Hi there, it’s Mom. In the last English article I introduced Zoe and Hugo’s experience of Vomition and Hematuria. Cats throw up very easily. But sometimes it is not just a regular behavior but also could lead to serious ill, so we have to observe our cat’s condition carefully. When they get bloody urine I sample it and bring it to the vet. Every time I do it I feel sorry for them because they are cautious to it and I know it put a stress on them. I also feel sorry for them when I have to apply the dietary restriction according to the vet’s advice. Though it is hard for everybody to get through these, keeping Zoe and Hugo healthy is the most important. In this article I will write Hugo’s experience becoming food allergy.
This article is just a record of Zoe and Hugo’s health and not applicable to all cats. Please consult with your vet for the symptoms of your cat.
I hardly knew that cats could be allergic to food, but Hugo seems to be the one. One day he suddenly became itchy on his belly and started to scratch the belly. Because of that his hair started to fallen. At the same time I found red itchy spots on the inner side of my upper arm, so I thought Hugo and I reacted the dusts or mites in the house. I started to vacuum the rooms more intensively since then, but Hugo’s itchiness did not disappear. I took him to the vet and found out that it might be food allergy. I could not believe it when I heard it.
“Doc, I am also itchy on my arm. Is it not food allergy but house dust?” I asked. The vet broke into laughter and said “Food allergy for cats makes them itchy mainly on the belly.” Oh, I see. But I still could not believe it. Eating is the most enjoyable thing for all living organisms, but the variety of cat food is limited by nature. To make matters worse, Hugo might have to be more limited what to eat because of the allergy, which I felt sorry for him. Furthermore, I worried that he might not like the special food made for the cats of food allergy. That’s why I did not want to believe it, I think.
Me and Dad gave Zoe and Hugo the baby’s and kitten’s foods until they became one year old. We then started to give them low calory food. We chose it mainly for Zoe who used to eat more than needed. Several months before Hugo got allergic to food, we have started to feed another kind of food additionally so that they can broaden the taste.
Our vet said the newest food was not necessarily a cause of food allergy; the cats could be allergic to the food that they have had since long time ago. So the vet needed to clarify which food causes allergy to Hugo. He decided to feed the low calory food for a few weeks to see if Hugo is still allergic, and feed the new one for the next few weeks. We only found out that neither one was the cause; Hugo’s itchiness did not go away.
Hugo started to wear Elizabeth cat collar so that he does not lick his belly any more. The Elizabeth collar with cute pink pattern on the surface looked good on him in accordance with his gray and white hair. But he had to spend stressful days because the collar made him feel difficult to eat food or drink water.
Dad did DIY so that Hugo can drink water whenever and as much as he wants. He installed a drinking bottle with a nozzle on the wall. That bottle is usually installed on a cage and a cat can drink by pushing a ball in a nozzle. We expected that Hugo can drink without a problem. However, it resulted in no luck; the collar we was wearing was too broad to drink. We then tried to get him water using a syringe. He loves taking medicine from a syringe and we thought he would drink water, but still resulted in no luck. Me and Dad were fretted because he would become fatal if he could not drink water.
While making many tries to make Hugo drink water, Zoe passed blood and went to the vet a few times. A few lumps were found from the ultrasonic inspection. The vet said it might be clots of blood, so he told us to apply medication to Zoe and keep watching for a while. Then, Hugo passed blood, too, and we took him to the vet. Me and Dad worried so much about them. Only our wish was that they did not get more symptoms.
Zoe’s “lumps” were not identified what they were, but the medication worked well and they disappeared within two weeks. The vet said both Zoe and Hugo have a risk to their lower urinary tract besides Hugo’s itchiness. So we started to feed the special food for lower urinary tract to both of them.
The special food had two flavors, chicken and fish. We gave them the sample packages and found both of them finishing them all in a blink of time. Hmmm, both flavors seem yummy to the kids. Cats by nature do not like medicine (Zoe and Hugo love taking medicine from a syringe, though), so dietary cure is usually a critical therapy for the patient cats. There are a wide variety of therapy food to fit each symptom. By eating the therapy food in every meal, the patient cats can cure the symptoms. I have heard the cat food producers are having great efforts to make delicious food so that the patient cats can enjoy meals. We were so relieved to know that Zoe and Hugo like the special food.
Me and Dad decided to buy both flavors. We expected that they stop passing blood soon. Hematuria was gone after a while, and, an unexpected and pleasant outcome also happened. It was really a surprise that Hugo’s itchiness started to go away after a few weeks! The vet was satisfied with the state of cure. After three months the itchiness completely disappeared and the vet took the Elizabeth cat collar away from Hugo. We still do not now know what was the cause of his allergy, but “All’s well that ends well.”
The symptom of food allergy for cats is just an itchiness, but formidable. The vet never took the Elizabeth collar away from Hugo until he confirms that the itchiness has completely gone away. We cannot be too careful because the symptom easily comes back, according to the vet. I thought it was really good to take Hugo to the vet soon after he started itchy.
BTW, I wondered if we should keep the kids away from the “CIAO” treats that they love. We give only one stick of it to both of them in a week, but we were afraid that it could become a trigger of Hematuria. The vet said the treats in general could affect badly to the lower urinary tract, but only one stick of “CIAO” treats for the two and once a week was within permissive range because they were not currently pass blood. So we started to buy the “CIAO” treats that are made for the cats having risks at lower urinary tract. Both Zoe and Hugo like them. Hmmm, it seems delicious to them, too. Good for you, kids.
