How CBD Oil Can Help Cats with Skin Allergies
Cats are able to have allergies and may react to certain pollens or smells in the air, just as humans do. One form of allergies that can happen to cats are skin allergies, and you’ll be able to see this manifest in reactions that give them itchy and red skin or make them throw up. There are a variety of things that cats can have an allergic reaction to, ranging from certain kinds of food to pollen and fleas.
While it’s easy for people to keep track of their allergies, know what leads to them, and avoid these causes, cats obviously have a much harder time doing this, and it can be up to owners to take care of their skin allergies. With cats especially, it may be difficult to determine what’s causing the allergies and to weed out all the different possibilities. The elimination process can take a long time. This means that treating and preventing skin allergies is very challenging for many cat owners.
Not only is it hard to determine the cause, but once you do, it’s even more difficult to prevent your cat from being around these allergens and to make them avoid triggers. You can’t be around your cat all the time, and they may be tougher to command than other pets such as dogs. If you have an outdoor cat especially, ensuring they’re being safe is very difficult.
Your vet can write your pet a prescription for medications that will alleviate the itching, such as corticosteroids or antihistamines. You can also find natural products that are common remedies, such as Manuka honey, but you’ll find that they’re often ineffective. A great natural product that luckily does tend to work is CBD oil.
CBD is a compound found in the cannabis plant, and unlike its popular cousin, THC, CBD is not psychoactive and will not get your pet high. It’s used to treat lots of health conditions and can provide many medicinal benefits, among them a reduction in redness, inflammation, pain, and nausea, which are common symptoms of allergies of the skin. This is how to help your cat if they have skin allergies, and how to use CBD as a natural and effective alternative remedy for treatment.
What Exactly Are Feline Skin Allergies?
Just like your own immune system, a cat’s immune system works hard to cleanse the body of toxic substances, parasites, and viruses. While most of the time, the immune system works correctly and effectively, there are times when it can mistakenly overreact to something, even if it’s a non harmful substance. This overreaction is what leads to a flare up of allergies. The immune system will believe that a substance is dangerous and react in a way that is meant to protect your body.
Skin allergies happen in cats when their immune system makes this type of mistaken identification, and the body tries to get rid of the substance. As it attempts this, symptoms such as itching and inflammation occur. You’ll see red splotches along your cat’s skin, and they will be scratching themselves a lot, among exhibiting other symptoms. Unfortunately, the substances your cat is reacting to are typically harmless, and happen naturally in the environment your cat is in a lot, such as your home or the outdoors. Usually, if your cat has skin allergies this is not dangerous, but it can be uncomfortable for your cat, and it’s up to the owner to help them.
Cats can be allergic to:
- Certain kinds of food
- Drugs that require a prescription (not over the counter drugs)
- Specific fabrics
- Plastic and rubber materials
- Smoke from cigarettes
- Products that are used to clean
- Certain perfumes
- Pollens from grass, mold, dust, mildew, weeds, and trees
- Products that are used to control or treat fleas
- Fleas
Allergies usually involve a sensitivity. If the cat has an allergy to fleas, which is among the most common causes for skin allergies in cats, they may have an intense itching for up to three weeks, and this can be caused by only a few flea bites. It’s important to monitor your cat’s sensitivities, and if they have fleas, to treat them immediately.
How Will My Cat Exhibit Skin Allergy Symptoms?
Skin allergies are officially known as atopic dermatitis. This is a condition that leads to skin inflammation that’s chronic, meaning that it’s long-lasting. Your cat may get skin allergies anywhere on their body, but there are certain areas where it tends to crop up the most. These areas include:
- Around and within the ears
- The area of the groin
- The eye area
- The ankles
- The nose
- In between each toe
- Underneath the arms
The biggest signs that your cat has skin allergies are:
- If your cat is scratching a lot at their skin or fur
- Other indications of itching
- They are rubbing up against objects such as furniture excessively
- Excessive licking or grooming
- They’re shaking their head a lot
- They suddenly develop fur that’s very matted, or develop bald spots
- Itchiness along their back or the base of their tail (very common with allergies due to fleas)
Usually, your cat will be scratching, rubbing, or licking their underarms, paws, and face, but skin allergies can show up anywhere on their bodies. If your cat is suffering from skin allergies, any licking or scratching they do will most likely be frantic and persistent; it’ll seem like they’re unable to stop. This leads to an inflammation of the skin, and can also lead to ulcerations or other sores that may bleed. You might also realize that the skin on your cat looks dry, oily, or scaly.
Beyond the scratching and signs in their hair or skin, however, there are more general symptoms of skin allergies which impact other areas or systems of the body. These symptoms include:
- Wheezing, coughing, and sneezing
- Eyes that are itchy or runny
- Ear infections and inflammation within the ear
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- A throat that’s inflamed, which leads to snoring
- Swollen paws, or excessive chewing at paws
How are Feline Skin Allergies Caused?
There are many things that may lead to your cat having skin allergies. In fact, the possibilities vary so much, that sometimes it may be difficult or impossible to determine what exactly is the cause for the problem. Another thing that makes feline allergies even more difficult is that they’re caused by things you find every day in the cat’s environment, and it’s very tough to avoid these. Some very common things that lead to skin allergies for cats are:
- Pollen in the air
- Grass
- Mites and fleas
- Fungal infections
- Poison ivy
- Tobacco smoke
- Products you find in the household
- Mold
- Food
- Bites from insects
- Dust and mites
Genetics are also a big factor as to whether your pet has allergies; the condition is associated with a history within the cat’s family. Certain cats are just more likely to get allergies than other cats.
How Can I Treat My Cat’s Allergies?
The first step you should take if you think your cat has skin allergies is to make a visit to your veterinarian. Your vet will ask for a complete history about your cat’s medical health and will perform a physical examination to try to determine the source of the reactions your cat is having. Otherwise, they may recommend tests that involve the blood or skin, or a special diet that eliminates certain foods in order to pinpoint the cause.
It can be very difficult to treat your cat’s skin allergies, because it’s rare that the cause of them can be realized and removed from your cat’s locations, whether in the house or outside. Most times, it’s not possible to either identify the cause or remove it from the environment. If you do realize the cause of the allergens, hyposensitization therapy may an option that your vet recommends trying. This therapy involves injecting the allergen into your cat periodically, with the intention that at some point your cat will develop a desensitization or immunity to that specific substance. Successful therapy can almost completely heal any itchiness your cat has. However, it could take up to a year before an effect takes place.
To put a stop to the itching much more quickly, your vet can write prescriptions for medications. Typically, these medications are antihistamines or corticosteroids. For skin allergies that are more long term, cyclosporine may be used to control irritation. There are also sprays that are medicated available.
Unfortunately, skin allergies do not go away by themselves in cats. Usually the condition will need to be treated continually, and you’ll have to constantly use shampoos that are anti-itch, and give your cat medication. For a lot of cats, their skin allergies are a lifelong and chronic issue.
Is There Anything I Can Do About My Cat’s Allergies?
If you know the specific cause for your cat’s skin allergies, the best thing to do is to take away the allergens from your cat’s environment and ensure your cat is never around them. There are some other things you can do, even if you’re unsure about the exact cause, including:
- Ensuring that you prevent the occurence of fleas for any of your pets; begin a program for control, especially if you have pets that go both indoors and outdoors.
- Use a litter that’s unscented and free of dust to reduce the likelihood of your cat having a reaction to litter’s chemicals.
- Vacuum often in your household to reduce dust, and clean the bed of your pet at least once every week.
- Give your cat a bath regularly, at least once a week. This not only relieves inflammation and itching, but will help remove pollens or allergens from their fur.
- If the allergen may be due to food, you can restrict your pet’s diet or cook their meals yourself.
How Does CBD Oil Help My Cat with Their Skin Allergies?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is among over 60 cannabinoids within hemp, and when these compounds interact with an animal’s endocannabinoid system, it can have a variety of medicinal benefits. Both human and animal bodies contain cannabinoid receptors, which are involved in regulating inflammation and pain, among other things.
A 2009 study tested how CBD impacts the skin, and it discovered that the endocannabinoid system has a big role when it comes to maintaining the homeostasis of the skin, which is a condition that maintains balance and positive health. A 2005 study determined that CBD hemp oil can reduce dry skin, inflammation, and itchiness. A study conducted later also found that CBD helps the skin’s natural healing process.
When you take your cat to the vet, speak with your vet about the possibility of using CBD topically to treat your cat’s skin allergies. CBD has been found to be very effective when it comes to alleviating discomfort, pain, and inflammation, and you may be able to find a product such as a spray or lotion that you can put on your cat’s skin to help reduce their symptoms. There is a wide variety of products that contain CBD and were made specifically for cats. You can even give your cat drops of CBD oil directly onto their tongue or sprinkled in their food, to alleviate their skin allergy symptoms.
It’s difficult to treat skin allergies in cats, and the condition is often chronic, which means you’ll be helping your cat with their allergens as long as they live. CBD oil can be a natural and viable alternative to medication for reducing the severity of your cat’s inflammation and itchiness. How much CBD you give your pet depends on the product, your pet’s size, and how severe the condition is.
Before starting your pet on anything new, talk to your veterinarian about the possibilities about CBD and what potential effects may take place. Your vet will be able to determine whether CBD oil is truly a possibility to help with your cat’s skin allergies, and may even recommend specific products. Then, you can incorporate CBD oil into a daily regimen to aid your cat with their symptoms.
