Help Im desperate for answers

[Kittenowner2022]

hello dear catfriends,

My older kitten (now 3,5months) has a nose with almost wounds-like crusts.

First it started with a skin irritation , see pic below on the mouth part. I called the vet and it could be a possible fungus infection. My mother came with her old-school method and bought organic sint johns worth oil, since it has skin curing abilities. Starting to smear it with the fingertip we immediately noticed him starting to lick/wash it. So we decided to put a lil bit on when he sleeps, it did woke him up a few times. A couple days after we noticed, his redness on the skin on his mouth was gone. However a way more concerning “skin issue” started to form.

At first sight we thought it was a wound forming a crust which might be caused by the licking / washing the oil of of his nose.

Now about 2 weeks after this is the progress:
Nor me or the vet have no clue what this exactly is. It used to be crusted on the whole tip of the nose as you can see in the pic below. However few days ago some parts seemed to be healed, see second pic, so less crustiness.

Today near the eye it looks like a small bump wich might be another crust on its way. As if he had / has wounds wich started to heal, since those crust would appear on humans after a wound. But than how did those wounds start? By scratching? Allergic reaction? Skin disease? Fungal? 0 clue….

If someone has ideas please please let me know.

thanks in advance,

additional info: he get about 1 month virbac kitten dry feed and for about 2 months almo nature chicken kitten, tuna-chicken-cheese, grilled chicken (all from almo nature)

 

[catlikesbusiness]

It could be just an allergic reaction, maybe try to eliminate chicken and see if he gest better

 

[Kittenowner2022]

It could be just an allergic reaction, maybe try to eliminate chicken and see if he gest better

thanksvery muchfor the reply, itwould very relieving knowing what he has. Wouldnt the vet tell if it was allergic reaction?They basically3 days ago told that they are not sure and I had to keep my kitten in watch to see if it gets worse etc. If I knew 100% that he has an allergic reaction to chicken for example that would be great, atleats id know what to buy and not… now its just keep switching without knowing whats going on and keep spending.
I just wonder very similar cases with other cat owners to clarify.

 

[di and bob]

It could be almost anything, that is the problem. I would definitely change the food and see if that helps. if it is fungal you could apply a little athlete's foot cream and see if that helps. or anything used for ringworm. I would research some 'wipes' on Amazon and see if any of them can be used for a lot of different skin problems, like chlorhexidine wipes.

 

[Kittenowner2022]

So i just picked up virbac 15mg evicto selamectin for parasites etc from the de vet on their advice, in cases its parasites or flea. Maybe that might work they said nothing bout allergic.

 

[Alldara]

For food allergies, you need to NOT be feeding them the allergen for 3-6 weeks before you will see improvement with skin issues.

Just an FYI, because many people expect to see it sooner and then will switch again.

If it is food allergies, your cat might have more than one allergy, so you might have to try some different foods.

There are lots of Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) options these days, which is great!

 

[Kittenowner2022]

For food allergies, you need to NOT be feeding them the allergen for 3-6 weeks before you will see improvement with skin issues.

Just an FYI, because many people expect to see it sooner and then will switch again.

If it is food allergies, your cat might have more than one allergy, so you might have to try some different foods.

There are lots of Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) options these days, which is great!

How would be royal canin hypoallergenic

 

[Alldara]

How would be royal canin hypoallergenic

Royal Canin hypoallergenic is for people allergies to their cats.

You need to look for a food marked Limited Ingredient Diet or LID.

If that doesn't work, sometimes the vet can give a hydrolyzed protein diet. You do that for 3-6 weeks and if things clear, you then move to a novel protein LID.

To explain further, it can be tricky. Say your cat is allergic to both chicken and peas. Moving to a beef LID would solve the first but many LIDs have peas. You have to play with it but first, you must try the food for 3-6 weeks.

 

[catsknowme]

Royal Canin and other brands with limited ingredients have formulas that do not contain common allergens. Surprisingly, many cats have a "food intolerance" for chicken and fish.
Did you ask your vet about using an antifungal for your cat? Food allergies can cause yeast overgrowth. Therefore, you have 2 "battle fronts": 1) treating the skin issues and 2) investigating food allergies. Keeping a diary of what you tried, when you tried it and noting the results helps create a good base line for your vet and you.
and i know that your vet probably told you this but I am going to repeat for anyone else reading this thread: While the tea tree oil was effective, it can be toxic to cats plus the smell is irritating to the mucosa which can lead to further problems. For natural topical treatment, raw coconut oil is much safer as is diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).
Antifungal medications used for athlete's foot, jock itch and vaginal yeast infections are topical treatments that are sometimes used on cats. Using an oral medication plus a topical is considered the most effective. Your vet should know which medication to recommend for the types of yeast common to your area.
This may help your research:
Superficial Fungal Skin Diseases in Cats: <i>Malassezia</i> Dermatitis

 

[Kittenowner2022]

Royal Canin and other brands with limited ingredients have formulas that do not contain common allergens. Surprisingly, many cats have a "food intolerance" for chicken and fish.
Did you ask your vet about using an antifungal for your cat? Food allergies can cause yeast overgrowth. Therefore, you have 2 "battle fronts": 1) treating the skin issues and 2) investigating food allergies. Keeping a diary of what you tried, when you tried it and noting the results helps create a good base line for your vet and you.
and i know that your vet probably told you this but I am going to repeat for anyone else reading this thread: While the tea tree oil was effective, it can be toxic to cats plus the smell is irritating to the mucosa which can lead to further problems. For natural topical treatment, raw coconut oil is much safer as is diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).
Antifungal medications used for athlete's foot, jock itch and vaginal yeast infections are topical treatments that are sometimes used on cats. Using an oral medication plus a topical is considered the most effective. Your vet should know which medication to recommend for the types of yeast common to your area.
This may help your research:
Superficial Fungal Skin Diseases in Cats: <i>Malassezia</i> Dermatitis

Hello thanks for the reply very appreciating it.

we did spoke about it with the vet and I asked could it be a fungal infection or allergic. But they think about parasiet/flea/or mites. Today I picked up virbac evicto 15 mg pipet, i will have to put iton the neck area where my kitten can not lick. In about 1 -2 weeks it will show result ifmy kitten really has a parasite/flea/mites. If not than i will need to reach to them again.

 

[Kittenowner2022]

Royal Canin hypoallergenic is for people allergies to their cats.

You need to look for a food marked Limited Ingredient Diet or LID.

If that doesn't work, sometimes the vet can give a hydrolyzed protein diet. You do that for 3-6 weeks and if things clear, you then move to a novel protein LID.

To explain further, it can be tricky. Say your cat is allergic to both chicken and peas. Moving to a beef LID would solve the first but many LIDs have peas. You have to play with it but first, you must try the food for 3-6 weeks.

Thanks for tthe reply thanks I will look it up, im from the Netherlands so it might have a different name.

 

[Kittenowner2022]

Royal Canin and other brands with limited ingredients have formulas that do not contain common allergens. Surprisingly, many cats have a "food intolerance" for chicken and fish.
Did you ask your vet about using an antifungal for your cat? Food allergies can cause yeast overgrowth. Therefore, you have 2 "battle fronts": 1) treating the skin issues and 2) investigating food allergies. Keeping a diary of what you tried, when you tried it and noting the results helps create a good base line for your vet and you.
and i know that your vet probably told you this but I am going to repeat for anyone else reading this thread: While the tea tree oil was effective, it can be toxic to cats plus the smell is irritating to the mucosa which can lead to further problems. For natural topical treatment, raw coconut oil is much safer as is diluted Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV).
Antifungal medications used for athlete's foot, jock itch and vaginal yeast infections are topical treatments that are sometimes used on cats. Using an oral medication plus a topical is considered the most effective. Your vet should know which medication to recommend for the types of yeast common to your area.
This may help your research:
Superficial Fungal Skin Diseases in Cats: <i>Malassezia</i> Dermatitis

Also I didnt use tea tree oil, but snt johns worth oil. And would ACV be effective using it directly or diluting it with warm water, wich basically I often use on my hair after showering.

 

[fionasmom]

Dilute the ACV if you use it.

 

[Caspers Human]

Get rid of the St. John's Wort. Stop using it.

St. John's Wort can cause hypersensitivity to the sun. You're probably giving your cat photodermatitis.

 

[posiepurrs]

I am not going to be popular since I am going against prior advice. STOP all home treatments and take the vet to the vet for a fungal test. Home treatments could just be worsening the problem. This is from the aspca website about toxic plants.

 

[Caspers Human]

I have to agree. Home remedies shouldn't be your first-line treatment.

Home remedies should only be used as extra comfort measures, AFTER you have seen a doctor and only when you have discussed it with them.

First, you don't know whether some preparation you use could cause more harm than good. It might interact with some treatment your doctor prescribes, making BOTH treatments useless or even causing your cat to get even sicker.

Second, most herbal, home remedies are bunk. Few of them have been actually tested. Of the ones that have, most have either been shown to have only small effect or no effect at all. The placebo effect is the main reason why people think they work.

Dump the St. John's Wort! I knew that it causes photosensitivity but I didn't know that it's potentially toxic to cats.

If you're determined to use some home remedy, the least we should do is look it up on some reputable source like PetMD.com before going ahead. Better to ask your vet and follow their advice.

 

[niki-nicole]

We've tested all 12 of our cats for allergies with 5 Strands and have been pleased with the results. They seem to align with what we notice in their behaviors. One cat threw up a lot; turns out, he is allergic to chicken. Another has behavior problems and she is allergic to SO MUCH. Environmental, supplements common to all cat food (dry, canned, and raw), and we had to switch her to just raw chicken with just taurine added. All but two are on raw and all are eating what their allergies approve of (most turkey, 2 chicken, 2 goose, 1 quail) and they have been great! Highly recommend figuring out their allergies.

 

[Kittenowner2022]

I am reading all of it thank you, yes we already stopped using the snt johns worth oil for a while now.

If the medication gel for the skin wont work , than we willhave to adjust his diet.

 

[catlikesbusiness]

thanksvery muchfor the reply, itwould very relieving knowing what he has. Wouldnt the vet tell if it was allergic reaction?They basically3 days ago told that they are not sure and I had to keep my kitten in watch to see if it gets worse etc. If I knew 100% that he has an allergic reaction to chicken for example that would be great, atleats id know what to buy and not… now its just keep switching without knowing whats going on and keep spending.
I just wonder very similar cases with other cat owners to clarify.

I would consult another vet if I were you. The problem with allergies in animals is that there are no good methods of diagnosis, the best choice is the method of eliminating suspicious food and observing your pet - it can be helpful to set up a journal and write down observations. Hope all is well with your kitty!

 

[catlikesbusiness]

For food allergies, you need to NOT be feeding them the allergen for 3-6 weeks before you will see improvement with skin issues.

Just an FYI, because many people expect to see it sooner and then will switch again.

If it is food allergies, your cat might have more than one allergy, so you might have to try some different foods.

There are lots of Limited Ingredient Diet (LID) options these days, which is great!

Agree!!!