If your cat scratches its face or neck and it is so severe that it loses fur or bleeds, an allergy may be behind it. Unfortunately, there is not just one allergy, but a cat's reactions to environmental allergens (known as atopic dermatitis), flea bites or food.
Our animonda veterinary specialist for animal nutrition and dietetics, Dr. Simone Radicke, gives tips on how you can find out what is wrong with your cat and which treatment options can help.
In the animonda interview you can find out
- which common allergies cats can suffer from
- which symptoms indicate an allergy
- how to deal with an environmental allergy in your cat
- what to do if your cat is allergic to food
- how a flea bite allergy can be treated
Common allergies in cats: Development & symptoms
animonda: What are the most common allergies in cats?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: Allergies that frequently occur in cats are flea bite allergy, environmental allergy - also known as atopic dermatitis - and food allergy.
If your cat suffers from atopic dermatitis (environmental allergy), it reactsto allergens contained in the environment: House dust, mites, mold spores and also pollen. Depending on the trigger of the environmental allergy, the symptoms can only occur in spring or summer - as with an allergy to pollen. Or all year round, for example in the case of an allergy to dust mites.
animonda: What symptoms does my cat show if it suffers from an allergy?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: The main symptom that you should definitely check to see if your cat is suffering from an allergy is itching. Cats lick, rub or scratch their face, neck, paws or ears. Scratching can often lead to hair loss. If the cat scratches itself very intensively, open wounds with or without crusts can develop. The skin can also react with swelling and color changes (redness). The cat may also vomit and have diarrhea.
How your cat's allergies can be treated
animonda: How are the individual allergies diagnosed in my cat?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: Basically, an allergy is always a sign that the cat's immune system isreacting toa certain allergen.
Cats with a flea bite allergy should be checked regularly for fleas. If there is a food allergy , this can only be diagnosed by an elimination diet (exclusion diet). If the cat does not respond to either of these, other ectoparasites must be ruled out. On the other hand, an allergy to environmental allergens may be suspected. Only in this case will the vet carry out a skin allergy test. Any skin reactions that occur will be assessed after 30 minutes at the latest.
To determine which allergen is causing your cat discomfort, you should consult your vet.
animonda: How is my cat treated for a flea saliva allergy?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: Your cat tries to relieve the itching caused by flea bites by licking, scratching or biting the fur and skin. This often leads to inflammation or open wounds.
Your vet will recommend various products to alleviate your cat's symptoms and ensure that it gets rid of the flea infestation. The first step is to combat the fleas with a spot-on product, for example, a medicine in liquid form. The spot-on preparation is dripped onto the skin on the cat's neck. It works quickly and kills the fleas.
In the next step, your vet will suggest preparations to treat the open wounds. You can use these to treat the injured areas of your cat's skin. Cats with a flea bite allergy should be thoroughly checked for fleas for the rest of their lives.
In addition to flea control on the cat itself, it is also important to treat the environment in which the cat lives. This is because only a small proportion of fleas are found on the cat's body. Therefore, the home must also be treated with appropriate products. The vet can also give you suitable recommendations for this.
animonda: What should I do as a cat owner if my cat suffers from an environmental allergy (atopic dermatitis)?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: In the case of an environmental allergy, your vet will probably advise you to take tablets in the form of antihistamines. These are generally well tolerated and can also be administered over longer periods of time. Alternatively, desensitization therapy can provide relief. This involves injecting your cat with the relevant allergen - first every week and then at four-week intervals.
animonda: How is a food allergy treated in my cat?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: If you suspect that your cat is allergic to food, your vet will advise you to start an exclusion diet. This involves changing your cat's food to find out which protein triggers the allergy.
To do this, the cat's current diet is first checked. A diet food is then suggested that contains proteins that the cat has not previously been exposed to, or only to a limited extent. This special food should be offered consistently and exclusively. Snacks and the like are therefore absolutely taboo during this time, as they could lead directly to itching again. Usually you feed the exclusion diet for 8 to 12 weeks. The suspected allergens are then fed specifically - this is known as the provocation test. This is very important to make sure that the triggering protein has really been discovered. You can then permanently remove it from your cat's diet.
animonda: What should I consider in everyday life with an allergic cat?
Dr. vet med. Simone Radicke: Once you have found out with the help of your vet which allergen your cat is reacting to, you should make sure that your cat no longer comes into contact with it and always monitor whether symptoms reappear. In the case of a flea bite allergy, please check your cat regularly for fleas.
Also ask your family, partner or housemates to be vigilant and, in the event of a food allergy, to only feed your cat food that it can tolerate.