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Treatment

Cats with severe vomiting, diarrhea or other clinical symptoms may require hospitalization for intravenous fluid administration, antibiotics, and supportive care. In most cases, the cat does not need hospitalization.

The cornerstone of a successful treatment plan is in identifying the offending dietary component and excluding it from the diet. If the problematic dietary component cannot be identified, your veterinarian will suggest and help you plan a nutritionally complete exclusion diet. A trial and error method can be employed if a confirmatory diagnosis cannot be achieved. Your veterinarian will devise a plan to include or exclude a particular dietary component and monitor the response.

Living and Management

The prognosis of most patients is very good, especially if the offending dietary component has been identified. The major goal of therapy is to avoid the causative dietary component.

If your cat has been diagnosed with food sensitivities, you will need to avoid feeding your cat food scraps or adding new foodstuffs without first consulting with your veterinarian. If your veterinarian has prescribed a specific diet, adherence to the prescribed diet is of utmost importance.

Poor treatment response is commonly due to reduced owner compliance, such as when the cat's owner reverts to giving “treats.” Do not allow children or visitors to feed the cat without prior permission. Good owner compliance will ensure long-term improvement of the clinical symptoms.