Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!
Become a member today!
Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
Already a member? Sign in
Become a credit card member today!
Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
when you use Petco Pay!
APPLY NOW
Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My cat is vomiting and licking fur after new food. Is it an allergy?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 years old | 12 lbs

I changed my cats food to Wholehearted grain free easy digestion chicken/egg flavor. He is licking his fur off in spots since I changed it and he vomits frequently. Could he be allergic to something in this food? It seems like it should be a good choice for him.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on January 6th, 2018

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!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 11th, 2020
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Casper. It is possible that he has a food allergy based on your description. Typically affected cats will have skin lesions, vomiting and/or diarrhea and frequent bowel movements. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He may benefit from a prescription diet. Many over-the-counter diets are contaminated with protein sources not listed on the label. A prescription diet will be more pure and could help to alleviate his clinical signs. If food allergies are not to blame, then other causes of his symptoms can be discussed. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Elizabeth
Veterinarian
Published on June 18th, 2019
Mouse could have a few conditions which all look the same clinically and can cause vomiting and itching. These can include allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the symptoms should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Related Questions

Food & Nutrition

My dog vomited new food after sudden chicken allergy diet switch?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would just transition to the new food that is not chicken based right away. There is no need to transition slowly to prevent vomiting since he already vomits on the original diet. I would start a new diet with a different meat protein such as salmon, venison, rabbit, etc. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

My cat has allergies, licking, and hair loss. Is it her food?

Calli could certainly be allergic to some component of her food, causing her licking and hair loss. Cats most commonly develop allergies to the protein source of the food, but other allergies to fleas or environmental factors, or infectious issues like ringworm or mange can all cause similar signs. With excessive licking and scratching, skin infections can develop, which only serve to worsen itching and scratching. At this point, your best bet is to take Calli to the vet to rule out signs of a skin infection, ringworm or mange, as these would require a different course of action. If these issues have been excluded, you next need to assure that Calli is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Advantage, Revolution or Bravecto) regularly. If you want to try a diet trial to determine if food allergies are occurring, you can choose either a prescription based hydrolyzed hypoallergenic diet or a novel protein diet (such as Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, choosing a new protein source like venison or rabbit). To change Calli's diet, mix the old and new foods together over 5-7 days. After that time, exclusively feed the new food without adding other treats or table foods. It can take at least 6-8 weeks to see the full effect of a diet trial. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Training & Behavior

My dog licks floor and vomits. Is it allergies or stomach issues?

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You have a good list of differentials, & all are plausible explanations for Oscar's behavior & symptoms. If this is a relatively new situation, then my first thought might be a food allergy has developed. It is not wise just to go out & purchase different foods. To do a food allergy trial you need a targeted food that requires a prescription from your veterinarian. He might want to try a round of antibiotics & stomach protectants first ( dogs can develop ulcers or bacterial overgrowths ). If you do want to try something at home first, you can purchase a probiotic called FortiFlora at most pet stores or on line. Feed 1 packet a day for 30 days & see if this helps. If no response in a couple of weeks, please consult your veterinarian. Hope Oscar is feeling better soon. Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Health & Wellness

My dog has itchy skin, red eyes, and ears. Is it a chicken allergy?

It's very possible there is a food allergy, such as chicken, if you notice a reaction after he eats it. A food trial with your vet may be a good idea so that you can gradually reintroduce ingredients under direct supervision and note which cause a response. Checking treats and people food is also a good idea as the ingredients in those can cause reactions even if the daily diet does not. Food trials can take 6-8 weeks to see results, so you may need to have Buddy on a limited diet for a while to see if anything helps. Another option would be to seek out an allergy specialist that could test Buddy, or try out alternative allergy treatments to the steroid shot to see if anything has positive results for him.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My dog throws up despite sensitive food. Could it be allergies?

I am sorry Choco is having this issue. I would recommend a prescription diet that has hydrolyzed protein. If he stops vomiting after 2 months of being on it then it was a food allergy, I would also recommend x-rays of Choco's abdomen and chest. The reason for this is to make sure there is no issues with his gastrointestinal tract and to make sure his esophagus is ok. If this doesn't give any answers the next step would be an abdominal ultrasound. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My kitten has itchy skin. Is it chicken food? What non-chicken options?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Having said that, in terms of diets, exclusion diets are probably the best way to rule out certain allergens (what triggers the allergic reaction). Exclusion diets are made with one source of proteins (turkey, venison, salmon etc etc) and one of carbohydrates (usually potatoes or peas). These diets and ABSOLUTELY nothing else must be given for 4 weeks at least. I would recommend to discuss their use with your vet rather than try an home made diet (which is very difficult to be effective). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Food & Nutrition

My cat has tail scabs and vomits after new food. Is it allergies?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Share