All pet owners know that health care for your cat can be the most expensive part of pet ownership. Vet bills are never cheap, and pets have a knack for getting sick right when we can never afford it. Thankfully, while emergencies and accidents will always happen, by investing in your cats’ health with a strong preventative health program, as well as proper diet and effective nutritional supplements, you can ward off one of the most destructive and disruptive medical problem in cats- allergies.
Allergies and Cats- a Destructive Cycle
A great many cat owners are familiar with the painful and disruptive effects of feline allergies. Chronically irritated or itchy skin, chronic sneezing, wheezing and coughing, runny eyes and nose, chronic vomiting and diarrhea and even self-mutilation are just some of the symptoms of allergies in cats.
Just as in humans, an allergic reaction in cats occurs when the immune system begins to overreact to a seemingly normal substance or material. Often times, a cat can become allergic to a substance sphynx kittens for sale near me suddenly, after being exposed to it with no problems for months or even years prior.
Flea and Skin Allergies
Flea allergies are one of the most common types of allergies in cats. In “normal” cats, fleas and flea bites may cause minor irritation and itching, which often will resolve quickly once the fleas are removed. Cats with flea-bite allergies have a much stronger reaction, with intense itching causing hair loss and open sores- even from just one flea bite.
The typical signs of flea-bite allergies in cats are the presence of fleas, intense itching, and sores and scabs on the skin. These sores, caused by repeated itching and chewing, can lead to a skin infection.
If you take your cat to the vet, typically it will be treated with anti-inflammatory medication (steroids) and antibiotics for several weeks. While this route may solve the immediate problem of the skin infection, it does nothing for the underlying cause- the fleas and the allergies- leaving your cat open to future allergies and repeated courses of unhealthy steroids and antibiotics, both of which can contribute to a weakened immune system, and therefore increasing the occurrence of allergies.
The other choice is to use natural alternatives such as herbal anti-inflammatory and a soil-based probiotic. And while these are both highly effective and non-toxic, instead of treating skin allergies and the resulting skin infections after they occur, you can prevent severe allergic flea reactions in your cat by removing the source of the allergies (fleas), and by preventing your cats’ immune system from overreacting.
Prevention requires proper supplementation to improve the quality of your cat’s immune system.
Oil based nutrients, common in the human natural health spectrum as fatty acid supplements are equally vital to feline health, and especially in the case of skin and coat problems. A proper lipid supplementation, based from one of the most potent antioxidants known to science, Krill Oil, as well as other essential lipids can help to supplement your cats’ immune system, reduce the severity of allergic reactions, improve the condition of your cat’s skin and reduce healing times.
Food Allergies
Food allergies in cats are one of the most frustrating allergies to deal with. Many times a cat may develop a food sensitivity or allergy to a type of food despite being fed, even though your cat may have eaten that same food for many years with no problems. Further complicating the diagnosis of food allergies are the myriad of ingredients that typically make up most of today’s commercial cat foods.
Cats typically manifest food allergies in two different ways- chronic digestive problems (i.e. vomiting and diarrhea that occur more than 3 times a week) and through skin allergies, such as itching, scratching and losing hair.
Cats can be allergic to any component in their food. The more common cause of food allergies in cats is the highly processed, grain based nature of commercial cat food. It is the protein in these grains that cause allergies in the form of skin rashes, digestive problems, and even problems with stiff joints and arthritis.
Feeding the Way Nature Intended
Cats are carnivores by nature. Their systems require meat. In order to be healthy, cats must eat a diet that mimics the one they would eat in the wild- namely whole prey. In the wild, cats eat virtually the entire content of their caught prey. Their protein comes from the bulk of the kill, most of their water intake comes directly from the water in the body of the kill, and the only grain they ingest is that which is in the stomach of their prey.