I know food allergies are a thing, but I've always wondered if it's really any kind of meat that is responsible. I don't honestly know anything about it, but it seems counterintuitive to me. Some other ingredient or additive seems like a more likely culprit. How can a carnivore be allergic to meat? I need to learn more about that, I guess.
Had an Airedale that had food allergies. Corn, wheat, rice, soy--mostly common grains. It's my honest belief that foods that are commonly GMOs these days, especially in pet food, are the reason that so many mammals are developing so many food allergies. Back then, almost 18 years ago, I had no choice around here for anything other than Dick Van Patton's Natural Balance. Natural Balance isn't Dick Van Patton anymore. Yep. It got bought out. J. Smucker.
Here's one of the things you have to learn to argue with vets about. Most of them have been taught by Science Diet (
or whatever brand is in their office) to say that it's usually proteins that pets become allergic to if they have problems. Hello, vets! Those grains are put into the foods for a cheap source of protein! DUH!!!
You have to be fast on your feet with making that point to them.
Once Science Diet actually came out with something for pets allergic to grains (
years after finding all the food that Dannyboy could NOT eat) it was $20 for 8 pounds (
now $38.99 in Chewy). Luckily, these days, there are a lot of other choices for people that need something to feed allergy-dogs.
I personally think that when pets become allergic to actual meat proteins, it's because their bodies were
first being attacked over cheap, grain proteins (
doesn't make the foods inexpensive) being inside the foods. Once you start the allergy-inflammation response, everything is going to be questioned by the whole body when it's under attack. I'm not saying that allergies to meat proteins isn't a thing, but I'm saying I don't think it was the first thing.
I also think that the most common food allergies to actual meat proteins are chicken and beef because those animals are so normally fed GMO foods to fatten them up before slaughter. Even if you're buying grain-free, the meats still had it in them. Kind of a double whammy.
There's only one way to absolutely prevent food allergy attacks, and that's to not get the allergens at all in any way--especially if allergies develop. Due to our experience with one allergy dog, these 2 dogs we now have have almost never gotten any grains. If they don't get the foods in the first place, they can't become allergic to it.
I'm positive that you're going to start seeing huge coat changes now that you have your cats moved to wet, and when you get to raw, there will be another, even larger, change in coat. I've read about it happening
every time someone makes the changes.