What Are The Symptoms Of An Allergic Reaction To A Cat
Animal allergens, including cat allergens, can cause sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, postnasal drip, watery or itchy eyes, and facial pressure. They can also cause asthma symptoms such as cough, wheezing, chest tightness, and difficulty breathing and even trigger an asthma attack. Skin symptoms of an allergy to a cats dander may include eczema, itching, and hives .
Your primary care physician may refer you to an allergy medicine specialist who may perform allergy testing consisting of a blood test or skin tests to identify the allergen.
What Do Vets Give Cats For Allergies
- Steroids are a common form of treatment for sore and itchy skin. They are relatively inexpensive, but if you dont identify what your cat is allergic to, your cat will likely have to have regular steroid injections. The cost can soon add up, may not be covered by pet insurance, and long-term use can lead to serious side-effects.
- Other medications can also be used to treat itchiness. These tend to vary in effectiveness, price, and any potential side effects.
- Antihistamines, such as Benadryl, can be prescribed for your cat. You should never give these without being prescribed them by your vet because over-prescription can prove fatal, while under-prescription will be ineffective.
- Antibiotics will not treat the allergy itself, but they may be necessary if your cat has licked, itched, or chewed its skin and caused open wounds to appear.
- Prescription diets may be used to eliminate some or all possible food allergens from your cats diet. These can be used as part of an elimination diet for your cat. This means eliminating all known allergens before reintroducing them gradually. When your cat shows allergic symptoms, it means that you have identified one allergen.
Anti Allergy Medicine For Cats
The best anti-allergy medicine for cats is a combination of natural and chemical ingredients. The natural ingredients include herbs such as chamomile, which has anti-inflammatory properties, and lavender, which has calming properties.
The chemical ingredient in most anti-allergy medication for cats is diphenhydramine, which is an antihistamine that can help relieve symptoms like sneezing and watery eyes.
Some medications may also contain corticosteroids, which help reduce inflammation. In some cases, your veterinarian may recommend additional treatment with steroids or antibiotics if your cat has developed an infection or other complications.
If your cat suffers from allergies, you may be wondering which antihistamines are best for your cat. There are many options, including Benadryl and Fel-d-1. Medicated shampoos and sprays are other options. A veterinarian can recommend products for cats with allergies to avoid triggering symptoms. But how do you know which one is right for your cat? Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start giving your pet any medicine.
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Native Pet Allergy Immunity For Dogs
What we love: Native Pets Allergy Immunity for Dogs is made with nine natural ingredients, including real chicken, spirulina, and chicken bone broth. These tasty chews are air-dried to preserve every bit of goodness and are very soft. According to Dr. Irish, There isnt a lot of scientific evidence to suggest the efficacy of spirulina usage in dogs, but krill is a good source of omega 3s. Avoid if your pet has chicken allergies.
What customers say: Customers love Native Pets natural ingredients and how it helps their dogs itchy skin and seasonal allergies. Reviewers say that even picky eaters enjoy these chews and give the supplements an average 4.3 stars on Amazon.
Has this product ever been recalled? If so, why? No.
Ingredients: Spirulina, dried fermentate, colostrum, B. coagulans, real chicken, chicken bone broth, organic coconut glycerin, dried whole krill, and natural tocopherols.
Allergy Medicine To The Rescue
Your dog hates his allergies as much as you might hate your own. So youre probably wondering if theres allergy medicine you can give your dog to help soothe his symptoms.
The Dodo spoke with Dr. Sara Ochoa, a veterinary consultant with Dog Lab, and Dr. Linda Simon, a veterinary surgeon and veterinary consultant for Five Barks, to find out everything you need to know about allergy medicine for dogs.
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Pet Insurance Can Help Pay Vet Bills
Dogs can develop so many chronic problems over their lifetimes, as well as unforeseen accidents and illnesses. But if you get pet insurance early in your dogs life , health issues that arise in the future could be covered for vet visits and prescription medications. See our reviews of the best pet insurance companies to learn more.
What medication or supplement has helped your dogs allergies?
Allergy Skin Prick Test
This test is performed in your doctors office so they can observe any reactions.
Using a clean needle, your doctor will prick your skins surface , and deposit a tiny amount of the allergen. Youll likely be tested for several allergens at the same time. Youll also be skin pricked with a control solution that has no allergens. Your doctor may number each prick to identify the allergen.
In about 15 to 20 minutes, the skin prick site may become red or swollen. This reaction confirms an allergy to that substance. A positive cat allergy will usually cause a red, itchy bump to the cat allergen. These unpleasant effects generally go away 30 minutes after the test.
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What Causes Pet Allergies
For many people, animal allergies can stem from proteins contained in an animals dander or dead skin cells, both of which can flake off regularly. Pet dander can cause an allergic reaction at any time of year especially during the winter months when people spend more time indoors. If you think you might have an animal allergy, see an allergist for confirmation.
Can Dogs Take Claritin
Claritin is an antihistamine for humans, also known as loratadine. Claritin can be safely given to your dog as long as you have approval from your vet and are following their instructions.
The right dose of Claritin will be based on your dogs weight, so your vet can help you figure out the perfect amount to give him.
Youll also want to make sure to avoid Claritin thats dissolvable since it could contain xylitol, which is a common ingredient thats toxic to dogs.
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Keep Sniffles And Itchy Eyes At Bay With These Options
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From pets to pollen, allergies are the worst. Unfortunately, its often difficult to avoid the stuff youre allergic to. Who can resist an adorable puppy or a lovely stroll in the park? To get your watery eyes, runny nose, and all other symptoms under control, you need a reliable over-the-counter allergy medicine.
Even though there are dozens of options available to treat allergies, the various options can be overwhelming. Allergy medications may promise instant relief, but theyre not all the samesome may induce drowsiness, while others may only treat specific allergies. Take into consideration your individual symptoms, which may be treated best by specific ingredients or forms, from liquid and sprays to tablets.
Whether youre looking for natural ingredients or a non-drowsy pill that will keep you going throughout the day, these are the best OTC allergy medicines.
Prescription Dog Allergy Treatments
For dogs with severe or persistent allergies, a visit to the vet is required for effective relief with a prescription-only medication. While there are quite a few choices, the following are often prescribed.
Immune-modulators
Immune-modulating medications dont simply treat the symptoms of allergies they actually tackle the problem at the source: the overactive immune system. By suppressing the release of histamine, these medications effectively halt the misery of allergic itching and other symptoms. These medicines can cause digestive side effects, however, including vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite.
- Atopica, which is a brand name for cyclosporine, can take several weeks to provide full relief but is safe long-term for dogs with persistent allergies. While very effective for airborne allergies, its not as effective for food allergies. Give Atopica to your dog an hour before or two hours after a meal to help prevent digestive side effects.
- Apoquel works to relieve allergic symptoms caused by fleas, airborne allergens, and food. Your pooch will typically start to feel relief within hours of the first dose, but this isnt a long-term medication. Typically, dogs take Apoquel for up to 14 days at a time to treat allergy flare-ups.
Corticosteroids
The most common cause of dog allergies is fleabites, so flea control should be an important part of your treatment plan.
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Naturvet Skin & Coat Allergy Aid Plus Antioxidants
What we love: NaturVet is a great choice for any pet parent as it supports immune systems, aids respiratory health, and helps restore skin moisture. Its easy to sneakily serve dogs just sprinkle a teaspoon of powder for every 20 pounds your pup weighs into their kibble and dinner is served.
Rated 6 in Amazons dog antioxidant supplements
What customers say: Customers note that theyve seen improvement in their dogs . Overall, they give the allergy aid supplement 4.3 out of five stars on Amazon and recommend that other pet parents try the brand.
Has this product ever been recalled? If so, why? No.
Ingredients: Omega-3 fatty acids .746 mg, omega-9 fally acids .230 mg, omega-6 fatty acids .150 mg, turmeric root.50 mg, grape seed extract.25 mg, quercetin.25 mg, colostrum .25 mg, pumpkin powder.25 mg, bromelain.25 mg, EPA .21 mg, DHA .14 mg.
Cat Allergy Medication Prices
Inexpensive: These cat allergy medications cost between $0.10 and $0.50 per dose. This doesn’t mean the medication is less effective, just that it’s available in a generic form, which brings the cost down.
Mid-range: At the middle of the price spectrum, you can expect to pay between $0.50 and $1 per dose. This includes some more expensive generics, as well as brand-name drugs.
Expensive: The costliest cat allergy medications cost between $1 and $4 per dose. These are usually brand-name medications that are still under patent and therefore not available in more affordable forms.
If your cat is diagnosed with a flea allergy, it’s important that you keep up with preventative flea treatments that kill fleas before they can bite.
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Natural Alternatives To Treat Your Dogs Allergy Symptoms
Once you know that allergies are causing your pup to feel under the weather, youll want to help them feel better. There are many supplements designed to treat canine allergy symptoms. Here are a few of our favorite natural supplements that will give your dog some relief just remember that supplements treat, but dont cure, allergies.
Try A Different Type Of Litter
- Try a different type of litter.
- Clay litter is the most common type of cat litter, but there are other options available. Scoopable litters, which are made from corn or wheat byproducts, are probably your best bet if youre concerned about allergies because theyre easier to clean than clay and dont track as much as many other types of litter.
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Allergy Shots For Severe Pet Allergies
Allergy shots are small doses of the pet allergen, over a period of time, which then lets the immune system see the allergen in small doses, says Ratika Gupta, MD, allergist/immunologist and the other co-author of What? I Could Be Allergic to That?Dr. Gupta recommends allergy shots as the best line of defense against severe pet allergies.
Also known as immunotherapy, allergy shots are supervised by your immunologist or allergist. This can essentially be considered a cure for allergies, Dr. Gupta says. However, they require a time commitment and can be expensive.
Give Your Cat A Bath Every Week
Bathing your cat is the second step to reducing allergens on his fur. Your cats weekly bath will remove dirt, dander, and dead skin cells that can trigger allergic reactions.
You may not think its possible, but you can bathe your cats at home by yourself. Its important to note that it can be very difficult to lather up a cat and scrub their backs so if youre uncomfortable with this task, consider hiring someone who has experience bathing pets or having someone else do it for you.
Its recommended that you bathe your cat once a week , but be sure to use gentle products made specifically for cats so as not to irritate their skin or eyes.
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Cat Allergy Supplement Guide
You can also buy cat allergy supplements and natural, holistic remedies, including the ones we have reviewed above. These tend to be milder than prescription medication and offer some relief from the symptoms of allergies.
- Liquid A liquid supplement usually comes in a bottle with a dropper or spray. The liquid can be added to food or, in rare cases, it can be given directly to the cat by spraying in their mouth.
- Pill Pills are the traditional means of delivering medication to cats and other animals. Smaller pills with no smell or taste can be secreted in a small piece of meat or inside a pill Larger pills may need to be ground down. Alternatively, you can use a pill popper to effectively and safely fire the pill down your cats throat.
- Spray A spray is usually a topical solution and is applied to irritated or itchy skin areas. These are relatively easy to apply, although your cat may not like the sound of the applicator.
- Foam A foam is another topical solution. In most cases, you apply it directly to the affected area of the cat and then rub it or dab it in. Some foams may need to be lathered up before being applied.
- Powder A powder can be added to food or to a food-based treat before being given to your cat. The texture of powder means that your cat may recognize its existence and avoid it, but it is more difficult to avoid powder than it is to avoid a pill.
Can Dogs Take Benadryl
Benadryl is an antihistamine called diphenhydramine. Its typically an allergy medicine for humans, but giving some to your dog could help his allergies, too.
You just have to be super careful that youre doing it correctly so you should only give your dog Benadryl with guidance from your vet.
Thats because you want to make sure youre giving your dog the right dose. The rule of thumb is usually that you can give your dog 1 milligram of Benadryl for every pound he weighs.
If you give your dog too much Benadryl, he could overdose, causing major problems for his cholinergic, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and central nervous systems.
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The Causes Of Allergic Reactions To Cats
If asked point blank, most of us would assume that an allergic reaction to cats is caused by exposure to the fur. You might be surprised to learn that your body is usually having an adverse reaction to proteins that are found in a cats dander, saliva and urine. For the record, dander is tiny, dried flakes of skin that you can get on your hands when you pet a cat.
You can be exposed to these proteins either by petting a cat or having one lick your hand. When your body comes into contact with the proteins, your immune system will attack them just like it would any other unwelcome visitor such as a virus or bacteria. The symptoms that you experience are simply the result of your body reacting to a foreign substance.
It should be noted that people who experience allergies of any kind have over active or overly sensitive immune systems. This condition can cause your body to overreact to substances that would otherwise be harmless, like these proteins emitted by your kitty.
One other potential cause of cat allergies could be directly related to the fur. If your cat is spending a good deal of time outside, then it is possible that its fur is collecting pollen and other allergens that are then being tracked back into your house. So it may be possible that you are not actually allergic to your cat but that your cat is carrying other allergens around on its coat.
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What Is Food Allergy And How Is It Treated
Food allergies in cats are caused by an immune reaction to a food or food additive. The allergy most frequently develops in response to the protein component of the food for example, beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. Vegetable proteins such as those found in corn or wheat, as well as food additives and preservatives, may cause food allergies in some cases. Food allergy may produce any of the clinical signs previously discussed, including itching, digestive disorders, and respiratory distress.
Food allergy testing is recommended when the clinical signs have been present for several months, when the cat has a poor response to steroids, or when a very young cat itches without other apparent causes of allergy. Testing is conducted by feeding an elimination or hypoallergenic diet. This means a diet in which the ingredients have not previously been fed to the cat . Because it takes at least eight weeks for all other food products to be removed from the body, the cat must eat the special diet exclusively for a minimum of eight to twelve weeks. If a positive response occurs, you will be instructed on how to proceed.
If the diet is not fed exclusively, it will not be a meaningful test. This means absolutely no treats, other foods, people foods, or flavored medications during this period. This cannot be overemphasized. Even accidentally providing a tiny amount of the offending protein can result in invalidating the test.
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