My cat is vomiting and licking fur after new food. Is it an allergy?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 9 years old | 12 lbs
I changed my cats food to Wholehearted grain free easy digestion chicken/egg flavor. He is licking his fur off in spots since I changed it and he vomits frequently. Could he be allergic to something in this food? It seems like it should be a good choice for him.
3 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on January 6th, 2018
It's definitely possible that Buddy is allergic to his food as one of the most common food allergies is to chicken. You may want to try a diet with single source or protein that is something Budddy has never had before (like venison or rabbit). An all canned food diet is also preferred and may help with a potential food allergy. One over the counter option is Natural Balance Limited ingredient diet. It would also be a good idea to have Buddy examined by a veterinarian to ensure he does not need medication to treat the itching or vomiting. There are many other causes of these signs so it's important to rule those out first. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a special diet that may work better (like Royal Canin Ultamino) if food allergies are truly at play. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Buddy's issues resolve quickly!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on September 11th, 2020
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Casper. It is possible that he has a food allergy based on your description. Typically affected cats will have skin lesions, vomiting and/or diarrhea and frequent bowel movements. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He may benefit from a prescription diet. Many over-the-counter diets are contaminated with protein sources not listed on the label. A prescription diet will be more pure and could help to alleviate his clinical signs. If food allergies are not to blame, then other causes of his symptoms can be discussed. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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Published on June 18th, 2019
Mouse could have a few conditions which all look the same clinically and can cause vomiting and itching. These can include allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the symptoms should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they are unlikely to address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
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