My cat Haze (almost 5 yrs old) has skin allergies as well as food allergies. He’s been pretty level by eating Z/D dry food and wet food for about 2 1/2 years with an occasional upper respiratory infection flare up which leads to itchiness (stress!). In the past I gave him an antihistamine named chloraphenaramine which seemed to help. Most recently he had a bad skin reaction to something (unknown) and the vet had me start Atopica. Not only is it expensive, I’m uncomfortable with what I’m reading online and on this site with the long term side effects but he *has* gotten less itchy. So I thought I would trial it out for a couple of months. Anything for my baby’s comfort. Within the last week, he has developed a bump in what I initially thought was dried eye sleepies. I kept an eye on it and it turned into infected eye to which I immediately took him to vet yesterday. The spot that I thought was a plugged tear duct is what vet says is a skin ulcer. The eye has yellowish discharge so we have eye antibiotic ointment three times daily. The vet said the ointment can go on the ulcer too. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by it but it looks like it would be bothersome. Like a sore.
Here is my dilemma, I think I should stop the Atopica. It’s an immunosuppressant and if he is on it, he is likely to develop infections more quickly which isn’t good for his URI history(on lysine 1000mg daily) Hence this quick flare up of the eye. I feel the ulcer came first as the bump and then led to the eye infection. The vet thinks the drainage of the eye caused the ulcer. The eye was fine when I noticed the bump start. I’ve already called my vet once today to ask if I should do anything further with the ulcer. That’s when he said I can use the eye ointment on it too. He is a good vet. I’m not doubting that. I’m just doubting MY decision to have Haze on this Atopica medication with only one crazy skin flare up and now it’s led to this only after being on it for less than two months. I want him to be comfortable but fear it will lead to other bigger infections and side effects.
Apoquel is an alternative but is equally expensive and not fda approved for cats yet. It targets itching rather than the infectious disease process that immunosuppressants do.
I think it’s time for a dermatology vet but wanted opinions. I’m so upsettingly undecided as to what to do. It feels like whatever I choose could have negative repercussions and I just want him to be stable, happy and healthy. I sometimes feel like I don’t know the right decision to make. Do I keep him on Atopica to keep the itching at bay and deal with the flare up infections or worse side effects? Or do stop it and see how it all goes? It’s just odd to me that all was fine until that one skin flare up.
Here is my dilemma, I think I should stop the Atopica. It’s an immunosuppressant and if he is on it, he is likely to develop infections more quickly which isn’t good for his URI history(on lysine 1000mg daily) Hence this quick flare up of the eye. I feel the ulcer came first as the bump and then led to the eye infection. The vet thinks the drainage of the eye caused the ulcer. The eye was fine when I noticed the bump start. I’ve already called my vet once today to ask if I should do anything further with the ulcer. That’s when he said I can use the eye ointment on it too. He is a good vet. I’m not doubting that. I’m just doubting MY decision to have Haze on this Atopica medication with only one crazy skin flare up and now it’s led to this only after being on it for less than two months. I want him to be comfortable but fear it will lead to other bigger infections and side effects.
Apoquel is an alternative but is equally expensive and not fda approved for cats yet. It targets itching rather than the infectious disease process that immunosuppressants do.
I think it’s time for a dermatology vet but wanted opinions. I’m so upsettingly undecided as to what to do. It feels like whatever I choose could have negative repercussions and I just want him to be stable, happy and healthy. I sometimes feel like I don’t know the right decision to make. Do I keep him on Atopica to keep the itching at bay and deal with the flare up infections or worse side effects? Or do stop it and see how it all goes? It’s just odd to me that all was fine until that one skin flare up.