Atopica for granulomatous inflammation?

[sunny578]

Hello!
I have a foster cat who came to me with a small bump at the base of his tail. The shelter vet biopsied it, and found out it was a granulomatous Inflammation. The bump has went down since Morgan arrived at my house, but is still present, so first the vet started him on a 10 day course of clavamox. When that didn’t clear things up, she prescribed atopica.

We are on day 3 of atopica, and the warnings that came in the package are making me so nervous. I don’t have any experience with this kind of inflammation. I take my own pets to a naturopathic vet, so I tend to be more wary of pharmaceuticals. The bump isn’t bothering Morgan at all and is so tiny—maybe 1-2cm. I wondering why the vet is prescribing this drug instead of suggesting some diet/environmental changes for Morgan. Does anyone have any experience with either this drug or this type of inflammation? We aren’t really supposed to question the shelter vets as they are busy and competent. But still—it feels like by giving Morgan this med, we are risking his health for no good reason.

Thank you for any thoughts you may have!

 

[white shadow]

.
Hi sunny578.

I suspect this Vet and this med are spot-on here.

The information provided about a drug in the drug package inserts can be unnerving.....but, without the bigger picture medical training and experience, most of us are not in a position to evaluate the benefit vs the possible risk involved in its use.

Here's a reliable, but more plain-language coverage of Atopica by a very well-respected Vet: Cyclosporine (Brand Name: Atopica) - VeterinaryPartner.com.

Take note of this 'tidbit' in there:

Concerns and Cautions​

It takes 4 to 6 weeks to see a response to cyclosporine in the treatment of atopic dermatitis.​

Lower your expectations for a quick-fix !

Hope that helps (in easing your mind, at least ).
.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Cyclosporine is generally a very safe drug, especially at the doses used for skin issues in cats (it is also used in humans to prevent rejection after organ transplants but the dosage is usually higher). The side effects that you’ll see on packaging inserts have to include everything including the least severe and the most rare uncommon effects possible, so reading them without context can make things seem much scarier than they are.

As for the why, we can only speculate since none of us have seen your cat. I’d definitely recommend asking your vet next time if you’re curious about why certain treatments are being recommended. These lesions can be super itchy for cats, so it’s possible your vet decided it was necessary to treat it to prevent a situation where your cat starts scratching at it. The scratching can make the lesions into big open sores in less than a day, and then they can easily get infected.

 

[neely]

I suspect this Vet and this med are spot-on here.

Ditto, I couldn't agree more.

Although not a cat, our dog was on Atopica for many years due to an autoimmune illness treated by a veterinary dermatologist. It gave him 13 more years of life and he lived to a grand old age. I agree with both of the above members that the package warnings have to include all the possible side effects.

Fingers crossed that this medication will help Morgan.

 

[sunny578]

Thank you everyone! Good to know about your dog, Neely! I don’t actually go with him to see the vet since he’s a foster cat, so I don’t have the typical interaction where I can ask questions, so this is helpful! The info online about granulomatous inflammations in cats is pretty generic too. This bump doesn’t bother him at all and has lowered in size on its own before starting the meds. Maybe I will clean up his diet even more to see if that helps too. We cut out the dry food, and he’s eating canned wellness, but I think there are still grains in that, and we haven’t tried switching up the proteins. He has the most beautiful black coat and is totally unbothered by the bump! Thank you for your thoughts!