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22 May Understanding Cat Allergies
You might be surprised to know that many cats suffer from severe or mild allergy attacks. Although cats are ideal companions for people who love independent and playful pets, yes, cats can sometimes suffer from health problems just as humans do, and experiencing allergies is one of them.
Here are a few pointers to help you discover more about cat allergies:
1) Allergies can sometimes cause severe discomfort to cats. An allergy can be described as a condition where a foreign substance triggers the immune system to hyper drive and produces strong reactions against antigens.
2) Cat allergies are divided into four major groups: there are allergies to food, fleas, inhalation or certain chemicals. If a cat is suffering from an allergy, then it will show common indications like dry and itchy skin, frequent sneezing and coughing; sometimes all this is accompanied with vomiting and diarrhoea in severe cases.
3) Always try to investigate cat allergies systematically. For example, if your cat has a contact type of allergy, then you can easily spot this by observing its dry skin that constantly causes itching. If you observe your cat’s scratching their body a lot, then it is a clear sign of some allergic reaction. Such type of allergy is commonly caused due to toys, flea collars, bedding, etc. Apart from this, sometimes cats also have reactions to some types of plastic and metals.
Using wrong cat shampoos and soaps can also cause contact allergic reactions. However, getting rid with these types of allergies is not very difficult. You can avoid using such things and keep your cat allergy free. However, if the allergy keeps on getting worse, contact to your veterinarian immediately.
4) On the other hand, flea allergies are a common occurrence. Every grown cat suffers from a mild flea allergy, even kittens, but only to a small extent. This allergy is a generalised reaction by the cat’s immune system to the flea’s saliva. Therefore, if the number of fleas is less, then the severity of the allergy is lessened as well. But as the number increases, the situation becomes severe giving rise to damaged skin and hair loss. The worsening of this situation also leads to open sores near genital and tail areas. Moreover, this condition can spread all over the neck and back of head.
The best way to prevent flea allergy is to take proper care of your cat; keep it clean and away from street cats. Also, if you have other pets in your house, frequently examine them to look for possible symptoms of fleas. If the situation goes out of control then you can opt for strong medicines or tryout pest control to get rid of these parasites. It is a bit difficult to get rid from fleas, but with proper care and control, you give your cat relief from this nasty allergic reaction.
5) Now, as cats eat human food and live around people, it is not easy to point out causes that lead to specific food and inhaling allergies. Most often, cats that suffer from food allergies face problems with digestive systems and sometimes with respiratory system. Food allergies are caused due to a reaction caused by certain types of proteins; whereas respiratory allergies can be caused by natural as well as unnatural elements. Common symptoms of food allergies are vomiting and diarrhoea, while in inhalation allergies, a cat continuously sneezes, wheezes or coughs.
If your cat suffers from food allergies, it is best to consult a veterinary doctor in order to design a good nutritional regime for your pet. Allergies caused due to inhalants can be difficult to track, but keeping an eye on your pet’s behaviour will help you better understand the causes of such allergies.