Can a dog be allergic to cats??!

[Poppy]

We adopted our mean little cat 2 weeks ago.. about 1.5 weeks ago I noticed Bunk had small red bumps on his belly, which got worse when he scratched them. He was normal and there was minimal scratching until today, so I put a Tshirt on him (he was not happy about this).

Anyway as some of you know, Bunky is on a raw diet and thriving. His coat is super shiny and soft, he has nice breath and healthy guts. Nothing has changed in the last 2 weeks in his diet . The only change is the cat!!

So I am wondering, have any of your dogs become itchy after introducing a cat?

I can be 99% certain it's not the food but will start keeping a feeding journal anyhow. Another thing I'm not looking forward to is taking him to the vets if it keeps up another week! I always get a lecture about how I should feed Hills diet so I can only imagine the shame of bringing in an itchy bully who eats raw. But of course I would never let the boy suffer. I would say it's mild right now, we're just not used to any itching in either of them.

Here's a shot of the belly (sorry for the crotch shot) and another of him sardined in his crate. I think he likes the confined feeling because he's always squeezing into small crevices.




The flash makes him a bit yellow but his fur is really white with no pink except on his chin.

 

[Poppy]

Forgot to mention I've been using witch hazel on his belly, and tonight put some Gold Bond on it. The GB seemed to really help, the bumps aren't raised anymore and aren't as pink.

 

[karenben]

how long have you been raw feeding?,dogs can become allergic to anything and the rash and itching is typical,is he sneezing?i know annie cant eat white meats as they make her itch i think its the sodium content ,cats can definatly bring out a reaction especially cat siliva excuse the spelling lol,nappy rash cream will take care of the rash within hours and keep the tshirt on to stop any secondary infection,as for the vet,tell him YOUR DOG YOU WILL FEED HIM WHAT YOU WANT,DO YOU STILL WANT PAYMENT!!!!,tell to go eat the hills himself ,karen

 

[Fontanafox]

When Wilson was allergy tested it listed "Cat Epithelia" (cat skin) as one of the allergens he was NOT allergic to. So I imagine it could be a possibility (but I really hope not cuz I love kitties).

 

[Poppy]

6 months on raw. Everyone who pets him says his head feels like velvet. Thanks for the tip I'll go pick some nappy cream tomorrow. Is it possible for them to develop a food allergy out of the blue, or is that pretty set in stone?

*Eyeroll* at vet office food. God love em' but their junk costs a fortune and is loaded with corn. Sort of like how they sold me Fortiflora for $40 and I later found it on amazon for $20. Talk about profits!!

 

[Poppy]

When Wilson was allergy tested it listed "Cat Epithelia" (cat skin) as one of the allergens he was NOT allergic to. So I imagine it could be a possibility (but I really hope not cuz I love kitties).

She has medium hair so it probably doesn't help! There are hypoallergenic ones FYI, the breed is _something_ rex. Lol I know big help right.

According to google yes they can be allergic. It is mild but I'll be more careful to keep her clean.

I just had a thought that he got into the cat litter the other day, which is made of corn! Who says bullies aren't known for their brains!!

 

[RiiSi]

If they can be allergic to dust mites, why not cats? That is a shame though, cats are wonderful too!

 

[cowsmom]

if he has been on raw 6 months would be thinking its the cat. my allergy test has cat hair on it. could be possible. can you isolate the dog and cat away from each other and see if anything changes. id try some hydrocortisone cream on it and then gold bond if it helped and leave off the witch hazel.

 

[karenben]

any dog can eat the same food for years then all of a sudden become allergic to it,same goes for all allergies its all to do with the immune system,if its running too high then allergies ,if its too low then mange/illness,put him on a good immune suppliment,also a food diary is good,ive stopped the diary for my dog now apart from me getting a bit obsessed lol i know she doesnt do well on any white meat or pork which is a red meat ,fish is also bad for her,karen

 

[2BullyMama]

Yep... it can be the cat... his belly looks like hives