dr. roy - something for ithcy cat????

[simby]

hi dr. roy,
i don't think we have talked but i have a question. My cat is a mess of scabs and half bald (thus vomiting hair balls) and i am desperate to help her.

She is on thyroid pills for one month now.
She had a steroid shot a month ago.

i am going to have another steroid shot asap this week. Plus she will be getting frontlined in the morning if ok'd by the vet. (She is being treated for this).

But is there anything that i could do for the poor thing in the meantime? She almost gets rid of the rash and then she is a mess again within days.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

sims

[Diandra]

Hi Sims,
A friend had a kitty with the same symptoms and it used to be called mange which I believe is also called scabies, which is actually a mite. Here is link that gives some info:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2141&aid=737

You have my sympathy...the poor things look awful and it is hard to watch them suffer.

Take care, Diandra

P.S. I know the vet has not been feeling that well and not around as often. He is really a great guy and was amazingly helpful when I had some health issues with my cat.
He signs his notes Troy or T. Jones DVM and his id is JTROY. Perhaps PM him if you don't hear back. He has always been very responsive.

[mrsdoubtfyre]

one of our cats is allergic to corn in the food.

When we switched her food, her "cat acne" cleared right up.

We use Eukanuba now, and she is 21 yrs old.

Corn is listed as a first ingredient in many common kibbles. (at the time we were feeding Science Diet Light---but I
stopped all Science Diet and she recovered completely).

[simby]

thank you both for answering.

And, Dr. Roy, i hope you feel better soon. I know you have had a very long road with this cp stuff. Yet you help us here whenever you can and i aprreciate that.

I know the kitty is allergic to flea bites.
And, since i have aweful nickel allergies, i have done the same thing. Almost get rid of the hives and then bam, scratch and start the cycle over.

Even though she rather claw my eyes out than let me pet her on a good day, i am going to attempt to make a weak tea and cool it. Then use it to make a cool compress to see if that may soothe her a bit.

thanks again,
sims

[suede]

Sims
Here is Dr. Troys e-mail he has made it clear that he is more then happy to help any one at anytime with questions, This is an older addy hope it still works.
tjandfon@hotmail.com

My daughter also has a cat with the very same problem and as MrsD's cat it was her diet that caused the problem.
She is also like your cat and does not care to be petted but when she was real bad the vet had us buy some "EVENING PRIMROSE OIL" and rub on her sores and she found that to be very soothing.

Good Luck and I hope she feels better soon.

Linda

[jtroy]

Hey simby:

You've gotten some good advice so far....you know, the problem is getting that skin scraping....if I were you I'd ask the vet to do one on the periphery (sp??) of the "bald" spot...if it is something like scabies then there is a completely different treatment....otherwise it may just be an allergic condition. You can take pics and email them to me at: tjandfon@hotmail.com pics are always nice even if they don't seem good to you.

In the meantime a diet switch might be in order as well....I never understand why the veterinary community has decided that a vegetable based diet is appropiate for a carnivore...personally I prefer to put these guys on something different...that is completely up to you....just shoot me an email and I'd be more than happy to guide you through that (I've done it with my own cat...dang cats can be so finicky.)

Anyway....Benadryl....oral and topical....you can buy the "Equate" version at Walmart or a pharmacy....we generally say that a dosage of anywhere between 0.5mg to 2mg per pound of body weight is effective for cats. I'd personally start your kitty somewhere in the 1mg/lb range if it is this bad. So...if you have a 15 pound cat that would be 15mg....TID (three times per day.) Also...the topical benadryl spray is very effective relative to the intense itching these cats can have....simply spray the affected area (concentrating on the periphery (sp??) of the lesion but also the middle) as often as your cat will allow it. You will initially probably notice that he/she tends to groom and lick the area more whenever you first start it but over time he/she will quit...especially once he figures out just how nasty it tastes.

The oral benadryl is where I'd start first....with your cat you can simply purchase the pediatric "stuff" at the store (it comes in a 12.5mg/ml bottle)...start him/her around the 1ml range and you could certainly double that over time if necessary....just remember, just like with our pain meds you'll begin to notice a tolerance to it over time....once you are getting to that 25mg range you could then switch to the regular 25mg capsules or oral solution that is also available OTC. For me, I'd prefer to give a solution to a cat over a capsule any day....they have a unique ability to fake you out thinking you've actually "pilled" them and then you'll discover the pill laying somewhere hidden in the house later....don't hesitate to put the solution "dropper" behind those tongue "barbs" that you see....you'll notice that they tend to be far less prominent at the back of the tongue....that is also your "target" location if you elect to give a pill instead....if you put it in that "barbed" area you might as well be throwing it down the drain b/c you can bet you'll discover it laying on the floor some place in the house.

A word of caution....resist the temptation to empty the contents of a capsule and give that....it is EXTREMELY bitter stuff and you can bet your kitty will then hate you for life....at least the oral solution you can buy has enough sugar in it to somewhat prevent that. I'll never forget the first time I emptied a capsule and gave that to a pooch....he hated me for life...I tried it once myself and then completely understood.

Before I forget....if your kitty has "scabies" or a Sarcoptic mite it certainly can be transmitted to you. It is a very self-limiting dz in people and easily treated but I've been unfortunate and had it myself and I can testify: it itches like crazy! I prefer to use Ivermectin off-label to treat animals that have it but there is a product called Amitraz that we use as well. Some veterinarians will use the 'ol-fashioned sulfur dips...that is a major pain in the rear if you ask me....I've never had a problem using Ivermectin in cats but your personal vet may balk at it and prefer to use Amitraz...totally up to them....however, I'd certainly want to get that area scraped....you really have to get a deep one also...just a gently little scrape won't work and I've referred enough cases to dermatologists only to find out that the animal had a Sarcoptic mite too many times (mad clients after those I can tell 'ya.)

Anyway...feel free to email me at: tjandfon@hotmail.com It is no bother at all and I can talk you through taking pics if you would like to do that....I can also get more details and so forth from you which would certainly give me a better picture of what is going on. Until then I hope that this helps some.

Regards,

T. Jones, DVM

[simby]

thank you very much.

i am bringing this to email.


and asking the thread be closed.

thanks,
sims