Hypoallergenic cat food and kittens: features, types and subtleties of choice

If the cat has diarrhea, it has become bad, without appetite to eat, it is often sick, perhaps because of food allergies. It also includes symptoms such as lethargy after eating, reluctance to eat, tarnishing and a lack of shine in the coat, redness and itching of the skin. In the case of at least one of the above symptoms, the cat needs to be adjusted for nutrition.

Before you change anything, contact your veterinarian to get your animal tested and find out what causes his allergies. After that, together with the veterinarian, make a cat nutrition plan, having decided on a suitable food for it. Of course, this should be a hypoallergenic feed.

Hypoallergenic cat food was designed and developed to minimize the negative reaction to food from the pet's gastrointestinal tract. Often their formulas contain a small amount of basic components. They are selected in accordance with requirements such as:

• the absence of the most common allergens;
• high grade;
• nutrition;
• high-quality raw materials.

So far, it has not been established why cats and cats have food allergies, although the research experts carry out a large number of studies on this issue. It was possible to establish only that certain types of proteins in the food of animals can cause allergies to them. This, for example, products such as soybeans, corn, wheat, beef, pork and chicken.

It is in this, and not in violations of the immune system of cats lies the cause of the universal allergic reaction to chicken and pork.

It is important to remember that The concept of “hypoallergenic food” is rather arbitrary, because, for example, if the composition does not contain gluten, but it is based on animal protein and is hypoallergenic, then your cat may suffer from it, if it is allergic to animal protein. It is necessary to speak not so much about the hypoallergenic composition, but about the basis on which it is developed, what components are contained in its formula and how useful and safe it is for a pet.

Buying a pack of dry mix labeled "hypoallergenic" economy class does not guarantee that the symptoms of allergy will disappear immediately, just as the super-premium class of food does not guarantee this. It is not enough to simply buy food that says "hypoallergenic" in order for the cat to become healthy and joyful. Like people, cats have any allergies - an individual thing. Therefore, you need to choose food carefully, taking into account the state of the animal, excluding what causes a negative reaction. This component should not be part of the feed.

Ready-made feeds are conventionally divided into the following groups.

• Gluten free. Many cats do not tolerate gluten (vegetable protein). There are mixtures in which there is no vegetable protein completely - there is neither wheat, nor corn, nor other grains. Either gluten is replaced by rice (both white and brown), oats or millet.
• No animal protein. The recipe of such feed does not include chicken, beef, pork. There may be duck, fish, lamb meat, rabbit meat due to the fact that they are easily digestible and low-allergenic. There are also options with one type of protein (meat variety), the so-called mono protein feeds.
• When intolerance cat lactoseAs well as products such as eggs and yeast, you need to choose food that has a “with a limited number of ingredients” label on the pack. Such compositions contain the minimum amount of ingredients and are designed to eliminate all allergens.

High competition prevails on the cat food market, so manufacturing companies have to continuously work to expand the product range, including by introducing hypoallergenic food into it. Of course, the composition and quality of the final result are different for different companies, however, there are leaders whose products are of higher quality than others.

• Royal canin - a company from France that has a solid reputation in the domestic market too. This manufacturer has two different hypoallergenic feeds: Hypoallergenic DR25 and Anallergenic. And here it is not about the successful idea of ​​marketers, but about two completely different recipes. The first was developed on soy protein hydrolyzate and rice, as well as prebiotics and substances that improve the quality of the skin.

• Pro plan - feed, part of the line having dietary and medicinal properties. It contains only one protein - hydrolyzed soy, as well as highly purified carbohydrates in the form of rice starch. This feed is recommended to use from 8 to 10 weeks.

• Hill's Prescription diet z / d - therapeutic cat food from the manufacturer, which is known worldwide. It is aimed precisely at reducing allergic reactions in the gastrointestinal tract and the skin of the animal. The main ingredient in the feed is rice with the addition of animal protein, processed by hydrolysis. This minimizes the response of the immune system to feed.

• 1st choice - manufacturer from Canada. Its Hypoallergenic food is suitable for cats with intolerance to traditional protein. The composition of the product includes duck meat and yam, there are no cereals at all.

• Farmina ultrahypo - Italian food, included in the veterinary series. The basis of this composition is a combination of fish protein hydrolyzate and purified rice starch. For the "supply" of lipids meets fish oil. In addition, the formula is enhanced by natural antioxidants, prebiotics, chelated minerals and vitamins for cats.

• Bosch Tiernahrung - manufacturer from Germany. In addition to the usual formulas, developed Sensitive food, focused on animals suffering from food intolerance. In the formula of the mixture are poultry meat, lamb meat, rice, potato protein and sorghum. There is no chemistry and there can not be - such is the policy of the company. In addition, there is no cereal in the feed.

• Another Italian manufacturer - Monge Vetsolution, in the lineup of which there is a super premium premium hypoallergenic diet food. It is 100% gluten free and grain free. The basis of the composition contains hydrolyzed salmon protein, as well as a certain amount of tapioca, potatoes and lyophilized chicken protein.

• Acana - a manufacturer from Canada, whose products are distinguished by high-quality components in the recipe. Their mixtures are suitable for cats with gluten intolerance, because they are completely grainless. Components such as lamb, duck, turkey, fish and chicken are responsible for animal protein. The recipe is supplemented with a chicken egg. If a cat has intolerance to chicken or eggs, then Acana Pacifica fish based mixture is recommended for it.

• Acana Orijen - feed line from a previous Canadian manufacturer. They lack cereals and potatoes, that is, they are suitable for animals that react to gluten. In addition, they increased the meat component.

• German food Leonardo developed by Bewital. If the cat reacts negatively to the cereals, it will be suitable composition based on amaranth and chia seeds with the addition of poultry and fish. There is a composition based on meat (lamb) and rice, it is intended for cats older than a year.

• Pronature holistic - Canadian feed, which consists of exclusively natural ingredients produced or grown organically. The ingredients do not include wheat grain, soy protein, corn, and, of course, "chemistry". So that food is better absorbed without creating problems for the GIT, there are formulas based on salmon and brown rice, duck with orange, turkey with cranberries, white fish with wild rice.

• Czech company Brit care The entire product line claims to be hypoallergenic, as there are no wheat, soy, and corn in the composition, but rice is present. There is also a grainless feed Sensitive digestion, it is based on lamb, salmon, dried potatoes.

• Canagan - products of very high quality manufactured in the UK. All feed lines do not contain grain. There are recipes based on duck, venison and rabbit, and there are based on salmon, herring and trout.

• Now fresh - Another Canadian ruler. The composition contains only fresh meat, nothing dehydrated. For those cats whose digestive system is particularly sensitive, a recipe is proposed, which includes trout and potatoes.

• Go! - “Brother” feed Now Fresh, they are produced by one company. The brand offers a line of recipes for cats with the highest sensitivity of the digestive tract. It includes recipes absolutely no grain, but with a large amount of healthy meat and fish protein.

First of all, when choosing food, you should focus on the individual characteristics of your pet, its age and veterinary advice. For example, Pronature food is best suited for kittens, as they contain everything a growing body needs. Making a choice between dry and wet food, you need to know that each of them has its advantages and disadvantages.

Consider the advantages of dry food:

• cares for teeth, helps avoid dental problems, such as the development of tartar;
• profitability, as it is stored for a long time and has little damage
• strengthens the jaw muscles.

There are disadvantages:

• high-carb foods, and cats need a lot of protein;
• cats, which for a long time fed on wet food, it is difficult to rebuild on the assimilation of dry;
• Many foods contain cereals that cause allergies, carefully study the composition.

As for wet food, there are the following advantages:

• contains the necessary amount of protein and fat, which contributes to the shine of wool and the liveliness of the nature of the animal;
• for three quarters, it consists of water, that is, the product is almost liquid, in the process of feeding the cat receives a sufficient amount of water;
• prevents overeating: it is the wet mixtures that animals eat faster;
• smells good and looks attractive.

The disadvantages of wet mixes are:

• cost more than dry food;
• subject to rapid deterioration;
• cause the formation of plaque and stone, as a result - an unpleasant smell from the mouth.

Of course, you need to study the reviews of veterinarians on the Internet before you buy food. Moreover, for allergic cats, when compiling a diet, the opinion of an observing veterinarian who knows all the characteristics of an animal should be taken into account.

If the cat shows signs of allergy, change not only the food. Consider, perhaps, the matter of the delicacy with which you indulge him, study its composition. It is important to analyze everything that the animal regularly eats, and if necessary, change the entire ration completely - from snacks to mixes.

An overview of the medical food for cats with food allergies, see below.