# Foster mom of cats with allergies



## vanee (Jan 24, 2014)

Hi everyone! My husband and I foster dogs, cats, kittens, and puppies, and we have one adopted cat, a "foster failure" so to speak. I'm particularly interested in animal rescue and in natural remedies, but I'm also interested in all things cat.

Our 2 current foster cats are very bonded sisters with allergies. I'll be posting questions about them later, and I'm looking forward to taking part in discussions.


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## gizmothecat (Jun 26, 2013)

Ohhh my rescue boy marshall has bad seasonal allergies. He's on antibiotic for another day...but YEAHS he's feeling better....my lil snot face hahaha 

Looking forward to your questions and always love to see pictures


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## katrina89 (Jul 30, 2013)

My girl has allergies... been dealing with them for 11 years... she gets a blood test tomorrow to start immunotherapy

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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Welcome to the forum. I'm getting ready to take in a foster that is eaten up with scabs all over her body due to allergies. She was adopted out, rehomed, then abandoned when she strayed and brought in to our city shelter. My plan of attack to start is to try a single protein diet and see if this clears it up. May be food, may be fleas, may be allergies. We'll see!


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Marcia try the colloidal silver spray on her ouchies and see if that might help as well...


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I'll do that! Thanks for reminding me! The worst seem to be around her head and shoulders. I ordered some for the med kit.


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

Marcia,
Both those areas are where hind legs can reach to scratch! Have her back nails been trimmed yet??


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

99% chance they have not.


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## katrina89 (Jul 30, 2013)

Marcia that sounds like my cats outbreak.. over the years I've realized... putting anything topical on it only makes her focus on it and cause infection so be careful

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## vanee (Jan 24, 2014)

Thanks for the welcome. 

Allergies are becoming more common with pets. I've spent a lot of time learning about them lately, but I still have more to learn, which is part of why I'm here.

Anyway, here are some of the main things I've learned about cats with allergies:


If a cat has allergies, he's probably (but not necessarily) allergic to more than one thing. And he could have food allergies, environmental allergies, or both.
Allergies to dust mites are common.
Conventional and natural approaches are quite different. About the only thing they have in common is to identify and remove the allergen if possible.
Washing pets' bedding in hot water at least once a week kills most dust mites. An easy way to do this with cats is to put towels or blankets in their favorite places to sleep, including on top of pet beds or in cubby holes.
I've used both conventional and natural treatments. Conventional treatment is to suppress the immune system so that it can't cause allergic reactions. It's effective and fairly quick, but it can cause more problems in the long run. We all need to weigh the immediate need and severity of each situation to choose what to do. Personally, I think some conventional treatments have their place as short-term treatments.

With natural treatment, you build up the animal's immune system so that it can fight the allergic reaction on its own. Omega-3 fatty acids and a healthy diet can go a long way. I've found Yucca Intensive, which is a natural steroid, to be helpful. For topical treatments, I use colloidal silver and licorice root tea (kept in the fridge for a few days when I'm using it). They both help relieve itching, they're anti-inflammatories, and they'll be good for the cat if he licks them off.

What's working for you?


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