The Best Diet for Cats With Eczema

Eczema is a dry skin condition found primarily in people. It can also be found on dogs or cats. For a cat with eczema, a change in diet is often the best remedy. Eczema is a dry skin condition that is worsened by allergies, and cats with eczema tend to have severe allergies. Removing the source of allergies, usually dietary, from a cat's diet will vastly improve his eczema.

Ingredients

Choose foods with ingredients that are less likely to bother his eczema. Often the brand of food is not as important as the ingredients in it. Foods that are good for eczema include foods that have as many real ingredients as possible. These are ingredients such as real meat instead of meat meal. Ingredients should include plenty of vegetables, except for corn. Corn is not good for digestion in animals and will exacerbate eczema in cats. Foods also should not contain wheat. Most cats with eczema actually have allergies to corn and wheat. Choose foods with a low number of by-products and preservatives, as these will also make allergies worse for cats with eczema. By-products are often mixed with other types of chemicals and food stuffs, and preservatives are also chemical-based and bad for allergies.

Special Food

Pick a special allergy-reducing food from a company like Iams or Science Diet. Dog-food brands such as Eukanuba and Royal Canin also make foods that are designed to cut back on cat's allergies. An allergy-reducing food like Science Diet Allergy will reduce a cat's eczema symptoms greatly. As a bonus, allergy-reducing foods usually have fewer preservatives and no by-products.

Prescriptions

Ask your vet for a prescription food that is designed to help reduce the symptoms of eczema in cats. These are foods that are designed especially for the eczema condition and are the best foods to get for cats that have this problem. These foods vary by location, so your vet will have a specific company in mind. You will need to buy the food at the vet or at an animal pharmacy because the food requires a prescription to purchase. However, it will be the best food to help your cat get rid of eczema symptoms.

In some cases, the vet will prescribe both a food to treat eczema and a medication to treat the effects of it. The medication, which is usually in topical-cream form, has no affect on the foods your cat should be eating. Follow your vet's recommendations if she prescribes both food and medication If your vet prescribes medication, but not food, discuss food choices with your vet to make sure you are feeding your pet the right food for his condition.