Multiple Allergy Symptoms. Help!

[maureen brad]

I don't know about Chem-dry but I was going to call Stanley Steamer. I hope it's similar. If he is allergic to dust mites too I can get them to steam my couch, recliner and hopefully my mattress. This should get rid of a lot of nasty stuff. I did give Huxley Zyrtech a couple of times, it didn't seem to help much but made him really sleepy. I am interested about the stomatitis part as he has had all of his teeth extracted before I adopted him. He currently has a tiny bit of inflamation in his mouth though the vet says it is not painful to him at this level. I would definitely like to keep it that way for as long as possible...forever ideally of course.
Maybe I'll try it again.It was so hard to find a new food he would eat I didn't want to put him off it by hinding pills in it though he is usually a good boy and eat whatever pill I grind in his wet food. Not pred anymore though. It made him too nauseous so now he runs away if I even try to give him anything with it in it, even sardines! I don't want to give him fish until I get the allergy test back. As you say fish and seafood are a common allergen.

No, Stanley Steamer is not like Chem-Dry. Ask Stanley what they can do to make sure nothing they put on your carpet will irritate allergies. I know about this stuff because my Husband owns a carpet cleaning company and, my oldest son had such horrific allergies when young I had to learn .
As for Zyrtec, when you used it did you use the usual dosage? The zyrtec I used was half the usual dosage and the pills almost as thin as paper.
I feed raw, but if you use canned food, look for 'Wild Calling' there are no fillers in that food, so nothing that could cause a problem. I know some have a problem with that food because it is made in an Evangers plant and in the past Evangers was in trouble for problems there but, that was cleared up and there are very few places in America where companies can process cat food, at least it is made in America,and, it is a highly reviewed food. I mentioned fish only because you mentioned sardines.Rad Cat is also a good commercial food with no fillers.
Stomatitis is so awful, my Remy also had his teeth removed, poor Remy , Lysine helped him too, but he also had feline herpes and FIV. His allergies were awful, raw food, dental extractions, zyrtec and lysine helped him, I fed him raw but it was partially cooked because of his FIV. I am sorry your sweet baby is feeling so awful. I know what it is like to be constantly trying to find the key to help your cat.As far as hiding pills, that zyrtec was so thin Remy didn't notice it. Other meds the vet said I could crush so I did and the Forti Flora successfully enticed him to eat the food,I would put the food with meds down for him to eat, he would sniff and walk away and then I would sprinkle on the Forti Flora and like magic he would eat it. I always have some on hand in case one of my cats needs medicine,as you know pilling a cat is awful.

 

[lisamarie12]

I'm sorry you are having these issues with your kitty. Allergies can be difficult to diagnose, I've been going through this with one of my cats.

You mentioned you were having the allergy tests done, sorry, I've not read through all your posts to see if those have been completed.

We had both the food and the environmental allergy panels done.

What our vet told us: the food test has a 50% accuracy result, the environmental, close to 95% or higher. If there are food allergies, more often than not there will be environmental allergies as well.

Cats (and dogs) that suffer from allergies generally have weaker immune systems. A good probiotic, so the cat can absorb more of the nutrients from food (and lessen leaky gut syndrome) may help boost the immune system somewhat.

It's possible that if a cat is allergic to a certain protein that is cooked, the cat may not have a reaction if the protein is raw, however, not always.

Common environmental allergens in cats / dogs: mite mix (dust and others), mold spores, pollens, (grasses, weeds, trees), flea bites.

Also, there are foods that cross react with certain pollens. So, if your cat tests high or low positive for e.g., birch or elm tree pollens, you would avoid carrots and potatoes. Grass: peas, etc.

I asked my vet about the reliability of food / pollen cross reactivity, avoiding certain foods if there are positive results for pollen allergies and he said most definitely, that cross reactivity between food /environment allergies is a "whole new science".

Your options for treating food / environmental allergies: even though the food panel is only 50% accurate (and there are vets who would disagree - some dismiss allergy tests entirely, calling them useless, while other vets place a higher percentage of accuracy on the food panel), you can eliminate the protein, even if only temporarily, and you can reintroduce it at a later time once Kitty's symptoms are under control.

You can use your HEPA vacuum and dust daily, while that will help, nothing will eradicate dust mites although getting rid of any carpeting or using only rugs that can be washed regularly will help cut down but you'll never eliminate dust mites.

There are different medications, e.g., Apoquel, OTC antihistamines, low dose steroids, etc. The least invasive as far as side effects: immunotherapy. Allergy shots (or sublingual therapy, both can be done at home) generally causes the least amount of stress on the immune system.

Immunotherapy can take up to a year to see effects, not guaranteed, of course.

I'm sorry you are having to go through this, I empathize, treating allergies can be complicated and confusing, however, just be persistent, work with your vet but also research on your own and work in tandem with your vet to discuss all the options.

And how confusing can it sometimes be? My cat, while he tested positive for several protein allergies, did not test positive for chicken. He did test high positive for corn (which I never fed him) but guess what? Corn is the staple of a chicken's diet, when I stopped feeding chicken, he improved, go figure. :/

Good luck to you.

 

[lisamarie12]

I know some have a problem with that food because it is made in an Evangers plant and in the past Evangers was in trouble for problems there but, that was cleared up

No - Evangers is in trouble again due to pentobarbital being found in both Evangers and Against the Grain beef dog food.

 

[huxleysmom]

I'll call Stanley Steamer and ask them what products they use. There is a Chem Dry in my area so I'll contact them too. The only thing is Chem dry won't move furniture so it may not get rid of as much dust/dust mites as Stanley since they will move them (apart from my bed).
So far the only thing he will eat is Nutro sof loaf perfect portions so I'll keep him on that. Although he has be ome more sneezy over the last 24 hours and has not eaten much this morning. I don't know if it's because he is congested and can't smell the food or if it has nothing to do with that.
I gave hum 5mg of Zyrtec a day. I had to cut the pill in half and crush it, but I have seen the smaller pills. Maybe I'll try again. With a bit of luck he'll be less zombie like next time. Otherwise it's just not an option.

No, Stanley Steamer is not like Chem-Dry. Ask Stanley what they can do to make sure nothing they put on your carpet will irritate allergies. I know about this stuff because my Husband owns a carpet cleaning company and, my oldest son had such horrific allergies when young I had to learn .
As for Zyrtec, when you used it did you use the usual dosage? The zyrtec I used was half the usual dosage and the pills almost as thin as paper.
I feed raw, but if you use canned food, look for 'Wild Calling' there are no fillers in that food, so nothing that could cause a problem. I know some have a problem with that food because it is made in an Evangers plant and in the past Evangers was in trouble for problems there but, that was cleared up and there are very few places in America where companies can process cat food, at least it is made in America,and, it is a highly reviewed food. I mentioned fish only because you mentioned sardines.Rad Cat is also a good commercial food with no fillers.
Stomatitis is so awful, my Remy also had his teeth removed, poor Remy , Lysine helped him too, but he also had feline herpes and FIV. His allergies were awful, raw food, dental extractions, zyrtec and lysine helped him, I fed him raw but it was partially cooked because of his FIV. I am sorry your sweet baby is feeling so awful. I know what it is like to be constantly trying to find the key to help your cat.As far as hiding pills, that zyrtec was so thin Remy didn't notice it. Other meds the vet said I could crush so I did and the Forti Flora successfully enticed him to eat the food,I would put the food with meds down for him to eat, he would sniff and walk away and then I would sprinkle on the Forti Flora and like magic he would eat it. I always have some on hand in case one of my cats needs medicine,as you know pilling a cat is awful.

 

[huxleysmom]

Thank you for sharing your own experience. I know that the allergy panels are not very accurate, for the food at least, but I figured it would give me some sort of a starting point. My understanding is that false positives are common, but negatives are usually reliable.
I am still waiting for the results and hopefully I'll hear from the vet beginning of next week. I will definitely ask her about adding a probiotic to his diet.
He has not eaten much this morning, and has been very sneezy over the last day. I uslally vacuum thoroughly once a week and today is vacuum day so maybe he has a dust allergy as the house must have been gradually filling with dust. Unfortunately, I live in a rental apt and it has carpet in both my living room and bedroom. I can't change that, but will have it professionally steam cleaned. I will also purchase matress and pillow covers specially made to limit dust mites if that's what the issue is.
I would really like to avoid long term steroid use if at all possible, but I am bracing myself for a long, confusing and frustrating battle with allergies.
I am gratful for this site and the amazing support I have received from everyone here.

I'm sorry you are having these issues with your kitty. Allergies can be difficult to diagnose, I've been going through this with one of my cats.

You mentioned you were having the allergy tests done, sorry, I've not read through all your posts to see if those have been completed.

We had both the food and the environmental allergy panels done.

What our vet told us: the food test has a 50% accuracy result, the environmental, close to 95% or higher. If there are food allergies, more often than not there will be environmental allergies as well.

Cats (and dogs) that suffer from allergies generally have weaker immune systems. A good probiotic, so the cat can absorb more of the nutrients from food (and lessen leaky gut syndrome) may help boost the immune system somewhat.

It's possible that if a cat is allergic to a certain protein that is cooked, the cat may not have a reaction if the protein is raw, however, not always.

Common environmental allergens in cats / dogs: mite mix (dust and others), mold spores, pollens, (grasses, weeds, trees), flea bites.

Also, there are foods that cross react with certain pollens. So, if your cat tests high or low positive for e.g., birch or elm tree pollens, you would avoid carrots and potatoes. Grass: peas, etc.

I asked my vet about the reliability of food / pollen cross reactivity, avoiding certain foods if there are positive results for pollen allergies and he said most definitely, that cross reactivity between food /environment allergies is a "whole new science".

Your options for treating food / environmental allergies: even though the food panel is only 50% accurate (and there are vets who would disagree - some dismiss allergy tests entirely, calling them useless, while other vets place a higher percentage of accuracy on the food panel), you can eliminate the protein, even if only temporarily, and you can reintroduce it at a later time once Kitty's symptoms are under control.

You can use your HEPA vacuum and dust daily, while that will help, nothing will eradicate dust mites although getting rid of any carpeting or using only rugs that can be washed regularly will help cut down but you'll never eliminate dust mites.

There are different medications, e.g., Apoquel, OTC antihistamines, low dose steroids, etc. The least invasive as far as side effects: immunotherapy. Allergy shots (or sublingual therapy, both can be done at home) generally causes the least amount of stress on the immune system.

Immunotherapy can take up to a year to see effects, not guaranteed, of course.

I'm sorry you are having to go through this, I empathize, treating allergies can be complicated and confusing, however, just be persistent, work with your vet but also research on your own and work in tandem with your vet to discuss all the options.

And how confusing can it sometimes be? My cat, while he tested positive for several protein allergies, did not test positive for chicken. He did test high positive for corn (which I never fed him) but guess what? Corn is the staple of a chicken's diet, when I stopped feeding chicken, he improved, go figure. :/

Good luck to you.

 

[huxleysmom]

I know this is supposed to take time and the symptoms won't all go away like that even if peas is the only thing he is allergic to, but this is so frustrating!
After I vacuumed yesterday his wheezing and sneezing calmed down again, but now I just woke up and he clearle spent a lot time chewing at his paw as it was all brown/bloody looking. He hadn't done that since I changed his food. Is it still the old peas working inhis system? Is it another allergy? Is it the new food?
Iam beyond frustrated with this!

 

[cheeser]

I know this is supposed to take time and the symptoms won't all go away like that even if peas is the only thing he is allergic to, but this is so frustrating!
After I vacuumed yesterday his wheezing and sneezing calmed down again, but now I just woke up and he clearle spent a lot time chewing at his paw as it was all brown/bloody looking. He hadn't done that since I changed his food. Is it still the old peas working inhis system? Is it another allergy? Is it the new food?
Iam beyond frustrated with this!

Bless y'all's hearts. I'm sorry that you and your baby are going through so much, especially all at one time.

One of our cats developed something similar to what you're describing re: Huxley's paws. In our case, it was apparently because Buddy had been dealing with so many health issues at the same time, and his immune system was simply more stressed than usual. But within 2-3 days after starting a probiotic (Proviable-DC) and upping the dosage on a couple of his FIV related supplements, his paws showed significant improvement.

Hope you get everything squared away soon, and that Huxley and you are feeling much better soon.

 

[lisamarie12]

I know this is supposed to take time and the symptoms won't all go away like that even if peas is the only thing he is allergic to, but this is so frustrating!
After I vacuumed yesterday his wheezing and sneezing calmed down again, but now I just woke up and he clearle spent a lot time chewing at his paw as it was all brown/bloody looking. He hadn't done that since I changed his food. Is it still the old peas working inhis system? Is it another allergy? Is it the new food?
Iam beyond frustrated with this!

Once you receive the results from the allergy panels you'll have a better idea of what kitty is reacting to. The allergy tests are the way to go, even if the food panel is only 50%, otherwise the guessing game is maddening.

 

[huxleysmom]

Maddening is the word! I have tried to slip some pred into his food for the first time since he's on Nutro. He started eating it, but stopped half way through. He probably smelled it and now refuses

Once you receive the results from the allergy panels you'll have a better idea of what kitty is reacting to. The allergy tests are the way to go, even if the food panel is only 50%, otherwise the guessing game is maddening.

 

[huxleysmom]

Well...I finally got the results.
Now I know that there are most likely some false positives in there, but poor baby is allergic to A LOT!
For environmental, just a couple of weeds that are present in CT, but food...oh boy!

He is allergic to:
-Soy and all legumes (including peanuts)
-Beef
-Flax
-Fish
-Chicken
-Turkey
-Barley
-Milk
-Lamb

So the plan now is to start him on pork and or rabbit. I was wondering if I could also try meats like Buffalo (Wild Calling) or is it too close to beef? Weirdly enough he has no grain/corn allergies, but I'd rather avoid them, especially corn and also egg as it comes from or feeds chickens!

Clearly, all dry food is out of the question. Can anyone recommend any wet food that has none of the ingredients above? In the wet food I think my challenge will be to find things that have no fish or flaxseed oil. So far I can only find Wild Calling (Rabbit or Buffalo) I tried the alligator and he did not even smelled it twice!

I was wondering if I could use the Evanger's Game meat, the ones that just have meat and liver, and add the proper supplements that would normally be added to a raw diet. Would that work? Raw is also an option. The problem is I go away for a month every summer and have planned for friends to come and live in my apt with Huxley while I am gone and would prefer to not have to ask them to prepare food and all.

Any food recommendations would be welcome!

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Maddening is the word! I have tried to slip some pred into his food for the first time since he's on Nutro. He started eating it, but stopped half way through. He probably smelled it and now refuses

Pred is nasty-tasting. More likely he tasted it.

You really have to hide it in a pill pocket, or in a dense treat. If they can just swallow it down without biting into it, that is half the battle.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Well...I finally got the results.
Now I know that there are most likely some false positives in there, but poor baby is allergic to A LOT!
For environmental, just a couple of weeds that are present in CT, but food...oh boy!

He is allergic to:
-Soy and all legumes (including peanuts)
-Beef
-Flax
-Fish
-Chicken
-Turkey
-Barley
-Milk
-Lamb

So the plan now is to start him on pork and or rabbit. ..

Any food recommendations would be welcome!

You could try Nature's Variety Pride/ formula: Rockstar's Rabbit. That's rabbit and pork as the proteins. Flaxseed is ninth on the list of ingredients, but like you mentioned, maybe flaxseed is a false positive. You are not going to have a ton of choices, if you want to avoid a lot of things... it's going to take time to find some foods he can tolerate.

 

[huxleysmom]

The problem is given the current allergy panel, there's not much I ca hide it in that won't cause him allergic reactions. I know some of it are false allergies, but for now, I am going to have to stick to only foods that are on the "not allergic to list. I eventually managed to get him to eat it. I just hid tiny bits of food mixed with the pred in more regular food. That tricked him :-)

Pred is nasty-tasting. More likely he tasted it.

You really have to hide it in a pill pocket, or in a dense treat. If they can just swallow it down without biting into it, that is half the battle.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Cats are too sneaky and smart for their own good!

 

[huxleysmom]

I really don't know what to do... I have found just a handful of wet foods Huxley can eat and so far he has refused to eat every single options I have given him. If I put even just the smallest spoonful of new food and try to mix it with the old, he walks away and will not eat. I need to get him off chicken! Any suggestions?

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I wouldn't mix the two foods. I have found that mixing old food that you want to wean a cat off of, with any new food you are trying, just makes the cat walk away from both.

This could take several meals, or a few days, but I suggest putting two dishes or saucers out, one with a smaller amount of his old food, the other with slightly more of the new food. Set them a few feet apart. He'll likely choose the old food for the first attempts, but keep the pattern up with successive meals. You'll still waste some food, but the point is to try to get him to associate that smell of the (newer) food with something he likes (the presence of his old food). Just keep on decreasing the amount of the old food in its saucer as time goes by, while having the amount of new food stay consistent. If he decides to try the new food, give him praises and an extra treat and set the old food out of the way during that meal to see if he continues to eat the newer food. If you get successful with that, put out his old dish empty with the next meal, with the newer food dish full, and see if he eats resigns himself to just the new food.

Ok, yes, so that over the top tedious! But in the past, I've been where you are at and, at my wit's end, I patiently tried this type of "food association by smell" thing and it seemed to work by day two (but this is because I feed my cat several smaller meals per day).

 

[huxleysmom]

Thank you for this tip! I will definitely try that! Yesterday I tried a new food (Lotus pork), and thought I had found a winner. He ate half of the portion I gave him so I went to buy new cand and he refused to eat it again! I swear this silly boy will be the death of me! I also think he is struggling with the concept of meal time. He used to have kibble so he is a grazer. I know that I should take away the food after a certain time, but if I do that in the morning, he'll only have eaten a tiny bit of food by the time I leave and will be left on an empty stomach for 8-10 hours! Is that something I can do? The vet did say that I could keep him on a low daily dose of pred for a few months without having to worry too much about nasty side effects so it takes the pressure off a bit, but I hope your tecnique will help him transition.

I wouldn't mix the two foods. I have found that mixing old food that you want to wean a cat off of, with any new food you are trying, just makes the cat walk away from both.

This could take several meals, or a few days, but I suggest putting two dishes or saucers out, one with a smaller amount of his old food, the other with slightly more of the new food. Set them a few feet apart. He'll likely choose the old food for the first attempts, but keep the pattern up with successive meals. You'll still waste some food, but the point is to try to get him to associate that smell of the (newer) food with something he likes (the presence of his old food). Just keep on decreasing the amount of the old food in its saucer as time goes by, while having the amount of new food stay consistent. If he decides to try the new food, give him praises and an extra treat and set the old food out of the way during that meal to see if he continues to eat the newer food. If you get successful with that, put out his old dish empty with the next meal, with the newer food dish full, and see if he eats resigns himself to just the new food.

Ok, yes, so that over the top tedious! But in the past, I've been where you are at and, at my wit's end, I patiently tried this type of "food association by smell" thing and it seemed to work by day two (but this is because I feed my cat several smaller meals per day).

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Thank you for this tip! I will definitely try that! Yesterday I tried a new food (Lotus pork), and thought I had found a winner. He ate half of the portion I gave him so I went to buy new cand and he refused to eat it again! I swear this silly boy will be the death of me!

omg, this has often been the story of my life, too! argh!

I also think he is struggling with the concept of meal time. He used to have kibble so he is a grazer. I know that I should take away the food after a certain time, but if I do that in the morning, he'll only have eaten a tiny bit of food by the time I leave and will be left on an empty stomach for 8-10 hours! Is that something I can do?

It's super important he can try to eat... I wouldn't leave him 8-10 hours without some food around, in this case. The pred will raise his blood sugar, and make him feel hungrier. You might have to do a wet food/ dry food combo -- trying to control the amount of dry food as best you can (e.g. limit it but have it around when needed). (Now we introduce the idea of you finding a dry food that he can eat, too, besides a wet food! Yikes. Can anyone say, I want to pull my hair out?!)

The vet did say that I could keep him on a low daily dose of pred for a few months without having to worry too much about nasty side effects so it takes the pressure off a bit, but I hope your tecnique will help him transition.

Yes, after 2-3 months of pred, the cat's body really does get acclimated to it and the importance of weaning slowly off of it when the time comes is even more necessary.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I'm sorry you are having these issues with your kitty. Allergies can be difficult to diagnose, I've been going through this with one of my cats.

...

It's possible that if a cat is allergic to a certain protein that is cooked, the cat may not have a reaction if the protein is raw, however, not always.

Common environmental allergens in cats / dogs: mite mix (dust and others), mold spores, pollens, (grasses, weeds, trees), flea bites.

Also, there are foods that cross react with certain pollens. So, if your cat tests high or low positive for e.g., birch or elm tree pollens, you would avoid carrots and potatoes. Grass: peas, etc.

I asked my vet about the reliability of food / pollen cross reactivity, avoiding certain foods if there are positive results for pollen allergies and he said most definitely, that cross reactivity between food /environment allergies is a "whole new science".

...

I totally agree with this

 

[huxleysmom]

There is no dry food that he can safely eat. Trust me, I have looked everywhere. The main problem is peas and fish. They are in everything. I leave the wet food out when I go to work. It is usually gone by the time I come back, but I am not sure how soon he eats it and if it is not full of germs by the time he gets to it.
Now the vet also suggested that I try one ingredient from the list of things he is supposedly allergic too and see how he reacts to that since he doesn't want to eat any of the "safe" foods. Some of the other foods are bound to be false positives, but I am not sure I am willing to go through difficult food transition every time I confirm an allergy.

It's super important he can try to eat... I wouldn't leave him 8-10 hours without some food around, in this case. The pred will raise his blood sugar, and make him feel hungrier. You might have to do a wet food/ dry food combo -- trying to control the amount of dry food as best you can (e.g. limit it but have it around when needed). (Now we introduce the idea of you finding a dry food that he can eat, too, besides a wet food! Yikes. Can anyone say, I want to pull my hair out?!)