Spring Allergies in Cats
Causes of Spring Allergies in Cats
Spring allergies in cats occur due to many of the same inhalants that assault your nose as spring arrives.
The most common types of allergens include the following:
- pollen from a variety of plants and trees
- mold
- dust mites
Symptoms of Spring Allergies in Cats
A few of the common symptoms of spring allergies in cats include the following:
- Itchy skin
- Biting or chewing at the skin
- Rubbing face on fabric surfaces
- Excessive scratching
- Open sores
- Lesions
- Scabbing
- Hair loss
- Runny nose
- Watery, red eyes
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Head shaking
- Redness on the chin, paws, anus or mouth
Diagnosing Feline Spring Allergies
If you notice that your cat is experiencing great discomfort from what appears to be an allergic reaction, contact us here at All Pets.
Our veterinarian will perform multiple tests on your cat’s skin and blood. This will help us determine what they are allergic to and eliminate other conditions such as infections.
How to Prevent Spring Allergies and Symptoms in Cats
Bathing Regularly
Clean your cat’s skin surface and hair coat using a pet-appropriate shampoo. This helps to remove environment allergens, bacteria, oil and other irritating substances.
You can perform full-body bathing or localized cleansing as much as twice daily depending on your pet’s needs. If this doesn’t resolve this issue, contact us here at All Pets and we can prescribe a personalized treatment plan for your pet.
Eye Rinsing
Applying a few drops of cat-friendly eye irrigating solution is one of the simplest ways to remove allergens from their eyes. Also, make sure to use cleansing drops only. Avoid eye drops with vasoconstrictors, which typically have a label to “get the red out.” Contact us here at All Pets if you are unsure of which eye drops are best for your pet.
Eye rinsing every morning, afternoon and evening for 24 to 48 hours can help lend perspective on whether you cat’s problem is simply mild environmental inflammation or requires evaluation by your vet.
Ear Cleaning
Allergens, broken hairs, microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, mites, etc.) and other substances can all get stuck in your cat’s ear canals. Therefore, gentle flushing of the ear canals with pet-appropriate ear cleaning solution can remove these materials. In addition, it modifies the pH and micro-environment of the ear canal to deter microorganism growth.
Also, make sure to pluck the hair from your cat’s ear canal and inner flap. This will help prevent accumulation of environmental allergens that can irritate the ear canal and promote the growth of microorganisms.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Allergies are an immune system response. Therefore, your cat’s body is working overtime to rid itself of allergens.
Maintain a balanced diet to keep them healthy and able to fend off allergy symptoms.
Replace Air Filters
In Texas, we often use our air conditioners all year. Therefore, make sure to change the air filter regularly to reduce the amount of allergens you cat breathes while inside.
These are just the basics of spring allergies in cats. Contact us with the link below for more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss a treatment plan feline spring allergies.
