Question: What kind of food can I get for my allergic cat?
My cat is allergic to beef, rice, wheat, and chicken. The cat food given by the vet which is venison, my cat refuses to eat. Is there a good brand of cat food that does not have these ingredients?
Answer: "Limited ingredients" cat foods were developed to help cats with food allergies. They are generally used for three purposes:
- For purposes of eliminating allergens to discover which ingredients cats are actually allergic to.
- As a long-term diet for cats with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease)
- As a long-term diet for cats with food allergies
The brand with which I'm most familiar, because one of my own cats has eaten it, is IVD (Innovative Veterinary Diet), manufactured by Royal Canin. IVD foods contain a single protein source (duck, lamb, venison, rabbit) and a single carbohydrate source (whole green peas and green pea fibre). These foods are also supplemented with "Omega 6 and 3 EFAs to provide the optimum in anti-inflammatory effects these nutrients can provide," according to the manufacturer.
If your veterinarian does not stock these other products, they can be ordered, but only by prescription.
- IVD Limited Ingredient Diet Feline Duck & Green Peas Formula
- IVD Limited Ingredient Diet Feline Venison & Green Peas Formula
- IVD Limited Ingredient Diet Feline Lamb & Green Peas Formula
Nature's Variety also makes a number of canned cat foods that contain none of the ingredients you mentioned. Nature's Variety also makes several dry cat foods, although some of them contain rice, which is an allergen for some cats.
Hopefully, your cat will find one of more of these foods palatable, and he will be on the road to good health soon.
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