Flea allergy dermatitis is the most common allergy affecting cats. This is a reaction to the saliva release by fleas as they bite your cat and should be suspected if your cat has bumps around his neck or near the base of his tail. Environmental allergies to the pollen from grasses or to dust mites in the home can be another source of feline discomfort. Cats with food allergies may require several weeks or months of adding one ingredient at a time to their diet to identify the source of the problem.
Parasites in cats can lead to serious health problems. Cats with dull, brittle fur and white specks clearly visible around the anus may be infested with tapeworm. Worming young kittens is considered a routine part of feline health care and older cats may also need pet meds to kill parasitic worms. When skin problems occur, secondary bacterial or fungal infections may be present. Irritated skin with open sores and scrapes provide a suitable environment for germs to breed. Treating the symptoms of cat allergic reactions will provide relief from itching and allow the skin to heal to prevent further infection.
Cats groom themselves frequently and pet owners may find it difficult to distinguish between excessive grooming caused by allergic reactions and the same grooming that may indicate a behavioral issue. Cats can have skin irritations caused only by obsessive grooming.
Allergy shots can be administered by your vet once the source of an allergy has been identified. Cat allergies are not an exact science and treatments available may not provide the same level of relief to all cats. Food allergies may require two months of changing the animal's diet and slowly re-adding foods to identify the source of the problem.
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 This treatment will quickly relieve the itching of allergies but can have side effects if used long term and must be withdrawn slowly when the treatment is complete. 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.
Two-thirds of cats with food allergies do not display digestive tract symptoms. Young cats are more prone to food allergies and the reactions are not related to breed or gender. Atopica suppresses the cat's immune response to prevent the itching and irritation of allergic reactions. This product is not to be used on cats with immune systems compromised by FeLV (feline leukemia) or FIV (feline AIDS). Cats being treated with Atopica should be confined indoors to limit their exposure to disease and infection.
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.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.
Is your cat scratching and chewing, sneezing and shaking his head? Stop feline allergies. Buy prescription and non-prescription meds for cat allergies at Pet Scripts Direct directly from a practicing veterinarian.
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