Cutaneous asthenia (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome)

[liddle_spiders]

I wanted to update on using the Seresto collar - it didn't work. His skin is so delicate that it ended up cutting into his neck badly after only a couple of days and he had huge sores that took a while to heal. It might work for some EDS cats, but I think he was kicking at it too much.

Incidentally, he's not the only one who got sores from the collar. We've had a few of our normal cats get nasty neck wounds after just a few days of it being on. (Vet visits for them all, with a round of steroids and antibiotics clearing things right up.) However, tried on some of our other cats they've been incredible and all of the ones we bought are in use happily, just not on the cats we were planning to use them for!

 

[xCarrieHx]

Hi, my cat Flint has EDS, he was diagnosed about a year and half ago, he’s 2years old now and doing well, some cuts but we manage the condition with T-shirt’s and keeping his claws clipped. I know this is an old thread but thought I would update it in case anyone else’s pet gets diagnosed and are looking for info or if anyone on this thread needs advice. There is a Facebook group called animals with EDS so not just cats either.

 

[Stargirl0623]

I'm not sure how relevant this is, but I have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome myself and can vouch for it being a systemic disorder that's rather unpredictable in how it impacts body systems; I don't think I know two zebras who have symptoms that line up the same, and various symptoms do wax and wane over time!

The good news is, most forms of EDS aren't ones that impact lifespan in either species; there's been significantly less research in how it manifests in animals vs humans, as it's a fairly rare disorder, but that seems to be similar. Skin symptoms are often the most noticeable, but joint pain and injury is common, and increased joint laxity can easily cause chronic fatigue. In humans, it's also very common to see co-morbid digestive issues, immune system irregularities, and autonomic dysfunction. Possibly this would be something to be aware of, when dealing with a cat who's got a similar condition? Skin and joint symptoms are the most visible by far, but collagen is pretty much everywhere in the body and it's surprising what an EDS diagnosis can help make sense of.

Fingers crossed you can find helpful strategies to prevent your fur babies from injuring their skin! Even as a human who's fully aware of the disorder, it's a struggle a lot of the time, haha.