Allergy Cat

Symptoms: A cat clinically expresses chronic cough but has no skin lesions.
Can this also be allergic?

Yes, because cats, in contrast to dogs, react much more frequently with allergy-related respiratory symptoms and diseases (feline allergic bronchitis, asthma and rhinitis). Skin symptoms often come second and manifest in various reaction patterns such as miliary dermatitis, self-induced alopecia and ulcers, eosinophilic granuloma complex or even a combination of all these symptoms.

Flea allergy: The cat reacts to the flea allergen with reaction class 5 in the pre-test.
Does this mean that there is currently a flea infestation or how should we proceed?

A positive result for flea saliva allergen indicates that the animal is flea sensitised. In the clinical presence of a flea allergy, one flea or its bite is sufficient to trigger the allergy cascade of the immune system and its excessive response. Especially in these cats an efficient flea control (spot on or oral medication) should take place. However, a high antibody level is not proof of the current presence of a flea infestation.

Elimination diet for outdoor cats: How can it be done?

Actually, an elimination diet is not possible or meaningful for a free-roaming cat. For a lege artis implementation, the cat would have to be kept indoors during this time in order to exclude the possibility of the animal ingesting food elsewhere.