Anxiety Caused By Fear
Fear-related anxiety can be caused by specific situations, such as a visit to the vet or a car ride. Other common causes of panic attacks in dogs include loud bangs, for example, fireworks, unfamiliar animals, or strangers visiting the house.
Dogs with fear-related anxiety often respond by hiding underneath furniture, barking, or becoming aggressive.
More Treatments & Ways To Avoid Cat Allergies
While your vets recommendations and prescribed treatments are top priority, there are also some additional steps you can take to prevent allergies. Of course, in all cases, the best remedy is avoiding the substance thats causing your cats discomfort and symptoms.
With so many various factors at play, it can be hard to figure out exactly whats causing your cats allergy symptoms. Applying some simple changes around the house can make sure your kitty stays healthy and comfortable. But the second you notice allergy symptoms, the first thing you should do is always seek professional advice.
Can You Give A Cat Benadryl
For a healthy young cat, diphenhydramine is considered safe to use but should only be given under the direction of your veterinarian. It should not be administered without specific diagnostic and dosing advice.
Cats that should not be given diphenhydramine include:
- Kittens less than 6 months old
- Cats with glaucoma, urinary tract disease,hyperthyroidism, heart disease, hypertension, or asthma
In most cases, severe disease should not be treated at home with diphenhydramine without immediately seeing the vet.
Even milder signs, such as itching or sneezing, should be diagnosed before diphenhydramine is administered. Giving this medication can mask symptoms that are helpful to your veterinarian in making an accurate diagnosis.
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Look For Other Allergens
Treehugger / Jordan Provost
Your cat could be allergic to other things besides pollen and flea saliva. Cats can have food allergies, and they can also be allergic to cigarette smoke and perfumes, as well as cleaning products, certain fabrics and scented litter. Talk to your vet. If she suspects a food allergy, you’ll likely be asked to feed a prescription or hydrolyzed protein diet. Switch to dust-free, unscented litter to see if that helps. Try unscented cleaning products and avoiding perfumes.
Heres What Helps If Your Cat Suffers From Pollen Allergy
Despite your good intentions, your cat is still unhappy being kept indoors? In case your cat suffers from a severe cat pollen allergy, where even the smallest dose of allergens on your clothes can trigger dangerous reactions, there are certain medications that can help. These include:
- Antihistamines: suppress the production of histamine in the body and therefore reduce the itching, sneezing and swelling. They should only be taken over the course of a few weeks at a time to avoid your catâs becoming immune to them.
- Corticosteroids: reduce inflammation and swelling, but can also have serious side-effects if taken over longer periods of time.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: help keep your catâs skin healthy and alleviate the itch of skin rashes.
- Homeopathic remedies: for humans, but can also be used for cats. Make sure to only use globules. Tonics usually contain alcohol, which is poisonous to your feline.
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How Are Cat Allergies Diagnosed
Treatment for cat allergies depends on your catâs unique situation. The vet will review your catâs medical history and complete a physical exam.
Cat allergy testing is done with either a blood test or skin test. For a blood test, the vet will take a sample of the catâs blood and send it to a lab for evaluation. For a skin test, small injections are given to the cat just under the skin. If your cat is allergic to a particular substance, a hive will often appear on their body.
Neither test is necessarily better than the other. At times veterinarians will complete both tests to gain a better understanding of your cat’s allergies. After the vet determines whatâs causing the allergic reaction, they can then prescribe the right solution.
Immune Modulators For Allergic Cats
Your veterinarian may prescribe a drug called Atopica, which represses the activity of helper T-cells, thereby reducing inflammation. Its sold for cats and it resolves symptoms in about half of all pets. There are a few side effects linked to this immune modulator, including stomach upset. This is a prescription drug and its not cheap.
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Best Skin Cream For Itchy Allergic Cats: Resq Organics Pet Skin Treatment
Since the main symptom of allergies in cats is skin itching and irritation, its a good idea to choose products that can soothe and heal your cats skin. This cream contains a variety of ingredients that can do just that.
It contains manuka honey, coconut oil, shea butter, blue-green algae, hemp seed oil, and other anti-inflammatory ingredients.
According to reviewers, its a good choice for cats and dogs with allergies.
One of our cats developed an atopic skin allergy due to the food she was eating. We switched her food and used the ResQ Organics Skin Treatment along with a topical hydrocortisone spray. After 3 days of using both the rash was almost completely gone. We then started using the Skin Treatment on the large bald spot on her neck within 2 days the bald spot was no longer raw and red but pink and healthy and she is a much happier an prettier kitty!
Benefits And Uses Of Benadryl For Cats
Here are some of the proven and vet-approved uses of Benadryl for cats.
Benadryl for General Cat Allergy Issues. Cats are prone to various forms of allergies, but food and environmental are the most common. Cat allergies usually require multimodal management. However, Benadryl will treat the itchiness, inflammation, and other allergy symptoms.
Benadryl for Acute Allergic Reactions in Cats. Common acute allergic reactions include insect bites and vaccine reactions. Both situations are potentially fatal if left untreated. Benadryl for cats is a good first-aid, but it is not the sole treatment you still need to see a vet as soon as possible.
Benadryl for Cat Motion Sickness. Because of its anti-nausea effect, Benadryl is be used in cats suffering from motion sickness during long car rides. Considering the fast and long-lasting nature, Diphenhydramine is an excellent choice when traveling with pets.
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Household Changes To Help Your Cats Allergies
If your cat has seasonal allergies, you can make a few simple changes at home to help him feel better.
Keep your cat indoors when the pollen count is high.
Also, keep your home allergen free. Vacuum and wipe often, and change your HVAC filters monthly.
In addition, consider purchasing an air purifier to remove dust and pollen from the air.
Make sure your cat is flea free. Flea allergies are common in cats, and all it takes is one bite to trigger the allergic response.
Is your cat itchy and scratchy around his mouth? If his food dish is plastic, he might be allergic to the bowl. Try switching to glass, metal or ceramic.
Switch cat litter. Some cats are sensitive to chemicals and scents in many cat litter brands. Find a bag of low dust, chemical free brand and give it a try.
Do you like to cook? Try a home-cooked diet for cat allergies. Often limiting ingredients in a cats diet helps allergy symptoms.
PET | TAO Limited Ingredient Recipe is the perfect food for allergic cats.
What Are Allergies In Cats
Food allergies are built up over time- a cat can have eaten chicken-based food his whole life and still develop an allergy to chicken!
Allergies are an abnormal immune response to a harmless stimulus. When your cats body contacts an allergen through their skin or after breathing it in, a chain reaction starts thats out of proportion to the danger your cat is ina hypersensitivity reaction.
Immune system sentinel cells release cell signals that cause itching, swelling, and redness.
Cats are not usually born with allergies- they develop as your cat ages. Cats are usually diagnosed between six months and three years, but as diagnosis is often difficult, cats have been diagnosed as old as 14 years!
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Causes & Types Of Allergies In Cats
While there are many allergens that can trigger a reaction in cats, there are some commonly seen types in cats that can affect their respiratory, dermatological, and gastrointestinal health. We have listed a few of them here:
Environmental Allergies In Cats
Some of the most common causes of allergies in cats are environmental in nature pollen, fungi, mold, dust, grass, and weeds can trigger an allergic reaction that affects a cat’s breathing or causes itchy skin dermatitis. Our feline companions can also be allergic to indoor allergens such as perfume, smoke, certain cleaning products, some types of flea-control products, prescription drugs, and several kinds of kitty litter.
Flea Allergies
Despite the common term, cats can be allergic to more than fleas they can have an allergic reaction to a number of insect bites and stings. Like humans can have an allergic reaction to a wasp sting, cats can experience a similar exaggerated inflammatory response to bites and stings from insects like blackflies, horseflies, mosquitos, ants, ticks, spiders, bees, wasps, and, of course, fleas. Cats that have a severe allergic reaction can become extremely itchy from just a single flea bite, which can result in aggressive itching and scratching. This can cut or damage the skin, putting your pet at greater risk of infection and a cycle of further itchiness and skin wounds.
Food Allergies
What Is A Hypoallergenic Cat
While no cat is truly free of allergens, breeds referred to as hypoallergenic are certain types of cats that naturally produce fewer allergens than others. The Fel D1 protein is a common allergen that is less prevalent in these breeds.
Anecdotal reports claim some breeds might be less likely to trigger allergies. This is in part thanks to their lower-than-average amount of shedding, but most importantly, it comes down to the allergenic proteins that naturally occur in their bodies. There are a variety of hypoallergenic cats with unique temperaments and appearancesso before welcoming your new pet, it’s important to learn about each breed’s traits to ensure they’re compatible with your household.
Here are ten cat breeds that are ideal for those with allergies.
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What Are The Side Effects Of Benadryl In Cats
Benadryl is typically a safe drug for cats, but giving your cat any medication does not come without risks.
“Even though it is pretty rare, Benadryl can cause side effects such as respiratory depression, seizures, dry mouth, diarrhea, urinary retention, or vomiting,” says Schechter.
There are also some instances in which cats should not take Benadryl at all. If your cat has high blood pressure, glaucoma, heart disease, or another chronic condition, be sure to consult a vet before trying any new medications.
Have you given Benadryl to your cat before? Tell us your experience on our !
Dog Allergy Management And Treatment
Avoidance is the best way to manage a dog allergy. If you have a dog and are allergic to dogs, consider removing the dog from the home.
If you have a dog but dont want to find it a new home, or if your family wants a dog even though someone in the household is allergic, here are some strategies that may help keep symptoms at bay:
- Keep the dog out of your bedroom and restrict it to only a few rooms. Be advised that keeping the dog in only one room will not limit the allergens to that room.
- Dont pet, hug or kiss the dog if you do, wash your hands with soap and water.
- High-efficiency particulate air cleaners run continuously in a bedroom or living room can reduce allergen levels over time.
- Regular use of a high-efficiency vacuum cleaner or a central vacuum can reduce allergen levels.
- Giving your dog a bath at least once a week can reduce airborne dog allergen.
Treatments for dog allergy vary, depending on the symptoms.
Your allergist can help determine what treatment would be best to treat your dog allergy. Nasal symptoms are often treated with steroid nasal sprays, oral antihistamines or other oral medications. Eye symptoms are often treated with antihistamine eyedrops. Respiratory or asthma symptoms can be treated with inhaled corticosteroids or bronchodilators to either prevent or relieve respiratory symptoms.
Allergy shots are an effective treatment of allergies by building tolerance over time through gradually injecting increasing doses of an allergen.
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How To Treat Your Cats Allergies
The first step to helping your kitty get better, is taking him to your vet to make sure that there isnt a more serious cause. Once you get a definitive allergy diagnosis, your doctor will typically prescribe him medication or a treatment based on the specific underlying cause.
Insects When insects are the culprit , the doctor will usually prescribe medicated shampoos, antibiotics, and topical treatments such as gels that are placed on the back of the neck. If inflammation is excessive, a course of steroids or antihistamines may be issued.
Environmental If the symptoms are being caused by airborne pollens, chances are that your vet will prescribe cortisone or steroids. Or in serious cases, allergy injections are required to target the actual allergy instead of just masking the symptoms. Antihistamines are often prescribed to work as a preventive method.
Food In order to diagnose a food allergy, your doctor will provide a special food trial regimen to identify the exact culprit. Once the ingredient is identified, naturally the best course of action is avoiding feeding it to your cat. Be cautious when giving him new foods always check the ingredients!
Reduce The Inflammation And Soothe The Itch
All cats that suffer from allergic skin disease are very itchy. At the first visit, your veterinarian may prescribe corticosteroids, such as prednisone, to alleviate the itch and inflammation in the skin.
For all skin diseases, bathing your cat can help to reduce inflammation and soothe their skin. Since most cats dont like baths, you may want to try a product like a mousse or a dry shampoo for cats that can clean your cat while avoiding water. Ask your veterinarian to recommend the right product for your cat.
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How Cat Allergies Are Diagnosed
There are two ways to test for any allergy, including to cats: skin testing and blood tests. There are two types of skin allergy tests. A skin prick test and an intradermal skin test. Both tests give fast results and tend to cost less than blood tests.
Certain medications can interfere with skin testing, so talk to your doctor about which test is best for you. Skin testing is usually done by an allergist due to the possibility of severe reactions during testing.
Immune To The Allergen
Bachmann is among the scientists who are targeting Fel d 1 in cats themselves. If the animals did not produce the protein, this should prevent allergic reactions in most people. But researchers are unsure how thoroughly the protein needs to be eliminated to have the desired effect, as well as what happens to a cat without Fel d 1.
No one knows what Fel d 1 does for felines. Some cats have a little and some have a lot, so large amounts dont seem to be necessary. And the cats breed doesnt seem to make much difference even hairless Sphynx cats make Fel d 1. On average, unneutered males have the most and females the least, suggesting the protein might carry hormones or phero-mones. But it has also been hypothesized to protect cats skin.
In 2013, Bachmann co-founded HypoPet, a spin-off company from the University of Zurich in Switzerland. The firm aims to create hypoallergenic cats by vaccinating them against their own Fel d 1, so that the cats IgG antibodies block the protein before it is sniffed up by a human.
Bachmann built the vaccine out of recombinant Fel d 1, a bit of tetanus toxin peptide and the coat from a plant virus. The immune system thinks its a virus, he says, and accordingly responds with IgG . In an early test, the level of Fel d 1 in the tears of 18 cats fell by more than half 42 days after vaccination. Every cat makes a good IgG response, he says, and the vaccine doesnt seem to cause them any problems.
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Checklist: Prepare These Answers Before You Visit Your Vet For The Pollen Allergy
Your vet will give your cat a thorough examination to rule out common colds and food allergies.
After excluding the possibility of food allergies, the vet will conduct a blood test to check for antibodies, just like in a human allergy test. As a result, the expert should be able to not only tell you if your cat has a pollen allergy but also what specific types of pollen your cat is allergic to.
What Exactly Are Allergies
As in people, allergies occur in cats when their body develops a sensitivity to something in their environment. As the body’s defenses go into ‘overdrive,’ a variety of symptoms show up. The type of symptoms that manifest depends on the cause of the allergies, which can be categorized into three main types: environmental allergies , flea allergies, and food allergies. It is not unusual for cats to have more than one allergy at a time, so your primary vet or veterinary dermatologist should examine and diagnose your pet.
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