My poor kitten who we found on the streets around 3 months of age (now over a year old) has always had eosinophilic ulcers. so we've been trying prednisone which worked like magic at first, the ulcers went away within a day or two after he getting prednisone, and now i can't even tell if it's the prednisone (oral - 5mg) that's making them go away or if it's just time because it takes forever for them to go away (3 weeks for this last one! he got one right after another) even when he's on prednisone. the vet says the next option is an injection of steroids but i really don't want to subject him to that. (and it's not a money issue, i just don't think steroids are good and am afraid of them changing him personality-wise, he's just the perfect happy cat as he is now). but the ulcers are so big sometimes (usually on his lip and spreads to his gums on the inside of his mouth - only twice on his toes) that it really looks like he's in pain and they can be bloody when he licks his lips with his rough tongue. not to mention i can't brush his teeth because his lips are so bloody and his breath and dental health have completely gone downhill. it never ceases to amaze me that when they finally heal, his lips return to their pre-ulcer state as if he never had the ulcers because when he has them, his lip gets so deformed looking that i'm always afraid it won't heal back to normal.
does anyone have ideas on what to do next? my vet also suggested a hypoallergenic diet, but i don't want to do that either (i know they're nutritionally adequate but i can't help but feel a regular diet provides more) unless necessary. what options have you tried that worked? is he doomed to this forever? he's not even 2 yrs yet, will he be suffering like this for the next 20 years?
does anyone have ideas on what to do next? my vet also suggested a hypoallergenic diet, but i don't want to do that either (i know they're nutritionally adequate but i can't help but feel a regular diet provides more) unless necessary. what options have you tried that worked? is he doomed to this forever? he's not even 2 yrs yet, will he be suffering like this for the next 20 years?