Kitten with Allergy Complex

[jbfromwp]

My 8 month old female kitty,Sophia, was diagnosed with Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex a few months ago. This is a type of allergic reaction. There is a tendency for this condition to occur in adolescent kittens. A few months ago I noticed that both her footpads on her left paws (front and back) were red and looked ulcerated. Her left side of her bottom lip was also red and ulcerated. I took her to the vet and he did a biopsy on them and sent it out to a dermatology specialist and they determined it was EGC. She was put on an antibiotic and special topical cream for her pads and it went away. Now, (a few months later) I noticed a small bump in her ear and her lower lip is all fat & swollen. Tomorrow I am calling the vet. Last time he told me she would probably get a recurrence. This is difficult because it is hard to determine what is causing this reaction. First culprit is usually a bug bite (Flea, mosquito,etc.) We ruled out fleas.Totally indoor cat with no scratching and no indication of fleas. I checked with flea comb. Vet also checked. Next is a food allergy. The vet mentioned he might want to start her on Hill's pea & venison allergy food. I just read that venison is an allergen and that rabbit would be a better alternative. Does anyone know anything about this? I understand that Royal Canin makes a pea & rabbit formula, and Nature's Variety Prairie Rabbit canned, and Nature's Logic Rabbit Dinner. She's currently on Felidae Dry and Nutro Max Cat wet and has been on this diet since I adopted her at 9 weeks old. Can a food allergy take this long to surface? Another possible cause of this condition could be any airborne allergen. Very hard to determine. Has anyone heard of this problem in cats? They treat this with antibiotics, antihistamines,sometimes cortisone & hormone therapy which can be dangerous and has many bad side effects. Hormones can cause diabetes or mammary cancer. I hate to even put her on antibiotics again. That can't be good for a kitten to always be on medication every few months. She is such a sweet and affectionate kitty, and I hate to see her get these outbreaks every few months. How dangerous is this syndrome? Is it life threatening? If anyone has heard of this I would appreciate any input. Thanks so much.

 

[heidinyny]

it could be food... i have been going through all sorts of frustrations trying to determine what has been setting off my kitty's allergies (her allergies manifest with scratching her ears, face, biting her paws and vomiting.) i am waiting to hear back on a 'spectrum' blood test which checks for allergies on supposedly pretty much everything... specific foods/dust, etc. my vet said that it is only a guideline, however, as the test is not foolproof, and there can be false-positives. however, whatever comes back negative on the allergy test is something the cat is not allergic to. i would talk to your vet about it. it cost me like $140 for this test. the problem is that it takes FOREVER until the results come back... ashley had the bloodwork done almost 2 weeks ago, and the results have still not come in.

 

[momto3cats]

Allergies can be so frustrating. And yes, they can appear at any age. Your kitty could be reacting to almost anything in her food or environment, but a change of food is relatively easy, so most people start with that. I recommend trying one of the rabbit-based foods you mentioned. Be sure to give it a long enough trial to find out whether it's helping - at least 6-8 weeks.

 

[jbfromwp]

We just got back from the vet and he gave Sophia a shot of cortisone and recommends Royal Canin Green Peas and Rabbit formula. Since we have two cats, the vet thought the best thing to do would be to put Sophia and Maya on this new diet. Too bad it's so expensive - $29 for an 8 lb. bag and $1.49 for the 5.5 oz canned.

We'll see how it goes...