Cat allergies usually affect the skin and coat of the animal but can also be identified through other symptoms. Identifying the allergy is often a process of elimination just as it is with many allergies that people suffer.
Common Feline Allergic Reactions
The most common allergy affecting a cat's skin may be flea allergy dermatitis which is simply a reaction to flea bites. This can often display as thin patches of fur or small bumps that can be easily felt around the feline's neck and toward the base of the tail.
Atopic allergies are reactions to something in the cat's environment. This may be pollen from grasses or weeds or can be caused by dust mites in the home. Food allergies are not frequent but may require changing your cat's diet and adding new foods and ingredients slowly to identify the cause of the problem.
For cats, parasites can be a serious concern. Tapeworm in cats can make fur appear dull and lifeless and is easily diagnosed by the tiny white specks that are visible around the anus. Most kittens require worming when young and older cats may also require medication to kill parasitic worms in their system.
A secondary problem for cats with skin irritated by allergic reactions is the increased chance of a secondary infection. Skin that is raw from scratching provides a fertile ground for bacterial and fungal infections to gain hold. Treating the initial skin reaction with itch relief treatment and removing the source of the allergen causing the reaction will keep the skin healthy and able to resist bacteria and fungi in the cat's environment.
It can be difficult to distinguish between an allergic reaction in a cat and a skin problem caused by behavioral issues. For unknown reasons, some cats will groom themselves so thoroughly and frequently they develop bald spots and possibly irritated patches of skin as a result of incessant grooming.
Treatment of Cat Allergies
If the cause of the allergy is identified, it is possible for your vet to provide allergy shots to reduce the sensitivity of your cat to the allergen. This is not an exact science and may not provide relief for all felines.
If the problem is a food allergy, your veterinarian may recommend a specific cat food designed for feline allergies. If changing the diet of your cat you will need to allow two months at least before deciding whether the change in diet has been beneficial.
Antihistamines are often used to treat cat skin allergies and drugs such as Chlorpheniramine have been proven to be effective. In extreme cases, a course of corticosteroids such as prednisone may be prescribed. This treatment will quickly relieve the itching of allergies but can have side effects if used long term and must be withdrawn slowly when the treatment is complete.
Allergic Symptoms and Treatment
If fleas are the problem, itching skin is the most noticeable symptom in cats. When food allergies are the problem the primary symptoms are diarrhea and vomiting, followed by hair loss and itching. The itching tends to be concentrated on the face, neck and ears when a food allergy is the problem while flea bites or inhaled substances can cause skin irritation over the entire body of the animal.
Only one-third of cats with food allergies will display symptoms of the digestive tract. Food allergies in cats tend to appear more often in young cats and are found in all breeds and equally in male and female felines.
Atopica for cats utilizes cyclosporine which has been proven to work well in fighting skin problems caused by allergic reactions. Atopica acts by suppressing the body's immune response so should not be given to cats with infections or known immune disorders. Because Atopica can leave cats with a reduced defense against infections, it should not be used on cats with FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline AIDS). When being treated with Atopica, cats should be kept indoors to limit their exposure to infection and disease.
It may not be as important to find the source of your cat's allergy as it is to relieve the skin discomfort caused by the allergic reaction. For feline skin problems, addressing the symptoms is the first step to solving the problem.
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