Hair loss with raw diet

3841 Views 1 Reply 1 Participant Last post by sarcal, May 18, 2012

sarcal

Discussion Starter · May 17, 2012

Hi Everyone-

I've posted before when I first started my 12 y/o Devon Rex on a raw diet and I'm back! She is loving the raw diet (she's on a commercially prepared raw diet) and is doing pretty well. She lost just over a pound on it, which was not too much, but she shouldn't lose anymore so I've increased her food a little. But... she is losing hair and becoming patchy and for a white devon rex, it's quite noticeable! I took her to the vet for a check-up and they ran bloodwork and checked her urine and everything came back totally normal. The vet asked if there was fish in the food because that can be a cause of some allergies. In the one she was on - Primal, there was, as well as one I had tried before. I just switched her about 2 weeks ago (after the vet visit) to Rad Cat and then to Feline's Pride so that there would be no fish in the food and only chicken, turkey, lamb or cornish hen as protein. (She's not a fan of beef.) I feel awful since she was doing so well at the start of the raw diet- her coat was so shiny! She's still very playful and acts like she's a kitten again though. Does anyone else have any suggestions as to what could cause her hair loss?

Thank you for your help!
Sarah

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sarcal

Discussion Starter · #2 · May 18, 2012

We think it's the food because that is the only new thing for her- no new vaccines, change in flea meds, treats, etc. The hair loss started about a month to a month and a half after she started the raw food. She has never lost hair during the spring and this is a loss of hair in patches over the shoulders, hips, top of the butt (where her tail meets her body if you look at her standing over her, but maybe an inch up). I didn't notice it until maybe a month ago, but now, looking back in pictures, I see it started about a month to a month and a half after she started the raw food. That's why we're thinking it's the fish in the raw food. The vet said a lot of cats are allergic to fish. I asked about the masazellia (sp?) yeast overgrowth that I saw a Devon Rex breeder on here talk about, but she said it didn't look like that, but if the food change didn't work, she could test for it. I just feel awful for my little baby. She has never had hair on the top of her head or her belly, but now she's just SO patchy.

Thank you,
Sarah

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