Why is my cat itchy with sores on new diet food? Vet says keep it.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this could be due to the suspected food allergy. You could consider having your veterinarian prescribe prednisolone to help decrease the itch while you get his food. That can help quite a bit. Good luck!

Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Not every flea product is effective, so I would still not rule out fleas if they are using a product not veterinary approved (many over the counter products are not effective). Food allergies are very rare and even rarer in cas; however you can recommend a high quality food for overall healthy haircoat and skin such as Royal Canin skin support, Royal Canin Ultamino or Evo (Innova). Oral pet formulated fish oils from your local pet store are most helpful with skin issues because they are a natural anti-inflammatory. I would recommend visiting your local vet for effective medications to calm the itch. There also may be an actual skin condition that would require specific treatment to cure. If everything checks out then a short course of allergy medication may resolve the itch. Here is a website link with more helpful general tips on itchy skin care. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=599 Good luck to your brother and his kitty. Take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. One day (or honestly any number of days) of a new food is very unlikely to worsen injuries. If you’re worried, simply stop and go back to the other food. But more likely it is just a natural part of the healing process such as the natural inflammation associated with a wound or the scab coming off. If it gets worse or worrisome to you, see your vet sooner. Otherwise, keep your appointment for 4 days from now. Best wishes to you and Skye!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear about Kimmie's skin issues, but your veterinarian is correct in recommending this diet trial. You may be able to order the food through Chewy.com for cheaper than other places. They often have discounts for your first order, which can be really great. I would not change the diet your veterinarian prescribed, as this will defeat the purpose of the diet trial! I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies though it could certainly be something else and it is hard to know without an exam. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Fish oil works great for dry skin and you may get this online or at your local pet store. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

It's definitely possible that Buddy is allergic to his food as one of the most common food allergies is to chicken. You may want to try a diet with single source or protein that is something Budddy has never had before (like venison or rabbit). An all canned food diet is also preferred and may help with a potential food allergy. One over the counter option is Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet. It would also be a good idea to have Buddy examined by a veterinarian to ensure he does not need medication to treat the itching or vomiting. There are many other causes of these signs so it's important to rule those out first. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a special diet that may work better (like Royal Canin Ultamino) if food allergies are truly at play. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Buddy's issues resolve quickly!

If Magic has been fine for years and suddenly is losing weight and sick, I would worry that there could be something else going on. I would recommend having your vet examine her and run some routine bloodwork. That may give us an idea of what is going on. In the meantime, any wet food will not have the artificial colors that some dry foods have, so you could try any wet food (but I would try to stick with the same protein sources that she has been eating previously since she has done well on them). But as I said, I would recommend having an exam and bloodwork checked ASPAP to see what else might be going on. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.