Mouth/lip Issue

[SPH169]

My cat is 5 and he had had this issue since he was a kitten. Twice a year I have to take him the the vet where he gets a steroid shot and an antibiotic due to the inflammation. It gets to a point where it bothers him so much he starts to scratch at it and it bleeds. The Vet says it's "allergies". After the shots it slowly goes away and then 5-6 months later it happens again. I feel there are better answers and I sick of giving him these shots into his body. Any ideas on what it could be?

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! I'm glad you joined the site and came here for advice.
I'm sorry about your cat's health issue that affects his mouth/lip area. Just out of curiosity, if the vet thinks he has allergies have they done an allergy test? And, if so, is there something he could take regularly as a preventative as opposed to having a flare up every 5-6 months.

 

[1 bruce 1]

At this point if he were mine, I'd be getting a second opinion or seeing if there's an allergy specialist in your area that would be able to see him. "Allergies" is a pretty broad diagnosis that doesn't help much if they can't do some testing to see what he's actually allergic to, or make sure there's nothing foreign in his sinus/mouth that would cause this to flare up. How old was he when he got his first steroid shot?

 

[SPH169]

Welcome to TCS! I'm glad you joined the site and came here for advice.
I'm sorry about your cat's health issue that affects his mouth/lip area. Just out of curiosity, if the vet thinks he has allergies have they done an allergy test? And, if so, is there something he could take regularly as a preventative as opposed to having a flare up every 5-6 months.

They want to do blood work($350 worth) to see if it shows anything, but nothing that has to do with actual allergies. The steroid that controls it during the flare up wouldn't be good as a constant medication. The Vet has never recommend anything else other than bring him in during flare ups unless I do this $350 worth of blood work that has a chance it won't have any answers.

 

[SPH169]

At this point if he were mine, I'd be getting a second opinion or seeing if there's an allergy specialist in your area that would be able to see him. "Allergies" is a pretty broad diagnosis that doesn't help much if they can't do some testing to see what he's actually allergic to, or make sure there's nothing foreign in his sinus/mouth that would cause this to flare up. How old was he when he got his first steroid shot?

He has seen 3 different Vets. All with the same answer. He was about 18 months old when he got his first steroid shot.

 

[MissClouseau]

OK first if any vet recommends an allergy test I would reject as I have heard from literally all vets I know that test isn't even reliable. Most vets don't even suggest it anymore.

If it is really allergies for now try to change everything as if he is allergic to everything in his environment. Cats can be allergic to anything humans can be including things like dust mite. I suggest getting an air cleaner with HEPA filter, that's good for us humans too. Then follow all the rules of indoor allergens. Although the location might very well be just random, since this is nose area I would first start with getting rid of everything that has a perfume including detergent + dust mite control. Also if you haven't already change the food bowl.

I say this with not nearly enough knowledge but I wonder if there can be something inside his nose, like a polyp, that gets worse from time to time, and perhaps could be seen with x-ray or something? Something to ask the vet. Even if there is there could be still allergies but maybe allergic reaction makes something worse. I have nasty allergies myself, also some eyelid issues. Normally eyelid issues aren't noticeable at all nor cause a big problem. But when my allergies get worse eyelid issues get a lot worse too.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Things like air fresheners (plug ins, aerosol, diffusers), laundry detergents, fabric softeners, carpet cleaners/floor cleaners, furniture polish, perfume, cologne, etc.
changing the food bowl is a great idea, I'd go with glass or stainless steel if you haven't already.
If it hadn't happened so many times in such a predictable pattern, I was going to suggest perhaps a spider bite, but unless that spider is long lived with an accurate calendar, it's probably far fetched.

 

[stephanietx]

Does this happen when the seasons change? Like from summer to fall and winter to spring? Also, what is he eating? Is it dry or canned? Have you tried an antihistamine?