Food allergies in cats are not so rare and account for about 10% of all digestive problems that are addressed to veterinarians. An allergic animal requires special nutrition. The optimal solution would be hypoallergenic food, which contains all the substances necessary for the body and completely eliminates the presence of allergens. Manufacturers of ready-made diets often offer a line of anti-allergy products, which includes dry food for cats and wet food, which allows you to choose for the animal what will be eaten especially willingly.
Popular brands
Food for kittens: which is better, rating of dry and liquid options
Anti-allergenic cat foods are available in a wide variety, but you shouldn’t expect to find the best option right away. In each individual case, cat food will have to be selected based on the physical characteristics and preferences of the animal itself.
Important! It is recommended to take the smallest packages at first to check which option is best for your pet.
Next, we will consider the rating of food from different manufacturers, based on the most positive customer reviews and recommendations of veterinarians.
Vet Life Cat UltraHypo from Farmina
Hypoallergenic premium dry cat food. Fish is used as the main source of protein. Rice starch contains essential carbohydrates. Also contains fish oil.
Vet Life Cat UltraHypo
The composition is quite simple and easy to understand for a person who purchases it for the first time. Calcium, vitamins and microelements are included as additional ingredients. The average price for a 2-kilogram pack is 2 thousand rubles.
Nutram Allergy Care Cat
This food contains:
- hemp oil;
- chicken meat;
- flour;
- selenium;
- folic acid;
- other components.
Care Cat food is of high quality and is recommended by many experts. A significant drawback, according to some buyers, is the price. Although compared to some other foods, it is much smaller. For a pack of 2 kilograms they ask from 700 to 750 rubles.
Brit Veterinary Diet
It is considered medicinal and is prescribed to cats that have kidney or liver problems. Contains chicken, peas, chicken fat, vitamins and minerals. The price varies from 1200 to 1300 per 2 kg. Pack of 400 gr. will cost 345 rubles.
1 st Choice Cat Adult Hypoallergenic for adult cats
The composition does not include grains, which is very important for animals who are allergic to such components. The main ingredients are: potatoes, duck, rice protein, beets, chicken liver.
Sold dry and canned. Price from 103 to 3800 rubles.
Brit Care
Hypoallergenic super premium cat food, produced in the Czech Republic. They contain the necessary vitamins, elements and minerals. There is a large selection for pets of different breeds, ages and with special physical requirements (for example, a weak stomach).
Brit Care
Produced in canned food (price from 80 rubles) and in the form of dry food (price from 950 rubles per 2 kg).
Royal Canin Feline Hypoallergenic
Prescribed for allergies or problems with the gastrointestinal tract. There are different types for adults and kittens. The price of a 500 gram package is 570 rubles.
Bilanx Sensitive with Lamb and Rice
Good value for money. Premium dry food. Produced exclusively for adult cats and female cats. Does not irritate the stomach and helps reduce allergic symptoms.
The composition includes poultry, lamb, rice and other easily digestible ingredients. Price for 750 gr. 1454 rubles.
Hill's Prescription Diet Food Sensitivities
Hill's medicated food is also specially designed to reduce the occurrence of an allergic reaction. With long-term use, it significantly improves the condition of the animal’s fur, teeth and stool. Price per pack of 2 kg. 2050 rubles.
Royal Canin HYPOALLERGENIC DR25
Another special option for anti-allergen food from Royal Canin. Contains soy protein hydrolyzate, consisting of peptides with low molecular weight.
It is also prescribed as a prophylaxis for urolithiasis.
Hypoallergenic DR25, Sensitivity Control SC27 and Anallergenic AN24 from Royal Canin
The food in this line belongs to the premium class. In them, as in the previous version, soy hydrolysate is used as protein. Enriched with vitamins and microelements. Recommended for animals with food obstruction, diarrhea, constipation, and other intestinal disorders.
Belgian Grandorf
The dry product is produced in Belgium, and the canned product is made in Italy. It is one of the best representatives of the super-premium class. Meat is used as a source of protein without adding by-products. Price per package of 2 kg. 1345 rubles.
ProPlan ha Hypoallergenic
Proplan has a manufacturing scheme similar to Royal Canin. Only purified carbohydrate sources are used, which minimizes the occurrence of allergic reactions. Price for 325 gr. 420 rubles.
GO! Sensitivity + Shine
Great for all types of pets that have difficulty with digestion problems. Contains all necessary pre- and prebiotics, as well as omega 3 and 6 acids.
Golden Eagle Holistic Sensitive Cat
Dry food for sensitive pets. The food consists of 85 percent chicken. Does not contain grain products. Price for 2 kg. 1900 rub.
Pro Plan Veterinary diets HA Hypoallergenic and Cat Chow Adult Sensitive from Purina
Both options are more economical options. They have a similar composition. The owner is invited to make his own choice based on the preferences of his pet.
AcanaRegionalsPacificaforCat
According to the data presented, the food consists of 75 percent seafood. The remainder is vegetables, fruits and plants.
Purina Pro Plan Delicate
Dry food for cats aged 1 to 6 years. Available for sale as canned food in soft packaging. Price up to 350 rubles.
Purina Pro Plan Delicate
Go! Natural
Refers to economy class feed. Also contains essential nutrients. For 100 g of pate the price is set at 120 rubles.
Our brand
Domestic economy class food. The price for canned food in soft packaging is 25 rubles. Two kilograms of dry food will cost 333 rubles.
Orijen 6 fresh fish formula
Grain-free meal consisting of 6 types of fish. Suitable for both kittens and adult cats. Price for 2 kg. 1679 rubles.
Bilanx
Made in Denmark. There is a whole line suitable for animals of different breeds and ages. Price for 2.5 kg. 1040 rubles.
Leonardo
Sold wet and dry. Manufacturer Germany. Price 1570 for 1.8 kg.
Pronature Holistic
A natural and tasty food option for your pet cat. Contains poultry, vegetables and fruits. Provides easy digestibility.
Organix
Economy class nutritional product. Price per pack of 1.7 kg. 470 rubles. Normalizes intestinal function.
Now Fresh
Made from fresh boneless meat. Also contains vegetables and fruits. No by-products are used.
Savarra
Super premium food. Includes rice and turkey. The downside is the rather high price. For a package of 2 kg. you need to pay 1200 rubles.
Types of food for allergy sufferers
There are three types of food that have an anti-allergenic composition. They differ in the type of meat and the amount of additional components.
Super premium class - the best hypoallergenic food for cats. The products have a high cost, but they also contain only natural ingredients. Suitable even for severe allergy sufferers. This food uses only low-allergenic meat and does not allow mixing several types of meat in one composition. Therefore, in order to choose the optimal diet, you need to identify the allergen by elimination. So, if a cat ate chicken-based food, then it needs to be switched to fish or rabbit.
Premium food also contains only natural ingredients, but they combine 2-3 types of meat and some by-products. This line is not suitable for animals with food allergies, as there must be one source of protein.
Economy class cat diets are most often made from cheap allergenic meats, which are rendered harmless by hydrolysis. Thanks to this technology, meat proteins are broken down into easily digestible components, so problems do not arise. However, products often contain soy, preservatives and dyes, which is why, in case of significant allergies, such hypoallergenic cat food does not live up to its name. If there are no chemical additives, then this type of food can be given even with severe allergies.
Owners of cats with allergies, before switching to special feeding, need to find out for sure that the disorder is caused by food.
Also, food for cats prone to allergic reactions is divided into three groups and according to what kind of intolerance the animal has.
- Gluten-free. The composition of the feed does not include traditional protein components. Products of this class are completely gluten-free (vegetable protein). It is extremely rare that brown rice is added as an addition, since it is completely hypoallergenic for cats.
- For cats with increased sensitivity to animal protein. In this category, food is produced strictly from a certain type of meat. The owner’s task is to determine which protein the pet is allergic to and purchase a diet without this meat. These foods are classified as “mono”, since they contain the only protein component.
- For cats that do not tolerate eggs, milk protein and yeast. In this diet, the number of products in the composition is as limited as possible, which helps minimize the risk of allergies.
For restricted feeding
As mentioned above, Champion Petfoods produces a line consisting of only three types. The manufacturer does not produce special food for sterilized cats. However, Akana Prairie cat food is suitable for this category of animals, which is confirmed by reviews from veterinarians.
For everyday feeding
Optimal magnesium content helps reduce the risk of urolithiasis, which affects cats that have undergone castration.
In addition, pets tend to gain excess weight after this surgical procedure. A balanced composition of the food and its low carbohydrate content will help keep your pet slim. Acana food will not cause health problems and is perfect for neutered cats as a daily diet.
Features of anti-allergenic food
Food for domestic cats with allergies produced by different manufacturers is divided into three categories:
- Contains no vegetable protein (gluten). The food does not contain corn, wheat or other grains. Grain alternatives include brown or white rice, millet and oats. These are completely grain-free recipes;
- contains no animal protein. Beef, chicken, and pork are excluded here. Instead, lamb, duck, rabbit, as well as herring and salmon are used. Specialized monoprotein formulations with single-component proteins are available;
- Contains no dairy products, yeast or eggs. The name of this line of food always contains the mark “with a limited number of components.” A minimal set of components is used here to eliminate any “risky” products.
Each line is created against a specific type of allergy. Therefore, if a domestic cat is allergic, its food is selected very carefully.
Why do food allergies occur?
According to studies, some foods are more likely to provoke an atypical reaction in the body than others. The most common causes of food allergies in cats are:
- dairy products;
- mutton;
- soy;
- wheat gluten;
- corn;
- chicken;
- beef.
These foods are usually included in a cat's diet. Experts associate the frequency of an allergic reaction with the amount and duration of exposure to certain proteins.
Popular foreign feed manufacturers
Today, many pet food manufacturers have anti-allergenic lines. Each brand (Purina, Pro Plan, etc.) produces its own special food intended for pets with allergies. Let's look at the antiallergic products of the most popular manufacturers of ready-made food for cats.
Acana
Canadian stands out from its competitors due to the excellent composition of its products. His food is designed for animals that cannot digest gluten. Therefore, the composition is completely free of any grain crops. The recipe contains duck, lamb, turkey, chicken eggs and fish. For animals that are completely intolerant to gluten and animal protein, the manufacturer has developed special fish recipes.
Bilanx
Another good manufacturer of hypoallergenic food. Its products have a beneficial effect on the digestive processes thanks to the exclusive use of easily digestible, allergen-free ingredients. There are no grains and soy, as well as synthetic flavors, dyes and harmful additives. The main food components are fish, lamb and rice.
Signs of an allergic reaction in cats
Allergies in cats, like in people, are provoked by various allergens; this reaction of the body has its own unique symptoms.
Allergy in a cat is manifested by the following symptoms:
- scratching on the dermis;
- skin redness;
- blisters;
- hair loss;
- papules;
- itching;
- vomit;
- nasal discharge;
- diarrhea;
- otitis;
- eczema.
The above signs of an allergic reaction can appear either individually or in combination. The severity of allergies does not depend on the amount of allergen that has entered the body. Even a small amount of an irritating factor can provoke an atypical reaction in a pet’s body.
Food allergy problems
Typically, nutritional allergies occur in cats that are poorly fed: cheap food or table food. But no pet is immune from it - the disease can occur with any product.
Most often, pathology appears on:
- Gluten. This is gluten that is found in most grains. And manufacturers generously add them to feed, since it is a cheap filler. In this case, you will have to look for grain-free brands.
- Lactose. This type of nutritional allergy is easy to identify: the cat vomits and diarrhea shortly after milk, kefir and other dairy products.
- Animal protein. The most difficult type of disease in terms of nutrition selection. It can be caused by any type of meat, but most often by chicken. The owner will need to look for foods in which proteins have been broken down through hydrolysis.
Food allergies
The disease is also provoked by:
- dyes and flavors in prepared feed and table food;
- semi-finished products, sausages, baked goods, sweets, seasonings and other foods prohibited for cats;
- deficiency or excess of vitamins;
- pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
- sudden change in diet.
To inexperienced owners, allergies seem like minor illnesses. But neglect has the most serious consequences. In essence, pathology is an incorrect response of the immune system to an irritant, hypersensitivity to certain components. An incorrect reaction of the body manifests itself:
- itching;
- irritation and redness of the skin;
- local alopecia - usually hair falls out on the stomach, groin, head, around the ears;
- discharge from the eyes, ears, nose;
- indigestion - loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea.
The cat is constantly itching and tearing its skin. In addition to physical discomfort, there is a huge risk of wounds becoming infected with fungal or bacterial infections. In advanced cases, the situation can end in the death of the animal.
The main danger of food allergies is the cumulative effect. A cat can eat chicken or corn food for years and feel great, and then suddenly, within a couple of days, become covered in blisters and eczema. You will have to urgently determine the product to which the reaction occurred, and take weeks, or even months, to remove the allergen from the body.
It is necessary to find out the cause of the allergy
