Hydrolysed Cat Food

[HollyWoozle]

Hello

Looking for some ideas of other hydrolised/hypoallergenic cat foods to try please?

We’ve had our senior rescue Luna since August now. We knew she had food allergies, causing her to be itchy essentially, but we’ve still not managed to figure out exactly what causes it. When she first came it was just about under control with Hills Z/D food and tuna as a little extra but she was always so hungry and miserable on it. Right now we are on the Purina Pro Plan ST/OX with a little plain white fish, on agreement with the vet.

I realise these dry foods are meant as exclusion diets and we have been on them for the recommended periods before but as soon as we try to wean her on to something more wholesome, the itching begins (after a week or two of course and then takes ages to stop it again). Of course we could just stay on what she has now but she is always hungry and doesn’t enjoy it much, seems a pity for her. When we have tried other foods she seems much more satisfied, has better poos and is generally brighter and more energetic.

She has never been sick or had a bad tummy, it’s just the skin that’s an issue. We have tried popular hypoallergenic diets - the last one was Applaws with fish which has no grain, dairy, poultry, egg. We don’t think fish is an issue since she was eating tuna when she arrived and her skin had cleared up.

I’ve seen a few other hydrolised diet options like Virbac and Dechra but any thoughts would be great… I’m willing to spend the money for her but would rather not keep buying bag after bag of different foods. Although anything unsuitable has been donated to a local lady feeding strays.

Thank you!

 

[Redders]

You could look at Trovet. Speak with your vet but if your cat has been controlled on hydrolysed with fish added, then a single protein fish diet may be ok. Worth a google

 

[smolmaus]

Are you looking for a wet food her skin might tolerate or a more palatable dry one?

Our complicated boy is on the Royal Canin hypoallergenic dry at the minute, with the Applaws fish only varieties as a wet meal for his steroids. (The Applaws is not a complete food, it is a complementary one, obviously apologies if you know this already, they can't only eat an Applaws-only diet, we only use it for variety and meds).

The RC is very happily eaten by the easy cat with no food problems also. We have also been on the James Wellbeloved Fish which is single protein and marketed as "hypoallergenic" but I don't think they guarantee what variety of fish it is. It is "predominantly white ocean fish" and not hydrolysed. Again, both ours ate it very happily, we only switched to the RC vet diet as an experiment and will hopefully move back to this once we have our minimum steroid dosage nailed down. Also tried Wainwrights "fish with vegetables" which is similarly marketed as "hypoallergenic" because it is single protein but mileage may vary, and ours didn't really enjoy it. But no accounting for taste and Wainwrights is a good bit cheaper than the vet diets, or the Wellbeloved.

You have my sympathies, I can't tell you the hours I have spent googling cat food ingredients.

 

[HollyWoozle]

You could look at Trovet. Speak with your vet but if your cat has been controlled on hydrolysed with fish added, then a single protein fish diet may be ok. Worth a google

Thank you for the tip - will ask the vet about Trovet.

Are you looking for a wet food her skin might tolerate or a more palatable dry one?

Our complicated boy is on the Royal Canin hypoallergenic dry at the minute, with the Applaws fish only varieties as a wet meal for his steroids. (The Applaws is not a complete food, it is a complementary one, obviously apologies if you know this already, they can't only eat an Applaws-only diet, we only use it for variety and meds).

The RC is very happily eaten by the easy cat with no food problems also. We have also been on the James Wellbeloved Fish which is single protein and marketed as "hypoallergenic" but I don't think they guarantee what variety of fish it is. It is "predominantly white ocean fish" and not hydrolysed. Again, both ours ate it very happily, we only switched to the RC vet diet as an experiment and will hopefully move back to this once we have our minimum steroid dosage nailed down. Also tried Wainwrights "fish with vegetables" which is similarly marketed as "hypoallergenic" because it is single protein but mileage may vary, and ours didn't really enjoy it. But no accounting for taste and Wainwrights is a good bit cheaper than the vet diets, or the Wellbeloved.

You have my sympathies, I can't tell you the hours I have spent googling cat food ingredients.

Apologies for the slow reply and thanks for the info. The Applaws we tried was the dry one (ocean fish) listed as complete food and I had hoped that one would suit, but didn't work out at all and I wish I knew what it was in it that was the problem - argh! Our last cat who also had skin issues was on the James Wellbeloved fish (wet and dry) and coped very well with that... when I picked current cat, Luna, up from her fosterer I was told she loved the James Wellbeloved but they'd stopped feeding it because it was too smelly! Of course I then tried to wean her onto that one and her skin went mad! It's no longer grain-free which is maybe why? But then again, there was no grain in the Applaws and that didn't work either...

I had it in my head that we had tried the Royal Canin but maybe I imagined that... I should have kept notes. We've tried Arden Grange and Sanabelle too (both the grain-free options) and then each time had to go back on exclusion diet when she started to scratch. I think I need to leave her back on that longer before trying to wean her off (bag says min 3 weeks but I am sure longer would be better, although I am breaking it by giving her fish anyway of course!). I just feel sorry when she always seems so hungry on it, even with a bit of added fish, and she is also a bit overweight now so I have to be strict. She seems to enjoy dry more than wet so I'm happy to feed her dry if I can just find something which works and which satisfies her essentially. Basically the Hills/Purina hydrolysed ones work but she never seems full and is miserable whilst all the others keep her much fuller but itchy.

I'll look at the RC again and Wainwrights too, thank you!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Any chance she will eat a raw diet? Or raw food scalded with boiling water before feeding? At least that way you know there are no additives.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I think she would but the problem is not knowing what proteins are the issue too at this stage. I don't know much about feeding cats a raw diet though to be honest, I could ask the vet next time we are there though and maybe it's something to think about if we can figure her out.

 

[druid]

Potentially an insect protein diet might be a better challenge diet than fish as she is unlikely to have been exposed/sensitized previously.

Zooplus have various hydrolysed diets often cheaper than we can get them from the vet wholesalers!!

They stock these four which you haven't tried alongside the 2 you have used.
Specific Cat FDD
Royal Canin Anallergenic
Royal Canin Hypoallergenic
Advance Hypoallergenic

Concept for Life Insect Hypoallergenic is a potential option also and Hill's make an insect and egg option too.

 

[HollyWoozle]

Thank you @druid

 

[Fransurrey]

I had a dog that was very itchy and he did very well on a raw diet. I've recently been feeding my cats on Nutriment and Purrform frozen raw diet. They absolutely love it, but it didn't solve the issue for me (which I think is either Giardia or something more sinister in my older boy - colitis). Nutriment also do a steamed version of their food if vet is against raw (there is a split of opinion, due to risk of endo-parasites and/or bacterial contamination, but I think if you're mindful of those risks it's worth it for a cat with allergies). The Nutriment and Purrform come in basic flavours and in the case of the latter, sachets if you only have one cat.

Wet cat food - Gently Steamed - Order our delicious recipe here

Try Gently Steamed wet cat food at Nutriment and make sure your furry friend gets all the right nutrients to stay healthy and happy. Order today.

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