Dear friends, can you give me some additional advice?

[Paper Roses]

You may have seen my post a few weeks ago about my cat and her allergies.
After about 8 years and $3000, the vet now tells me that I might have to put her on a "Hydrolized Protein diet. I have spent so much $ on various cat food upon their recommendation. Now it is just beef..no poultry.
When the Vet told me I might have to put her on this special diet, I googled it. Almost $100 each per month each for the canned and the dry. I wish Royal Canin offered samples. What if the cat won't eat it?
I'm on a limited income so I'm asking for advice. Is there another brand other than Royal Canin that is less expensive? Kitty goes back again to the vet on Wednesday to see if the last shots have helped her but I'm afraid of what I may hear.
She is otherwise healthy. I'm at a loss. She has been checked for everything except the $500 allergy test. Can't afford it.

If another change in diet would help, I'd love to find it, something less expensive.

[CurtEastPoint]

1. Have you sought a second opinion about her?

Thank you for caring for her.

[CountAllVotes]

3. I agree with this

I too would seek a 2nd opinion.

I've yet to have one of these prescription diets go over well. In fact, none of the cats I had would eat it, esp. the one that supposedly needed it.

He died of kidney failure at the age of 10 years.

It was very sad but I tried my best.

It can be very difficult to isolate an animal and a special food type when you have more than one of them.

I'm surprised the vet says beef only.

Beef tends to be difficult to digest.

That said, my cats do like Fancy Feast grilled beef. Perhaps that might be a less expensive option, like try a can or two and see?

I wish I could be of more help.

These vets sure know how to ring up the bills for "allergies", I know that much!

Best of luck Paper Roses!

[CurtEastPoint]

7. also seek out local resources for low cost vet or financial assistance.

[Bayard]

2. Have you tried cooking for her yourself?

Then, you know exactly what she's eating, and its SO economical--especially for just one cat. You can try one thing for awhile, and if that's not producing the desired results, try a different protein source.

Also, we had an allergy test done for our mini-doxie by sending saliva off to a lab. No doubt not as good as one a vet would order, but it cost us $100. Results said, he was allergic to chicken (easily eliminated from his diet), but a mold allergy was the worst. We know we have problems with that in our cabin. So, we now fix chicken (boiled quarters) for the other 3 dogs, and hamburger (on sale--put some in the freezer) for the little guy. A small package makes 3 or 4 dinners for him. Since he's also allergic to chicken eggs, the other dogs get chicken eggs (from our chickens) for breakfast, while he gets a duck egg. They all get brown rice and veges with their protein for dinner. Dogs need 60-70% good protein. We also give them a daily multi-vitamin, just to cover all bases. You'll have to google recommendations for cats.

Does your cat like fish? Also very reasonable, unless you're buying salmon. Look in the frozen food section at the grocery.

Our doxie hasn't had to have an allergy shot in a couple months now. I'd also look at what else in your environment is causing your cat's allergies, other than her food.

Good luck!

[virgdem]

4. Please look into feeding your kitty a raw diet.

There is a ready made raw diet, Darwin's (darwinspet.com) that you might try. Your kitty may have allergies to poultry. I have that problem with my cat as well. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

[MyMission]

5. You got some good advice last time

I wrote about cooking for your cats to save money.
But you never replied. You can cook for your cat, ground beef or beef liver, with rice, veggies and added supplements. I posted a few links with many different recipes. Cooking will be less expensive. Animals also like broths, bone broth is all the rage these days. If you're limiting to beef, you still have many options. Did you check out the links I sent before? You can supplement home cooked with canned food.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/116168251

I've had older cats who needed food adjustments, especially as they aged. It was a lot of extra work, but a labor of love. I feel for your dilemma.

Good luck.

[Sanity Claws]

6. Why hydrolzed protein?

I don't understand why you can't put the cat on food that simply eliminates the food that the cat is allergic to.

Can you find out what exactly the cat is allergic to and then get food that does not have it? Possible other protein sources for cats other than poultry: beef, venison, rabbit.
There are several cat food brands that have limited ingredients, e.g. Koha. See if you can get individual cans at Petco or other store and see how your cat reacts to it.
As for cooking food, that might. I remember seeing cat food recipes based on rabbit online. Just make sure that you get a recipe that is balanced.

[TexasBushwhacker]

8. Have you tried grain free food

It made a huge difference fir my cats, and they loved it.

[mopinko]

9. fwiw, my dogs

2 big bullies, both of which have skin issues. we had the testing done on both, but at diff times, and w diff docs. same office. 1st one said the guy was allergic to about everything. there were about 2 foods that were clean. but it took meds to get it under control.
2nd dog wasnt as bad, but this vet said- the food parts of the test arent that reliable.

in both cases they're cyclical. i give them a daily claratin. the rapid dissolve ones are easy to give. just slip it under the lip.
1st dog, tho, ended up a country dog, livin his best life at the lake. skin cleared up and stayed clear.

[Donkees]

10. If you are still feeding the Fancy Feast Medley recipes...

The problem might be ingredients such as the 'wheat gluten' or 'corn starch'. The wheat gluten has been linked with chronic ear problems. This seems to be your cat's favorite food (?)

Causes of Wheat Allergy in Cats

Allergies, including allergies to food items, are due to an abnormally intense defensive response to the protein in the wheat, which the immune system has identified as an invasive substance. Approximately 60-70% of the cells that make up our immune system actually reside in the gastrointestinal tract, and the same applies to our felines. Digestion, as a process, is designed to break down foods into their smallest possible parts, known as amino acids. These amino acids are then absorbed by a specialized type of white blood cell called an enterocyte which then transports the amino acid into the bloodstream.

When proteins are incompletely broken down, the enterocytes identify any oversized fragments of food, in this case, fragments of wheat protein, or gluten, as dangerous intruders rather than essential nutrients, and they attack. When exposures to the protein are repeated, the reactions of these cells becomes increasingly aggressive, and allergy symptoms intensify. https://wagwalking.com/cat/condition/wheat-allergy

[Paper Roses]

11. Thank you for this great link. Good info.

The Vet never mentioned an allergy to wheat or wheat gluten.
Kitty was on Fancy Feast Chicken for years until the problem started and I was told to put her on an 'all beef' diet. No more chicken in any form, including broth. She called this an elimination diet. Your article shot that to heck.

I have to go back Wednesday and will talk to the Vet about other options(no grain). I know they will try and sell me the Royal Canin. I have to find something else. Reading your provided info gave me some ideas.


Thanks
PR

[Donkees]

12. Some of these formulas can also contain other starches such as corn or tapioca...

and all these can contribute to itchy ''yeasty'' ears. The ear cleansers based on vinegar and boric acid do a good job on yeasty ears.