Anyone using Atopica?

[mom2lb]

Hi everyone! Sorry to have been away so long. My struggles still continue with my LB too ,,, sadly! He has gotten to the point now where the steroid injections are doing harm to his body. He developed a heart murmur some time back & the last injection in Feb 2016 caused him very, very loose bowels & stomach upset for a whole two weeks!!! He couldn't eat or drink anything without running to his litter box to relieve himself almost immediately ... sigh. Was just about at the point to take him back to vet, when it finally ended & his bowels returned to normal. I can't have that ... that is what happened with Atopica & why he cannot take it. He is just 5 years old now ... I am not sure where to go from here. Because he has few options left. I have tried about everything possible, EXCEPT my own prepared raw food diet. I have tried commercial ones that he will have nothing to do with ... so not sure if I learn to prepare it myself it will be different?! His main staple of kibble (Natural Balance Pea & Chicken) changed their formulation and added SALMON OIL which has set him off in a bad direction again. It was a while before I discovered their change He still eats Wild Calling Turkey daily (about a couple tablespoons is all he'll take of it) and I honestly do not know if he is allergic to it or not ... sometimes he seems to have a reaction to it & sometimes not???!! Sooooo incredibly infuriating & frustrating that I just sit down & melt somedays into a pile of tears. Well, I just keep plugging along & trying to keep him as comfortable as possible. At least with the "shirts" he wears, we have kept his back free from injuries & after two surgeries to fix his back, that was a MAJOR WIN! The legs & belly are way harder to protect, but Vetericyn will keep any infections away!

I have pretty much decided that I will not allow another steroid injection unless he bloodies himself completely. I am fearful that one more shot could be his demise. I'd rather have him missing some fur & sporting some sores, than not have him altogether!!! (for as long as possible anyway)

I have to go update my email address. That is why I was not getting my notices in my mailbox ... duh!

Praying for us all & especially for our suffering furbabes! <3

Mom2LB

 

[cat princesses]

Have you tried to see a dermatologist to access your kitty? What about complete allergy testing to see what is the exact cause and then allergy shots?

 

[mom2lb]

cat princesses,

LB was biopsied & it was determined that he has FIUD (feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis) as his main problem. From my understanding and research allergy testing on cats is definitely NOT an exact science & my vet does not recommend it. In his condition, he will most likely suffer reactions to not only foods, but just about everything in the environment as well. IF I were going that route (allergy testing), the closest place he could be tested here in Central IL (very rural area) is at the University in Bloomington. Not only is not feasible for me as a senior citizen who does not have transporation, the cost is enormous & I simply cannot afford it. I have seen every vet available in my small town (3) & feel fortunate to have found one who will at least exempt him from vaccinations that aggravated his problems & the other vets insisted on doing to him??!! My vet is doing all he can, but is very honest with me about his declicing health status as well.

Thanks for your suggestion & I certainly would take that route if it were truly an option I could pursue at all. My vet understands how difficult this is & is on the lookout for any new medications to be released hopefully in time to help my boy. If not, he has agreed with me that we will do all we can to keep him as comfortable as possible to give him the best quality of life in spite of his problems. But when he can no longer have a decent quality of life, we will know when enough is enough. Thanks for caring. I really do appreciate it!

 

[cat princesses]

I believe you can contact the school of veterinary medicine at University of Illinois, maybe they have some ideas?

 

[neely]

I believe you can contact the school of veterinary medicine at University of Illinois, maybe they have some ideas?

Great minds think alike! We saw a dermatology specialist from the U of IL for our dog although not in Champaign. However, the U of IL is an excellent and very knowledgeable veterinary medical school. I highly recommend them for the outstanding expertise.

 

[grzina]

This is crazy but the Atopica arrived today and I gave Boots his dose. I was dreading his reaction to having me squirt this into his mouth since he foamed and drooled with liquid Prozac and foamed, drooled AND gagged with the Chinese herb. THERE WAS NO REACTION. I gave it to him, and he walked away like nothing happened. I even checked the vial twice to make sure it was empty. Gosh I hope this works. I read so much about how awful tasting it is....not for this cat!

 

[cat princesses]

That's excellent! Hope it continues to be easy!

 

[grzina]

So 5 hours after the first atopica dose he had loose stool. He is acting like he feels ok and hasn't vomited. He also hasn't eaten his normal amount of food since I gave him the Atopica. He did have a little to eat before I dosed him. I'll see what he does tomorrow. Has anyone had issues with loose stool and if so did it get better?

 

[cat princesses]

My cat had loose stools before the atopica. I have been giving her S. boullardi in baby food 1 full capsule 2x per day and that's firmed up her poops nicely. Check with your vet to see how long this side effect will last - maybe it's only temporary until the body gets used to the atopica?

 

[grzina]

Boots has been on the Atopica for a little over two weeks. I have already noticed a significant decrease in the itching. And this was only after being on the Atopica for a week. His fur seems thicker and scabs are gone. I was expecting it to take longer to see results. Now today he is back at the itching. Just wondering if this is how it goes with the Atopica--some days better than others but generally the itching decreases? Is it too early to know how he is doing? Just stick with the program and stop worrying?

 

[elflingskitten]

I don't know if this would be of any help to mom2lb by now, with this post being nearly a year old, but I was in a similar situation with our cat Jackie. She saw vets, she got shots, I tried vitamins, homeopathy, enzymes in her food, etc and nothing worked. She was miserable and I made the decision no one wants to make. I was literally calling the vet's office when I decided I would search the internet ONE more time and I stumbled onto a OTC topical I'd never heard of: Dermoscent. It was simply miraculous. After a month every scab was gone, replaced by thick, luxurious fur.
I will tell you this, though. It's applied once a week for four weeks then every other week, and don't stop or interrupt the regimen if you can at all avoid it. Dermoscent is not terribly expensive but we had a family crisis plus I lost my job, and there was maybe four to six weeks where she only got it once or twice. She relapsed, and though I'm putting it on her like clockwork now, it's not helping even half as much. I'm going to ask my vet about Atopica for her now. I hope this helps someone.

 

[jztherapist]

Another update ... after that call to vet & being advised to alternate days between Atopica & Prelone ~~ my poor LB "hit the wall" on the Atopica ... after his dinner last night, he threw up ... then he got diarrhea with bloody mucus!! I called vet this morning & he says stop all medicines for 4 days & then we will re-assess. I had just re-ordered the Atopica yesterday. I called them this morning & tried to stop the shipment, but they said it was already gone. So now they say if I don't open it, mark it "return to sender" without opening, they will be able to refund ... thank God! That stuff is uber expensive!! I'm exasperated & exhausted ... but I think vet prescribed far too much too fast .. not sure where we will go from here ... I wish I could afford the holistic vet right now!!

 

[kirikara]

Hi everyone, newcomer, just wanted to share my atopica story since I referred to this thread last year when we started it and found it very helpful to hear other cat owners experience. I have to admit it did not start well.

Cassis was miserable and had been miserable for some years with no solutions. We suspected she had eosinophilic granuloma complex, and were told she likely had some allergies/auto immune disorder that made her itch.
We had tried everything possible, including high doses of steroids (predisolone) and each time, the meds worked once, and then it came back way worse. Over the last couple years, what was originally seen as a stress related grooming habit (over 6+ years) evolved into giant red, infected sores all over the bottom of her belly. She was clearly itching and uncomfortable :-(.

We finally went to a dermatologist who suggested we try atopica. We started with the liquid, 25 mg (she was 15-16lb at the time) and not only did she hate hate hate it, she pretty much did not absorb any since it was so bitter and would make her foam at the mouth. That was a fail. We went back to a new vet, tried different things, including starting to clear up the infection that was now on her sores. Once that was done but the sores weren't going away, we decided to try atopica again, as gel caps. That worked a bit but not much. We upped the dose to 50 mg a day, and then BAM, it was a miracle.
It seems the medecine takes about a few days to a week to work (and stop working when we stop/reduce it). Cassis clearly up fully within about 4 weeks.
The meds have to be taken just after food or she vomits it and we have to give it twice a day for the same reason. She lost a lot of her appetite too but she was overeating and overweight so this actually worked in our favor. She has stabilized at a healthier weight now, after losing about 2-3 pounds.

Stopping the meds has proved to be a bit more challenging. We started reducing to every other day about a month ago, but she had more stomach issue (vomitting) and missed a dose. The sores started coming back as a result, since it meant she essentially had no pills for 4 days. We have been back on daily doses and sores have been resorbing slowly. We are hoping to reduce again soon as she has been on the meds much longer than we were expecting.

All to say, if the liquid doesn't work, try the caps. and if you are on the weight limit of the prescription, additional dose may make a difference in how it works. The timing of food seems important too for the cat to keep the medecine in(food, then meds). But I know we are pretty lucky as far as having no major nausea/diarrhea/etc issues.

eosinic