My beloved cat of 14 years has lately been getting skin stuff, red areas, sores and even some deeper wounds. She spends too much time attending to these.
The vet suggested she may have become allergic to her food (precise, dry) and that I change her diet, I tried over a half dozen limited items foods, most of which she barely ate. I finely found one that see found tolerable, but not after she lost quite a bit of weight--and she was on the skinny side to begin with.
It's been a few weeks of this, and it may be too early to tell, but she still seems a wreak. Some of the skin stuff seems to be healing but there is some fresher outbreaks.
Besides that, her behavior has changed: she spends all her time outside (where before she spend at least a good portion of the day inside); when she's in she won't sit in any of her usually spots, but is sitting and lying in new locations--the kitchen table, coffee table.
I'm a bit freaked out and worried. I really wonder if it would be best to put her on the old food (even if it was partly responsible for some of her skin stuff) and just get the vet to give her steroids or cortisone, or whatever he was giving her before trying to get the bottom of her condition. After all, she's 14 and I think quality of life is more important than solving her medical mystery.
Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated. David
The vet suggested she may have become allergic to her food (precise, dry) and that I change her diet, I tried over a half dozen limited items foods, most of which she barely ate. I finely found one that see found tolerable, but not after she lost quite a bit of weight--and she was on the skinny side to begin with.
It's been a few weeks of this, and it may be too early to tell, but she still seems a wreak. Some of the skin stuff seems to be healing but there is some fresher outbreaks.
Besides that, her behavior has changed: she spends all her time outside (where before she spend at least a good portion of the day inside); when she's in she won't sit in any of her usually spots, but is sitting and lying in new locations--the kitchen table, coffee table.
I'm a bit freaked out and worried. I really wonder if it would be best to put her on the old food (even if it was partly responsible for some of her skin stuff) and just get the vet to give her steroids or cortisone, or whatever he was giving her before trying to get the bottom of her condition. After all, she's 14 and I think quality of life is more important than solving her medical mystery.
Any thoughts or advice greatly appreciated. David