Has anybody any experience of food elimination trials for cats with food allergies causing pruritis type symptoms? I just wondered how quickly you started to see results and was there an overnight change or was it gradual?

I currently have my cat on an elimination diet and whilst I know it can take up to 12 weeks+ to see improvement I just wondered typically what peoples own experiences were.

Thank You

Alex

As soon as we put Sheeba on a raw diet, her symptoms were gone in 48 hours never to return. She was a rottie though, not a cat, sorry!!

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We had to do one with Bagpuss. Unlike your little mite he didn't have skin problems but gastrointestinal ones instead. However, results were pretty immediate both in terms of onset but also in terms of how quickly they subsided - I am talking days rather than weeks.


It might be worthwhile going down the vet concept, herrmanns horse or Animonda Integra ones for your mite though as long as your cat is ok with potatoes or armaranth (should be novel enough not to cause a reaction). Or raw as Ceearott is suggesting, which I know you are already doing to some extent. Might be worthwhile to not use the Felini for a while too to see whether there is something in there that is setting her off.

Hi Hobbs- I am having second thoughts as to whether duck was the correct protein source to use considering chicken is one of my suspicions. Now i'm not sure whether to carry on or change to something completely novel. I never even saw the Integra ones until your post a couple of days ago but I am tempted to change to something completely different such as reindeer, horse or kangaroo. I have done a bit of reading and I think digestive problems do usually clear up quicker than skin problems. I know trials only used to last for 3 weeks but a study I found showed that something like only 20% of cats subsequently found to have a food allergy had improved within 3 weeks of starting the elimination diet.

The problem is I get married on Saturday and am going on honeymoon for two weeks from Monday. I have family staying over to look after her but I think it would be best to keep her on the duck until after I get back as I know she readily eats it so they shouldn't have any problems with her not eating etc and her poop is 100% perfect on it (which is also good considering she has TTF). I'm worried sick about leaving her though

And she so nonchalantly drops it into the conversation that she is getting married in a few days' time!


Hope you have a fabulously happy and cheerful day and a great honeymoon.

Try not to worry about your little girl. Keep her on the duck until you get back and then try one of the other ones. If someone is staying over you might be able to order some stuff now (either off zooplus, vet concept etc) so that it is there when you arrive.

I would also look into the evening primrose oil as a natural way to control the itch. Hobbs had an allergic reaction to something outside (vet and we suspected that it was cement dust from our opposite neighbours who are building an extension) and it worked a treat.

However, on the downside it might mask an real improvements a change in diet might make so that you then don't know whether it is the dietary change or the EPO that works. Never easy, is it?

when we used the Felini, our youngest cat did have reaction to this, he seems to be fine with the premix (Instincts) you can get from Germany.

Thank you, although I am a he.

I bought some EPO capsules on your recommendation (I feel after this length of time it's most important to et her some relief) and she has been on them since Sunday. She wasn't impressed when I mixed it into her food but happily ate the freeze dried duck treats that I soaked in the oil

Agree about not switching now. Apart from peace of mind afforded by knowing she'll happily eat the duck, I think it would be better from a 'clinical' observational point of view if you were there to monitor the response to new foods. In fact I would keep a data sheet and note down any changes however subtle you notice along the way. You never know it may help to narrow down any possible triggers and help to shed some light on the causes of her condition.

Have a great day on Saturday and a brilliant two weeks away!

I don't think the Felini is the main problem (although that's not to say it isn't contributing to it) as she first started shortly after we got her when she was only being fed RC Siamese and Sheba. Her old vet records also showed a history of stress related problems which retrospectively now could also have been down to a long standing allergy problem.

If / when I do change foods I will also do away with the Felini, and probably the raw too for some time unless anybody knows where to get raw Kangaroo

Flipping heck, are you really????????????????????? Ooops, sorry hun!

Fingers crossed that the EPO helps her. Just use a drop to start off with one drop and gradually increase to up to 2-3 drops per day.