How can I tell if my cat's skin issues are from a food allergy?

You will want to rule out each possible allergy cause (fleas, food allergy, atopy or hyperthyroidism). It sounds like your vet wants to look into food allergies first. Make sure you conduct a proper food trial with the diet. This is the ONLY thing Cheeky can eat. No treats, flavored tooth paste....anything for 12 weeks. You will not see any changes for the first 4 weeks. Yes, you could address the laundry issue as well. Keep in mind he may not have any allergies to the detergent. Dreft is a brand that tends to be low allergen but it's not impossible to see a reaction. I hope this helps.

It would be uncommon for Zeus to have allergies at this age but German Shepherds are definitely predisposed to allergies. Make sure he's on flea prevention even if your vet didn't see any. I would also be concerned about mites such as demodex or sarcoptes as those can make them very itchy. Your vet can check the skin for those and recommend appropriate treatment.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Zeus regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or Apoquel in order to stop the allergy.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sage. Most over-the-counter foods are contaminated with ingredients not listed on the label. For example, if the diet lists the main ingredient as salmon, there could be small amounts of chicken in the food. This makes it very difficult if a patient has a food allergy. Prescription veterinary diets such as a hydrolyzed or a limited ingredient diet will be most successful for a food allergy. They are more expensive, but in the long run typically end up saving you money. If she is not constantly seeing her veterinarian for exams and medications due to skin disease, this will save you money. Hydrolyzed diets have the protein source chopped into such small pieces that the body's immune system does not recognize and react to it. Examples are Royal Canin Veterinary Diets Ultamino, Purina ProPlan Veterinary Diets HA or Hills ZD. The same companies make limited ingredient diets with one protein and one carbohydrate source. It can be some trial and error to find the best food. I hope this information helps!

Hello! And thank you for your question and photos. It looks like Zeus is having a flare up of his allergies, worsened by secondary bacterial infection. It looks severe enough to require antibiotics, so I would recommend going to see your vet. They can perform a microscope test for bacteria or yeast in the ear and between the paws, and from there prescribe the appropriate ear drops and antibiotics, as well as anti-inflammatory allergy medicine. In the meantime, try soaking his feet in a shallow bath of Epsom salts and lukewarm water for 10 minutes twice a day. This will help provide some relief for his irritated feet. I would also use an ear cleaner designed for dogs to gently clean out some of the ear debris, if he will let you. Finally, I would recommend putting an e-collar (cone) on his head to prevent further scratching and licking of his skin. I hope this helps, and that Zeus feels better soon!

Poor Zeus! If the cream you are using isn't helping this time, he really needs to be seen by a vet to find out what is causing the hair loss. Some possible causes would include allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), fleas, or a bacterial or fungal skin infection. Treatment will depend on what the underlying cause is, so it's important to get a diagnosis in order to know what medication to give. Your vet can do a simple test called a skin scrape if needed to help determine the problem and get him started on appropriate treatment.

Both of those spots look like there could be an underlying issue going on, and if Zeus has had previous skin problems before it could be related. If the current medication he is on isn't working, you may want to have your vet take a sample of the areas for testing to find out what they are exactly. Keeping Zeus from licking and chewing at the area with the use of an Elizabethan (cone) collar can also help reduce irritation and secondary infection, helping it clear up faster.