Cat's Allergy???? Please help urgent!

[zummyizhere]

Hi, I really need help from someone to identify what
is going on exactly with my cat's health and what the allergic reactions on his
skin mean. Basically, we have been to the vet about this and after spending £1000
on simple BLOOD TESTS and more in the past on other blood tests and antibiotics,
the vets have not been able to give us a clear answer on what is going on with him.
I'll give you some information about my cat, Billu, to help me figure out what he needs
and how he should be treated and how me and my family should approach his situation.
- He is around 9-10 years old now, and when he was about 5 or 6, he had a similar
allergy around his chin which was bloody as well and the vets gave us medicine and stuff
to sort it out, I'd have to ask my parents for more details on what medication he took, but
that issue was resolved then at the time.
- Around October/November 2018 he was bleeding out of his urinary area, turned out
he had a urine infection but that issue soon got resolved.
- He is a little overweight.
- I have attached a picture of what his skin looks like now and it has been developing like
this for the past few months. We have no clue as to what it is, the vet said it could be related
to diabetes or it could be skin cancer when a couple months prior they had said it was
an allergic reaction and can be sorted out with antibiotics. We tried that, it still hasn't gone away.
Now that the vets are doing a blood test, they now want extra money for a urine test to
figure out whats going on with him and obviously me and my family will pay since we
sincerely love our cat but we have no clue what is going on!
Please help us out, I'd really appreciate it!

 

[di and bob]

It looks like a severe allergy, poor little guy! I would definitely start eliminationg things in his diet first. First everything with fish, then chicken, then corn, etc. This has to be done slowly to find the culprit. It will be hard to find things that don't have these in them, try to find a no grain one and read all ingredients. There may be some hypoallergenic diets fron Science diet, etc. you may find. Keep him on them at least a week or two to see if anything improves. Unless he gets worse, then that may point to what is making him this way. It looks horribly uncomfortable! I take it they have tried like a steroid? Maybe even get permission to try allergy meds, like Chlorpehiremine, sold on Pet meds, etc, and even in the human allergy section at Walmart. You have to get from the vet or research how much to give him, mixed in a small amount of food, or hidden in a piece of bacon or cheese. Benadryl is very good, 1 mg. per lb. of cat, tabs are usually 25 mg. each, but it is very bitter and is hard to get them to take. Please keep us informed!

 

[LTS3]

There may be helpful info here:

Skin Conditions In Cats - An Essential Guide - TheCatSite

"Skin conditions in cats" is a crucial topic every cat owner should understand. Recognizing that a cat's skin, like ours, is their largest organ underpins its significance in their overall health. The role of a cat's skin stretches beyond its furry appeal. It acts as a protective barrier against...

thecatsite.com

If the current vet has no idea what is wrong, seek out a another vet. A veterinary dermatologist would be helpful. "Simple" blood work is great but doesn't always show everything. There are specific non-standard tests a vet can request when submitting the blood sample. Diabetes would not cause skin conditions.

Has a food intolerance ever been discussed or ruled out? If not, that's one place you can start. What are you feeding your cat (brand? dry or canned / wet?)? Chicken is a common cause of food intolerances and sensitivities in cats that can show up as itchy, bald, raw skin. A vet can do food allergy testing but it's not always helpful. The best thing to do is to put your cat in a hypoallergenic novel protein diet and stick with the diet for at least 13 weeks or so. If the skin improves, great. If not, try a different novel protein food and do another food trial with it. Cats can be sensitive to multiple ingredients in commercial cat food so it will take time to figure out what exactly the cat is sensitive to and what foods the cat can eat that won't trigger a reaction.

11 Key Facts About Food Allergies In Cats - TheCatSite

Is your cat behaving differently at meal times? Are skin problems or tummy troubles plaguing your furry friend? It might be a food allergy. In this article, we'll take you through 11 key facts about food allergies in cats. We'll shed light on the usual suspects behind these allergies and show...

thecatsite.com

I assume you are in the UK? We have UK members who can suggest hypoallergenic brands of food. Or take a look at what is available on Zooplus UK.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. And, OMG. Find out what your parents did the last time and try that. Then, find another vet to get a second opinion. That looks like either an allergy - maybe not even food related, but environmental - so consider that when looking through possibilities.

Steroids - just to get it under control, until you do find a solution - sounds like a way to go. He needs relief!!

It is a stop-gap, but you can try using a water/tea solution made from chamomile tea bags (standard grocery store version which is typically German - you don't want English, and you don't want any additives/flavorings). Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid, and dab it on the entire area with cotton balls or a soft cloth - several times a day.

 

[zummyizhere]

There may be helpful info here:

http://[URL]https://thecatsite.com/ams/skin-conditions-in-cats.31683/

[/URL]

If the current vet has no idea what is wrong, seek out a another vet. A veterinary dermatologist would be helpful. "Simple" blood work is great but doesn't always show everything. There are specific non-standard tests a vet can request when submitting the blood sample. Diabetes would not cause skin conditions.

Has a food intolerance ever been discussed or ruled out? If not, that's one place you can start. What are you feeding your cat (brand? dry or canned / wet?)? Chicken is a common cause of food intolerances and sensitivities in cats that can show up as itchy, bald, raw skin. A vet can do food allergy testing but it's not always helpful. The best thing to do is to put your cat in a hypoallergenic novel protein diet and stick with the diet for at least 13 weeks or so. If the skin improves, great. If not, try a different novel protein food and do another food trial with it. Cats can be sensitive to multiple ingredients in commercial cat food so it will take time to figure out what exactly the cat is sensitive to and what foods the cat can eat that won't trigger a reaction.

http://[URL]https://thecatsite.com/ams/11-key-facts-about-food-allergies-in-cats.33851/

[/URL]

I assume you are in the UK? We have UK members who can suggest hypoallergenic brands of food. Or take a look at what is available on Zooplus UK.

Hi, thank you so much for your recommendations, and yes I am in the UK. We have recently started controlling his diet more by feeding him dry food (Royal Canin veterinary diet) in the morning and wet food in the evening, we use purina perle ocean collection for his wet food. He's comfortable with about eating almost anything, but he definitely needs control with his diet. In the past and most of the time we had kept food around the house (dry food, royal canin), this was most convenient for us since we have two other cats as well but we've realised we need to control his diet since the vet did hint at diabetes, however they are unsure but they haven't given us a proper diet for him or anything! We definitely need to see a new vet. He also tends to go out a lot but the vet told us to keep him in for the next week or so since he has stitches as he has done skin and blood testing. Also, what would be in a hypoallergenic novel protein diet? Let me know! I appreciate the help

 

[zummyizhere]

Hi. And, OMG. Find out what your parents did the last time and try that. Then, find another vet to get a second opinion. That looks like either an allergy - maybe not even food related, but environmental - so consider that when looking through possibilities.

Steroids - just to get it under control, until you do find a solution - sounds like a way to go. He needs relief!!

It is a stop-gap, but you can try using a water/tea solution made from chamomile tea bags (standard grocery store version which is typically German - you don't want English, and you don't want any additives/flavorings). Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid, and dab it on the entire area with cotton balls or a soft cloth - several times a day.

Thank you for the tip, I will try that out for his allergy!

 

[zummyizhere]

It looks like a severe allergy, poor little guy! I would definitely start eliminationg things in his diet first. First everything with fish, then chicken, then corn, etc. This has to be done slowly to find the culprit. It will be hard to find things that don't have these in them, try to find a no grain one and read all ingredients. There may be some hypoallergenic diets fron Science diet, etc. you may find. Keep him on them at least a week or two to see if anything improves. Unless he gets worse, then that may point to what is making him this way. It looks horribly uncomfortable! I take it they have tried like a steroid? Maybe even get permission to try allergy meds, like Chlorpehiremine, sold on Pet meds, etc, and even in the human allergy section at Walmart. You have to get from the vet or research how much to give him, mixed in a small amount of food, or hidden in a piece of bacon or cheese. Benadryl is very good, 1 mg. per lb. of cat, tabs are usually 25 mg. each, but it is very bitter and is hard to get them to take. Please keep us informed!

We are currently controlling his diet with two meals a day, so in the morning dry food (Royal Canin veterinary diet dry cat food) and at night wet food (purina perle ocean collection), he has been having those two foods for most of his life now so we can't think as to why it would affect him now.. The last time he had an allergic reaction like this, the vet never determined the proper cause and after a few antibiotics it went away. The vets have not tried steroid, but I will definitely ask them if it is possible to get that allergy medicine and if it will work, I live in the U.K. however so we don't have Walmart here unfortunately; he has been on antibiotics and has received an antibiotic injection. If you could let me know is it a good idea to give him a bath or a shower in this state, will that be good for his allergy? If it does help for you to know, he goes outside a lot, which he has been doing since he first came into our lives but we always keep him in the backyard not the front yard as that can be unsafe. My biggest concern is if it has anything to do with his kidneys since he has had a urinary infection before, I am absolutely terrified of that being the case. Also, if you could provide me some links to hypoallergenic diets that would be good for him would be great. I really do appreciate the help, thank you!

 

[LTS3]

A novel protein is just an uncommon protein. In cat food, vension and rabbit are novel proteins, among others like kangaroo and lamb. I"m not sure what novel protein foods are available in the UK. Maybe V verna davies and mightyboosh have suggestions. Trovet is a European prescription brand you could look into: Hypoallergenic diets for cats - TROVET

The only diet needed for diabetes, full blown disease or borderline or just prevention, is low carb preferably canned / wet food. Prescription food is not needed at all despite what the vet says. Again, I'm not familiar with what brands of low carb foods are available in the UK but try looking around this web site for suggestions: Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB This thread is fairly recent: Question on Food (location: UK) | Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB

 

[verna davies]

When I had an issue with one of my cats I rung a couple of manufactures who put me in contact with their in-house vets to discuss the problems, they were extremely helpful. Dont be afraid to give them a ring, you have nothing to lose.

Have a look at Dechra and Trovet.

Cat

www.dechra.co.uk

 

[zummyizhere]

When I had an issue with one of my cats I rung a couple of manufactures who put me in contact with their in-house vets to discuss the problems, they were extremely helpful. Dont be afraid to give them a ring, you have nothing to lose.

Have a look at Dechra and Trovet.

http://[URL]https://www.dechra.co.uk/products/companion-animal/diets/cat?catage=2&specialneed=20

[/URL]

Thank you for that tip! I have given them an email.

 

[zummyizhere]

A novel protein is just an uncommon protein. In cat food, vension and rabbit are novel proteins, among others like kangaroo and lamb. I"m not sure what novel protein foods are available in the UK. Maybe V verna davies and mightyboosh have suggestions. Trovet is a European prescription brand you could look into: Hypoallergenic diets for cats - TROVET

The only diet needed for diabetes, full blown disease or borderline or just prevention, is low carb preferably canned / wet food. Prescription food is not needed at all despite what the vet says. Again, I'm not familiar with what brands of low carb foods are available in the UK but try looking around this web site for suggestions: Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB This thread is fairly recent: Question on Food (location: UK) | Feline Diabetes Message Board - FDMB

I really appreciate your help, thank you so much for the information!

 

[verna davies]

Let us know how you get on

 

[mightyboosh]

he goes outside a lot,

My Betty has a similar problem and we think it's something outside causing a reaction because it clears up when we keep her indoors for a period of time.
Our Oliver has a tummy problem which is managed well by using Hill's food. They will probably do something for the skin. Here's a link to zooplus which is the cheapest we've found for ours.

zooplus