| All pet owners know that health care for your cat | | | | The natural prey of cats consists of at least 65% |
| can be the most expensive part of pet ownership. | | | | water, and historically cats evolved from the desert, |
| Vet bills are never cheap, and pets have a knack for | | | | where they had to rely on their prey as a primary |
| getting sick right when we can never afford it. | | | | source of water. Cats do not naturally drink much |
| Thankfully, while emergencies and accidents will | | | | supplemental water, yet by feeding dry food to cats |
| always happen, by investing in your cats' health with | | | | with negligible water content, it requires cats to |
| a strong preventative health program, as well as | | | | increase their water consumption, or else become |
| proper diet and effective nutritional supplements, you | | | | chronically dehydrated. |
| can ward off one of the most destructive and | | | | Cats typically manifest food allergies in two ways- |
| disruptive medical problem in cats- allergies. | | | | chronic digestive problems (such as chronic diarrhea |
| Allergies and Cats- a Destructive Cycle | | | | and vomiting) and skin problems, such as chronic |
| A great many cat owners are familiar with the painful | | | | itching, recurring skin infections, yeast infections and |
| and disruptive effects of feline allergies. Chronically | | | | ear infections. All of these symptoms of allergies are |
| irritated or itchy skin, chronic sneezing, wheezing and | | | | uncomfortable and damaging to your cat's health, and |
| coughing, runny eyes and nose, chronic vomiting and | | | | typically require repeated courses of steroids, |
| diarrhea and even self-mutilation are just some of the | | | | antibiotics and other medications. Unfortunately, by |
| symptoms of allergies in cats. | | | | continuing to feed the same food, the causative |
| Just as in humans, an allergic reaction in cats occurs | | | | factor of the allergy-food that is nutritionally |
| when the immune system begins to overreact to a | | | | indigestible and virtually "foreign" to the cats |
| seemingly normal substance or material. Often times, | | | | system-the allergies will continue to reoccur. |
| a cat can become allergic to a substance suddenly, | | | | Instead of creating a revolving door of allergy |
| after being exposed to it with no problems for | | | | symptoms, vet visits, medications and cost, |
| months or even years prior. | | | | preventing allergies through a proper diet and |
| Flea and Skin Allergies | | | | nutritional supplementation is the more cost effective, |
| Flea allergies are one of the most common types of | | | | and more importantly, the much more healthy |
| allergies in cats. In "normal" cats, fleas and flea bites | | | | alternative for your cat. |
| may cause minor irritation and itching, which often will | | | | Home and commercially prepared raw diets seek to |
| resolve quickly once the fleas are removed. Cats | | | | mimic the cats' natural diet- wild prey-, by eliminating |
| with flea-bite allergies have a much stronger reaction, | | | | the foreign carbohydrates and grains that are the |
| with intense itching causing hair loss and open sores- | | | | causes of so many food allergies. This alone will go a |
| even from just one flea bite. | | | | long way to restoring his or her health. Be mindful |
| The typical signs of flea-bite allergies in cats are the | | | | that raw meat, fowl, or fish is not sufficient by itself. |
| presence of fleas, intense itching, and sores and | | | | In addition to feeding your cat a nutritionally sound |
| scabs on the skin. These sores, caused by repeated | | | | Raw Diet, proper supplementation insures that all of |
| itching and chewing, can lead to a skin infection. | | | | your cat's nutritional, probiotic, vitamin, mineral and |
| If you take your cat to the vet, typically it will be | | | | fatty acid requirements are being met, and properly |
| treated with anti-inflammatory medication (steroids) | | | | assimilated by the body. |
| and antibiotics for several weeks. While this route | | | | Cats and Asthma |
| may solve the immediate problem of the skin | | | | Of all the types of allergies in cats, asthma can be |
| infection, it does nothing for the underlying cause- | | | | the most heartbreaking to watch your cat endure- |
| the fleas and the allergies- leaving your cat open to | | | | and in severe cases, it can even be deadly. |
| future allergies and repeated courses of unhealthy | | | | As in humans, asthma attacks in cats are caused by |
| steroids and antibiotics, both of which can contribute | | | | an allergic reaction of the respiratory tract to |
| to a weakened immune system, and therefore | | | | particulates in the air. The precipitating cause |
| increasing the occurrence of allergies. | | | | stimulates the mucosal lining of the throat and airway |
| The other choice is to use natural alternatives such | | | | to secrete mucous and swell, leading to difficulty |
| as herbal anti-inflammatory and a soil-based probiotic. | | | | breathing, wheezing and coughing. In severe cases, |
| And while these are both highly effective and | | | | the breathing difficulties can lead to respiratory |
| non-toxic, instead of treating skin allergies and the | | | | distress, an abdominal effort to breath, and the |
| resulting skin infections after they occur, you can | | | | swelling may become so severe that the airway |
| prevent severe allergic flea reactions in your cat by | | | | becomes totally obstructed, leading to death. |
| removing the source of the allergies (fleas), and by | | | | Typically, treatment of cats with chronic asthma is |
| preventing your cats' immune system from | | | | managed through long-term steroid therapy, to |
| overreacting. | | | | suppress the immune system and prevent airway |
| Prevention requires proper supplementation to | | | | swelling. Unfortunately, steroids only mask the |
| improve the quality of your cat's immune system. | | | | symptoms; long-term use atrophies your cats' natural |
| Oil based nutrients, common in the human natural | | | | immune response. Many health problems are directly |
| health spectrum as fatty acid supplements are equally | | | | related to the long-term steroid use. |
| vital to feline health, and especially in the case of skin | | | | In addition to the cost of veterinary visits associated |
| and coat problems. A proper lipid supplementation, | | | | with treating asthma flare ups and medication to |
| based from one of the most potent antioxidants | | | | treat it, chronic steroid use can lead to other health |
| known to science, Krill Oil, as well as other essential | | | | problems such as liver dysfunction and even failure, |
| lipids can help to supplement your cats' immune | | | | kidney failure, chronic dehydration and lessen the |
| system, reduce the severity of allergic reactions, | | | | body's ability to fight viruses, bacteria, simple |
| improve the condition of your cat's skin and reduce | | | | infections and even cancer. |
| healing times. | | | | By treating the underlying cause of your cat's |
| Food Allergies | | | | asthma, you can prevent the life-long cycle of steroid |
| Food allergies in cats are one of the most frustrating | | | | administration, continuing respiratory problems and |
| allergies to deal with. Many times a cat may develop | | | | more severe health problems down the road. |
| a food sensitivity or allergy to a type of food | | | | As asthma, at its core, is an allergy caused by a |
| despite being fed, even though your cat may have | | | | heightened immune system, every effort must be |
| eaten that same food for many years with no | | | | made to remove potential allergens from the cats' |
| problems. Further complicating the diagnosis of food | | | | environment. Changing your asthmatic cat's food to a |
| allergies are the myriad of ingredients that typically | | | | Raw Diet can help to eliminate further allergens from |
| make up most of today's commercial cat foods. | | | | your cat's system, giving the immune system less |
| Cats typically manifest food allergies in two different | | | | irritants to react to. In addition, by proving a carefully |
| ways- chronic digestive problems (i.e. vomiting and | | | | balanced probiotic, vitamin, mineral, lipid (oil) and |
| diarrhea that occur more than 3 times a week) and | | | | amino-acid supplements to your cat, you are insuring |
| through skin allergies, such as itching, scratching and | | | | that your cat's body utilizes the full potential of the |
| losing hair. | | | | raw diet. |
| Cats can be allergic to any component in their food. | | | | In addition, the powerful anti-oxidant effects of |
| The more common cause of food allergies in cats is | | | | soil-based probiotics, fatty acids, vital lipids and |
| the highly processed, grain based nature of | | | | essential enzymes are scientifically proven to naturally |
| commercial cat food. It is the protein in these grains | | | | reduce inflammation. |
| that cause allergies in the form of skin rashes, | | | | Moreover, they support and create a healthy immune |
| digestive problems, and even problems with stiff | | | | system capable of dealing with emerging health |
| joints and arthritis. | | | | crises, while preventing the terrible immune system |
| Feeding the Way Nature Intended | | | | overreactions that cause asthma attacks. |
| Cats are carnivores by nature. Their systems require | | | | Save Money... and Save Your Cat |
| meat. In order to be healthy, cats must eat a diet | | | | Conventionally speaking, allergies in cats are |
| that mimics the one they would eat in the wild- | | | | expensive to treat. Modern medicine has yet to |
| namely whole prey. In the wild, cats eat virtually the | | | | provide us with a cure to allergies. Instead, veterinary |
| entire content of their caught prey. Their protein | | | | medicine often provides little more than a "band aid" |
| comes from the bulk of the kill, most of their water | | | | for treating your cat's allergies. Failure to address the |
| intake comes directly from the water in the body of | | | | actual cause- a dysfunctional immune system reacting |
| the kill, and the only grain they ingest is that which is | | | | to the unnatural way that domestic cats have been |
| in the stomach of their prey. | | | | fed and kept leads to repeated courses of |
| Unfortunately, commercial cat foods do not place the | | | | medications that can do more harm than good. |
| same emphasis on pure protein that the cat needs to | | | | By addressing the core of your pet's health through a |
| survive, substituting low levels of grains and | | | | proper diet, as nature intended, and supplementing |
| carbohydrates. Meat by-products (the parts of the | | | | and supporting the immune system, you can save |
| animal unfit for human consumption), rendered meat, | | | | your cat years of suffering from allergies, create a |
| plant matter and carbohydrates, are the staples and | | | | healthier cat from the inside out, and save money on |
| fillers of commercial cat foods. They have very little | | | | repeated treatments that don't work, and cause |
| nutritional benefit to cats, and, in fact, cause a myriad | | | | more problems than they solve. |
| of their own health problems as a result. | | | | |