Best cat food for itchy skin and allergies

The best cat food for itchy skin and allergies can help to resolve skin problems and sensitive stomach issues. Over time cats sometimes develop an allergy to an ingredient in their food. The immune system reacts to a food type as a threat and responds to it aggressively. Scratching or hair loss can be a sign of a food allergy or intolerance, as well as vomiting and diarrhoea. By switching to hypoallergenic and single-source protein foods you can save on vet's bills and make a miserable moggy feel a lot better.

First, you need to identify the cause of your cat's discomfort. A skin allergy can be triggered by flea bites and environmental factors - such as pollen, mould, grass or dust mites. The PDSA recommends that you vacuum regularly and don't use air fresheners. Also, keep your cat indoors when the pollen is high if you suspect it's a trigger. If it's fleas that are causing your cat's discomfort there's a plethora of flea treatments to combat the itchy blighters.

Best cat food for itchy skin and allergies at a glance

• Best Overall: AVA Veterinary Approved Optimum Health 1+ Sensitive Wet Adult Cat Food - View now on Pets At Home
• Best hypoallergenic cat food: PRO PLAN VETERINARY DIETS Hypoallergenic Dry Cat Food - View now on Viovet
• Best cat food for dry skin: Hill's Science Plan Sensitive Stomach and Skin Dry Cat Food - View now on Pets at Home

If your cat's not getting on with their cat food they could have an allergy to a certain ingredient. Some of the most common allergies are caused by ingredients that you find in many cat foods, such as chicken, beef, fish, dairy and eggs. Putting your cat on a food-elimination diet is one way of singling out an ingredient that's become an irritant. It can be difficult to do a food-elimination diet, so in the first instance try hypoallergenic cat foods. More about that in the FAQs below, plus expert advice from Take A Break Pets vet columnist, Dr Michael Lazaris.

If you notice your cat is over-grooming, and their skin is itchy, inflamed or has developed rashes and fur loss you must seek a diagnosis from your vet. Skin supplements and medication can be prescribed by vets in more severe cases. Make sure you check your cat all over - armpits, inner thighs and stomach as well as the obvious head, neck and back. You need to get to the root cause of the allergy otherwise it can cost a fortune in medication. Additionally, it's not good to use medication such as steroids for a long period of time. Changing your cat's diet to a specially formulated food can alleviate the condition permanently. Here's our round-up of the best hypoallergenic food for cats with intolerances.

Best cat food for itchy skin and allergies

FAQs: Best cat food for itchy skin and allergies

What cat food or diet do you recommend for cats with itchy skin and allergies?

Dr Michael Lazaris, small animal vet and co-director Vets on the Common, advises:

"Allergies in cats follow most of the same principles as in dogs. In most cases, the itchiness may be caused by something other than the food, such as fleas or irritants in their environment. Your vet will be able to rule out some common causes of itchiness as well as provide some immediate relief before your cat causes nasty sores from all the scratching.

"There are several high-quality cat foods on the market specifically aimed at cats with itchy skin, which help improve their skin barrier and coat quality. Adding ingredients like fish oil with omega fatty acids can help too.

"If your vet suspects a true dietary allergy, they may advise a hydrolysed diet trial, which allows you to see if food is the main problem. Hydrolysed diets break down the ingredients in the food so that your cat or dog can't react to it (therefore no allergic reaction). If a cat or dog on a hydrolysed diet stops being itchy or having diarrhoea, this can confirm that they were allergic to something in their previous diet (usually an animal protein). You can then chose to keep them on this hydrolysed diet long term (as it is complete) or try a new food with different ingredients to their old food."

How do I put my cat on a food-elimination diet?

A food elimination diet should be conducted over a set period of time, in which your cat eats one type of food only. Because some cat foods contain a lengthy list of ingredients it can be a long process, requiring methodical testing and patience. It must not be contaminated with any kind of supplements, treats or drinks other than water.

You can do a food-elimination diet even if your cat goes outdoors. It's worth letting your neighbours know so they don't give your pet any treats. On balance, keeping your cat inside would be stressful if they're used to going outside.

You can approach the food trial in several ways. Either by starting with a novel protein (more on that below) and slowly reintroducing other ingredients back in.

Alternatively, a single-source protein diet features one type of protein, not necessarily as exotic as the types of meat on a novel protein diet. Commercially produced single-source protein cat foods, such as the products from AATU, take all the faff out of preparing and cooking meat for your cat. Additionally, commercial cat foods are supplemented with essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to give your cat a complete diet.

Finally, there is the hydrolysed protein diet. Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Hypoallergenic Dry Cat Food is an example of a dry cat food where the proteins have been broken down so the immune system does not detect them and therefore cannot react to them. It is the process of hydrolysis that can make a meat protein, such as chicken or fish, digestible to a cat with an intolerance. This is a commercial process and cannot be replicated at home.

Before you embark on the food trial proper, gradually introduce the new food with their old over the course of a week or two. When they are fully switched over that's when you start the food trial. In stage one of a food elimination diet strictly only feed your cat the new diet that you have chosen for 6-8 weeks. Keep a record of any changes to their symptoms.

In stage two, begin to reintroduce small amounts of your cat's old food. Within a couple of days, you'll see your cat's symptoms reappear if they are indeed allergic to something in their old food. Only give small amounts of the food, as a sudden switch will cause an upset regardless of an allergy.

If your cat's symptoms have returned revert back to the new diet. Longer term, you could keep your cat on their new diet if they are enjoying it and it's providing complete wellness and nutrition. Or you could further investigate whether isolated ingredients, such as chicken or wheat, are the trigger of your cat's allergy.

It should be stated that if food doesn't appear to be the cause of your cat's itchiness look at environmental factors or parasites. Finally, be sure to consult your vet before you embark on a food-elimination diet. Your vet can do comprehensive allergy testing to determine the root cause of your cat's skin irritation.

What's a novel protein diet?

A novel protein diet is a meat that your cat will have never eaten before and therefore not developed an allergy to it. This can be expensive as the meat sources are exotic or premium, such as kangaroo, ostrich, venison, wild boar, rabbit and even alligator. This could be a useful short-term dietary switch if you embark on a food-elimination diet with your cat.

Another option is a single-source protein diet containing protein from one animal source only. Again it's expensive as it's produced with a small number of quality ingredients, but it's effective in stopping adverse food reactions.

This article contains expert advice from Dr Michael Lazaris. Dr Michael is a small animal vet and co-director of his practice, Vets on the Common, in London. You can also find him on Instagram and TikTok, where he shares all the latest pet advice and adorable patients he treats.

Natalie Knowles is a Homes & Garden Product Writer for Take A Break Pets, specialising in all things cats and dogs. In her other life Natalie is a successful artist and illustrator.