Allergy Season…Not Just for People Anymore

Allergy season is upon us again and I’m already feeling the effect of the trees blooming. I know pretty soon my kitties will also. Plus any kitty with a chronic illness can have allergy symptoms due to a suppressed immune system. Your pet is just as susceptible to pollen allergies as we humans are. Here are some simple tips to help curb those allergy attacks from your furbabies. Keep your window sills clean. Wipe them down with soap and water or a mixture of vinegar and water. Give your kitty a good wipe down with kitty wipes (I use Tropiclean allergy wipes, they have no chemicals or bad ingredients: (http://ibdkitties.net/Groomingoral.html), or even just a soft cloth with water a couple of times a week during high allergy days to get that pollen off their fur! Try using an electrostatic dust cloth like Swiffer since it will pick up pollen and dust and it has no chemicals or scents in it. It works great and you can see the yellow pollen on the cloth afterwards. I use those often to wipe down my furniture in between cleanings and can really see the pollen on them so I know they work.

Keep their ears clean and free of pollen and mites and if their eyes get red and irritated you can use pure saline to give them a little moisturizing rinse. Use a furminator to get the extra layer of fur off and brush them OFTEN. There’s a PetAlive product called the Furball Dr. that’s also on the grooming page but I don’t know how well that works I haven’t had to try it. Give them L-lysine daily in their food or at least 3-4 times per week for respiratory and eye issues. You can subscribe to a daily email of your local area’s pollen count and they’ll tell you the numbers and specifically what pollen is active at that time: www.pollen.com/allergy-weather-forecast.asp. Don’t forget this is only March and seasonal allergies last well into November! I’m suffering already so that automatically puts me into kitty pollen mode.

If respiratory/allergies and/or terrible itching of the skin are uncontrollable, ask your vet about Zyrtec. I’ve seen a lot of good things about it being used in cats, and some have managed to lower their prednisone doses because of it. The following articles are really worth reading, especially if your pet has symptoms of eosinophilic diseases. The more I read about this condition, the more I think in IBD kitties, it can be a side effect of inflammation in their intestines.

Why I Love Zyrtec for Cats

www.petmd.com/blogs/dailyvet/2010/february/zyrtec_for_cats#.T2o0UtW6-N8

Eosinophilic diseases; Skin Diseases from Allergies in Cats

http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_eosinophilic_granuloma_complex#.T2o19NW6-N8

For insect bites or stings you could use fractionally distilled clear aloe vera liquid, (I have some on the digestion page of my site). It MUST be fractionally distilled and clear. It works great as a wound cleaner and healing agent. You can also try the Flying Bassett Organics Aloe Vera Extract on the grooming page. It’s a powder that can be made into a paste for wounds as well as used internally for digestion.

PLEASE remember that if you have to use pesticides for any reason, remove clothing and shoes immediately when entering the house, wash yourself up very well (showering would be best, also washing your hair) and wash your clothing in the laundry. Pesticides are sometimes a necessary evil, especially when you have a horrible pest infestation that’s doing some major damage. Remember to close your windows before you spray or apply anything on your property as the wind can bring it in the house. I know I sound like a crazy, paranoid pet parent but I have learned so much about pet safety and health. They are just like our kids and their systems need protecting as much as possible. Chemicals can cause cancer and we need to be extremely careful. Don’t forget that so many of your kitties already have compromised immune systems and it doesn’t take much with a cat to tip the scales and develop additional conditions and being on steroids can help that along. It’s a good idea when you’re mowing the lawn to shut the windows until you’re completely done and again, remove your shoes, shower and wash your hair. I have to do that anyway otherwise I’m very sick afterwards, I’m severely allergic.

Think about removing the cover from your cat’s litter box as ANY cat litter contains dust, some more than others. And all that does is contribute to their allergies and respiratory problems. Since I’ve started using Dr. Elsey’s Respiratory Relief cat litter I’ve noticed that Finnegan no longer wheezes and he hardly snores anymore either. And Lacey doesn't sneeze as much also. But they do still sneeze during pollen outbreaks so it's best I keep the house as clear of it as I can. I hope these tips will help you and your little ones have a more healthy allergy season.