanings, at times it was impossible to catch Taffy. This would then lead to her ears getting worse & would result in the abrasions on her face. We then would have to administer an antibiotic in her ears in ADDITION to cleaning them. Let me tell you, she was not a happy cat!





Thankfully we found Dr. Grant and when he heard about the ear cleanings stated, "You shouldn't have to be doing that!" So we brought her in & he found a low grade yeast infection in her ears and did an 'ear flush'. Her ears were then sparkling clean and we gave her an antiobiotic in her ears for only a couple of days.

The next step was putting her on the Over-The-Counter antihistimine product of Chlortrimetron. Dr. Grant felt she had allergies, but to what, we didn't know. If the Chlortrimetron worked, the allergy idea would be confirmed......and it was! We would give Taffy a 4mg (1 pill) once a day, 2 times a week of Chlortrimetron, which can be purchased at Target, Walmart or any drug store. To be honest, she didn't like taking the pill, but she was better! There was no more ear cleanings, no more icky brownish/black substance and no more abrasions on her pretty little face!





After awhile we had stopped feeding the kitties the dry prescription food Simba had been on, since Simba rarely ate the dry food, and preferred his prescription canned food.

Taffy on the other hand LOVED dry food, so was eating the prescription food when it was not necessary for her. Since we had stopped that food, we had been feeding her NUTRO brand dry food and she was fine!

So it WAS a food allergy Taffy had. Something in the prescription food and her prior foods had something in them she WAS allergic to!

We would still check her ears and give the 4mg pill Wednesday & Sunday though to keep any other unknown allergies at bay.








Cats won't sneeze due to allergies. Frequent sneezing is usually due to Feline Upper Respiratory Disease Complex. This condition affects the mouth, nasal passages, sinuses and upper airway in cats. Take your cat to a Vet if you notice it sneezing to get prompt treatment.





The following courtesy of CATS Magazine and articles found via the internet





WHAT ARE ALLERGIES?

Allergies are immune reactions in which an animal responds abnormally to what might be an everyday substance. These substances cause an allergic reaction upon exposure by inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact. Allergic individuals possess antibodies that react with specific allergens to produce a series chemical reactions that cause the allergic reaction. There are many kinds of allergens such as pollens, molds, house dust, animal hair, feathers, fleas, certain chemicals and foods.





DO CATS REALLY SUFFER FROM ALLERGIES?

YES! Cats can suffer from a wide range of allergies. A cat with one allergy often has others. 15% of all cats in the U.S. suffer from one or more allergies. All animals can develop allergies to a wide range of common allergens. As in humans, the clinical signs of allergies may be seasonal and often correspond to the rise and fall in the levels of tree and grass pollens or heightened periods of mold activity, particularly, in the moist or warm climates.





ARE PET ALLERGIES LIKE HUMAN ALLERGIES?

The underlying biological reactions to allergies are the same in humans and pets. The outward signs, however, are different. Allergic humans suffer from nasal and sinus congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, headaches, runny eyes and occasionally skin rashes with itching. Although animals can show similar symptoms, it is much more common to find skin problems with intense itching. Signs of allergies begin with licking feet, rubbing the face and watering of the eyes. As the disease progresses the itching can involve most or all of the body. Self-mutilation eventually leads to bacterial skin infections, accompanied by extensive shedding and hair loss. Some of the food allergies may manifest themselves in the form of vomiting and diarrhea. Remember, not all of the signs described can be attributed exclusively to allergies. For this reason, it is important that your pet's skin problems be accurately diagnosed.





CATS AND FOOD ALLERGIES

Between 5 & 10 percent of allergy cases are caused by food. Like contact allergies, food allergies will show up as dermatitis and severe itching but in some cases will also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Also, the cat may have excessively oily skin, ear inflammation, or hair loss (which can also be a sign of hormone imbalance). An allergy to food is not so much to the chemical preservatives but to the grains, meats and dairy products used. A food allergy doesn't show up overnight. It can take from a week to 10 years of exposure to show itself; more than 80 percent of cats with food allergies have been eating the allergen-containing food for more than two years. Food allergies are treated with a bland, hypoallergenic diet -- rice with boiled chicken or lamb, and distilled water is commonly used. Two weeks is the longest it usually takes for the bland diet to work. New and specialized foods are now readily available to help both diagnose and treat these kinds of problems. Consult with your Vet for which type of these foods are readily available.





CONTACT ALLERGENS

Plants, especially oily-leafed ones, such as rubber plants, that might be brushed against. Other contact allergens include: carpet fresheners, wool, house dust, newsprint, cleansers and topical medications. Even the carpet itself. Signs of contact allergens are: dermatitis, pigmentary changes or skin eruptions. Most noticable on the chin, ears, inner thighs, abdomen, underside of the tail, armpits and around the anus. Skin patch tests are used to determine cause of contact allergies.





ALLERGIES TO MEDICATIONS

Some cats react badly to certain drugs, such as antibiotics or anesthesia. Medications that commonly cause skin eruptions are: penicillin, tetracycline, neomycin and panleukopenia vaccine. Each drug causes different symptoms, but the symptoms differ from cat to cat. There is no way to predict how a cat will react. Antihistamines or steroids may be used to eliminate symptoms (after ceasing administration of the drug).





INHALANT ALLERGIES

Kitty litter - when new brands of litter come out, vets frequently see a number of cats that have reactions to it. Other inhalant allergies can include: dust from the furnace especially when it is first turned on; cigarette smoke; perfumes; household sprays and air freshners; pollen. Inhalent allergies can also result in skin loss, scabbing pustules, or ulcerated areas on the skin. This in addition to the asthmatic symptoms. Treatment uses...antihistamines, such as Chlortrimetron.. More severe cases are treated with systemic steroids, which can have drawbacks.





FLEA ALLEGY

Flea allergy is the most common of all allergies. As cats age, their sensitivity to flea bites increases. Prednisone (oral or injection) is commonly used for a bad reaction.





ADDITIONAL ALLERGY TREATMENTS

The best form of treatment would be to keep the pet away from the particular allergen, but in most cases, this is difficult, if not impossible. There are several types of prescription drugs that do quite well at controlling the symptoms, but most should not be used for long periods of time. Hyposensitization to the offending allergen(s) is another means of treatment. Testing is done to determine exactly what your pet is allergic to. Injections are prepared containing specific amounts of offending allergen(s) to be administered on a regular basis. This allows the animal to build up an immunity, or tolerance, to the allergen(s) and affords your pet the opportunity to live more comfortably in its existing surroundings.





REMEMBER: Your pet is unique, and the type of medication, proper doses, and frequency of giving the medication may change or vary over time. With a little practice you may become quite the expert at keeping your pet's suffering to a minimum.



~BACK TO CATS HEALTH & WELFARE~        ~BACK TO MAIN~