Rant Letter

[melontine]

I'd like to apologize in advance, I'm just... Upset and my young cats health is at the root of my frustration. If this isn't suitable for this forum, I understand, it's fine if it's just deleted or ignored. I'm dealing with this the best I can and it's working out I guess, I adore my cat and just want to take care of her the best I can, and I will. Advice, questions, opinions, it's all appreciated, I'm tired of trying to deal with my cat's uncooperative health myself.

Dear someone,
I sincerely hope that you will be able to help me. I've been so frustrated and upset, constantly feeling like I have no clue what to do or where to turn. I feel like I'm going to go insane. Every month I face my adorable ball of orange fluff, and find her skin broken and bleeding for no apparent reason. She greets me the same as ever while I look on in horror as my adorable and cuddly zombie cat tears new painful holes in her skin while I am powerless to help her get better.
I have a cat, her name I Suki. Her estimated birthdate is June 10th 2016.
I got her when she was around three months old, she came to me from a cat hoarder. She was covered in fleas, infested with ear mites, and had an upper resperatory infection. I brought her to a vet and had her treated, vaccinated, and later on spayed.
Not long after her first or second vet appointment, I noticed something else, she started having sores around her neck.
Everyone beleived it was an allergy, so I switched foods, changed flea prevenatives, changed cat litter, used ceramic instead of plastic dishes, got completly free of fleas and other inscects, moved accross the country, and still nothing changed.
We could treat it, we'd medicate her for whatever symptoms she had (sometimes the sores would switch, from her neck to the pads of her feet, or bald patched on her hind legs, or any number of odd places).
Every month it would return like clockwork. And here I am stuck treating the symptoms without knowing what the hell is wrong with my cat.
"Milairy dirmatitis" Fancy word for flea allergy. She's been free of fleas and on the best prevenatives I can afford for over a year. Could it be another allergin? Certainly! Please, be my guest, tell me is my cat allergic to humans? Dust? Herself?
"Autoimmune disorder" Words like that get thrown around every now and then but no one wants to actually diagnose it.
I'm so angry and frustrated as I take her to multiple vet clinics, and am left feeling brushed off and ignored. All I want is for my cat to be healthy and stay that way.
Most recently, I moved again. Her sores came back of course, so I brought her to the local vet as soon as I could. But they couldn't treat her, they had no clue what my previous vet was using to keep her "allergies" under control. It wasn't in her records and they never bothered to tell me even when I asked. They gave me some vitamins and I tried that, it had no effect and now my cat is looking so much worse now. I called the old vet and got an answer from them finally, and made another appointment. Now I have to wait for that day to come and I'm so sick of it all.
I need help getting my cat the help she needs. I don't know what to do, I don't this is fair. I take her in for a shot she hates every month to keep her from hurting herself and I don't even get to know the exact reason why? Why can't any of the five veteranairy offices I've been to tell me? Where can I go to find out? What do I need to do? What can I do?

-A distressed pet owner

 

[catsknowme]

Oh dear! What an awful situation - poor Suki! I am at a loss as to why this is going on but I can commiserate because I have an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder(s) myself. So like yourself, I am treating symptoms with a basic antibiotic and herbs and strict diet. My only suggestion is to look into alternative medicine and try to support Suki's system in reducing her flare ups. For immediately relief, you could try using cold-pressed coconut oil on her sores.
My first success with coconut oil on a cat was a semi-feral who had been attacked by raccoons. She had open wounds that would not heal despite several prescription ointments and two oral antibiotics. Several weeks of this later, I was trying to scoop out coconut oil on a cold morning and a chunk went flying off onto the floor. The cat immediately went over and ate it! So I applied it to a test spot next to her ear, on the top of her head. She did not object like she did with the latest ointment - it seemed to give her immediate relief. I called the vet and she assured me that coconut oil is fine for cats, if they will accept it. She did remind me to continue with the full treatment of oral antibiotic. I reapplied it at bedtime and fed her more coconut oil off my finger as well. In the morning, the angry, bloodied sore was skinned over and by the next bedtime had begun to grow fuzz so I applied it to the other spots on her body. I had the same success.
I have also had success with cats and slippery elm, red raspberry leaf and marshmallow root - my vet was raised on a ranch in Washington state and her family used alot of herbs so she is as familiar with their uses as I am. My dad was big on traditional medicine because his family members were healers. Hopefully, you can consult a holisitic vet or herbal practitioner and get their take. It could be that your latest vet is open to researching alternative treatments. Until then, you might try discontinuing her flea prevention and opt for salting the carpets and doing warm saltwater flea combings and see if that helps.
I will be following your thread with great interest! Sending prayers and vibes that your precious Suki gets relief soon

 

[mservant]

This all sounds awful M melontine , it must be really hard seeing your cat in pain like that. I hope you do manage to find out the cause, and a treatment to resolve this.

Do you have an photographs you could share so other members can see a little of I Suki's skin? It might help find someone who has seen something similar.

 

[vyger]

One possibility that I noticed has not been mentioned and that is mange. Mange is caused by a mite that burrows into the skin and lives there. It causes extreme itching among other things. While it is mostly found in dogs and is not that common in cats it does happen and considering the conditions that your cat came from it could have a mange infection that has been mild but persistent. The treatments that your cat has been getting would likely help with the symptoms in giving some relief but it would never cure it. Like head lice in people mange can only be cured with an insecticide that penetrates the skin and kills the mites. They have to be bathed in the solution. I had a dog that picked up mange once and I had to soak her in a tub of solution to cure it. You have to wear rubber gloves and you have to get the dosage right since to strong a solution can harm the animal. It is poison after all. But have them check for mange.

Cat Mange and Scabies: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

After reading through this it looks like there are multiple treatment options besides the shampoo and dip.

 

[catsknowme]

Good point, Vyger! I had a FIV+ semi-feral who had chronic URI. She got the mange that comes from bird mites - I allow my hens to free range in the daytime and the cat was very fond of hanging around them. I dusted them all with diatomaceous earth. That was not the other mange, however, that requires the chemical dips.

 

[vyger]

Good point, Vyger! I had a FIV+ semi-feral who had chronic URI. She got the mange that comes from bird mites - I allow my hens to free range in the daytime and the cat was very fond of hanging around them. I dusted them all with diatomaceous earth. That was not the other mange, however, that requires the chemical dips.

The other articles I read through bring out that many vets haven't had experience with mange because it's somewhat rare in cats. Country vets might recognize it but city vets may never see a case of it.

 

[Norachan]

Have any of the vets ever done a skin scraping? They take a sample of skin cells from one of the itchy places and look for scabies, mange, lice etc under a microscope.

Do you have any similar symptoms yourself? Conditions like scabies and mange can be passed on to people.

One of my cats is very sensitive to insect bites. Just one bite from a flea or mosquito can cause her to scratch herself raw. We found steroid tablets very helpful in getting her itching under control.

Please keep us updated, I hope you find something that works for Suki.

 

[di and bob]

I would definitely start with discontinuing any and all flea treatments, they themselves have put sores on my cats. What are the shots your cat is receiving? My cat received Prednisone when he developed a terrible, itchy, problem that resulted in sores and pulling all his hair out. If it isn not Prednisone try that. I would recommend a skin scraping too, by someone who is skilled at figuring something like this out. You might ask your vet if it is possible to send a skin scraping or a microscope slide to an expert on skin conditions somewhere else in the country. You have to find out what it is to know what course of treatment to take. It sure sounds like some kind of allergy to me, most likely food. Check all the ingredients carefully in all the food you give and ANY common ingredients switch to something else. It could be the preservative, or a million other things. If it is autoimmune, have they tried anything for that? any kind of allergy meds? Cats can take Benadryl, I have given it for allergic reactions to bee stings. I have also given Claritin an allergy med. I feel for you and your little one, it is very frustrating to watch helplessly while they hurt.

 

[cat princesses]

I know how you feel. My one cat has severe allergies and it's been a journey. I ended up taking her to a dermatology specialty center for animals and they tested her blood and she is allergic to dust mites and storage mites. We used steroid pills and also a medication called atopica which isn't cheap but it really helps. I went ahead and did the skin prick inter dermal test which she had to be sedated for - they test for 40-50 environmental allergens and then mixed up a vial to inject her 1x per week for at home allergy shot treatment. It could be food related with your kitty, could be the type of litter you are using, household cleaning products. I would stop if you burn candles at home, air freshners, plug in freshners of any type and don't use any cleaning products with 'ol at the end most are harmful to pets and can trigger sensitivities. You could try a hydrolyzed diet and see if that helps but usually you need to be strict and be on that for at least 30 days before you'll see if it's helping or not.
I was feeding the wild calling brand wet cat food, they make a lot of unique protein foods that are very helpful for allergy sensitivities. I know they went bankrupt but they are back in business now under new ownership, stores should be getting inventory in shortly.

 

[melontine]

Thank you for all the varied responses, they've been really helpful. I'm going to try answering questions as best I can.

The first vet did a skin scraping when she was still a kitten, they said they didn't find anything, but I might try again at a different vet just to be sure? That was about a year and a half ago.
I haven't had any issue myself and neither have any of the other animals in the household so I don't think it is anything contagious like that, but it's worth a second look.

We were using Prednisolone for a while, we had it mixed with corn syrup and given orally. After a while it started becoming less effective. We tried Atopica for a short time, but it had no effect on her. I then we switched vets because they didn't think they could do anything more for her.
The vet I was going to before I moved was giving us something called "depo"? I'm unfamiliar with it and googling it brought up a couple results so I'm not sure exactly which one they gave her. They gave it to her once a month, and when it was real bad they'd give her another shot they said would help her heal faster.

I'll keep looking into things, I'm going to try and find a place to maybe do an allergy panel test, just to rule out the more common allergens at least.

Here are pictures, I saw that someone asked. These first three are old, each happening at different time periods.

And these last four are from today.

 

[mservant]

Oh, poor little I Suki. She is so good allowing you to hold and look at her skin and fur when it is so painful, and to take photos of her.
I hope the pictures do look familiar to someone and perhaps trigger ideas.
It has to be worth while trying further skin scrape and allergy testing.
I Suki is very lucky being with such a caring person who is keeping on asking for help and trying to find ways to get her better.

 

[maggiedemi]

I was wondering if it might be mites too.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Inhalant allergies can manifest on the skin in cats. Environmental things like seasonal pollens, dust, mold/fungi can be causes. It can cause very itchy skin around the face, neck, legs, paws. Working with food sensitivities/allergies, or litter allergies, helps, but sometimes what's in the outdoors around your home just cannot be gotten rid of. My cat reacts with some allergic symptoms but also asthma coughing/attacks during particular seasons of the year especially -- like now: the alder tree pollen, the birch pollen, honeysuckle bushes, and who knows what else, are all "exploding" outside of our windows since it is springtime. All of these affect my cat. She uses Flovent, and a small bit of Prednisolone (a steroid), daily during this time of year.

Sometimes, too, it is things you don't really think about... like a cleanser you might use to clean a litter box. For a while, we used a 'Formula 409' spray to wipe clean the bottom of Milly's box during daily litter box upkeep (I admit this much to my chagrin, as I should have known better). Sometimes what is right in front of us could be something that is causing itchiness in our cats. Milly had itchy paws and licked her paws frequently. That usually signals a food allergy/sensitivity, but I decided to switch that cleanser to using Seventh Generation all purpose cleaner (much safer for pets), and she no longer has her paws itching or bugging her. It's one less obvious inhalant that was in our house that could be bugging her too.

I'd definitely recommend a visit with another vet to get multiple skin cultures/ scrapings again, too , like others have suggested. If you did them only a year and a half ago, it's definitely time to try again, in my view.

My best to Suki and to you!

 

[cheeser]

Ouch, that looks painful, and a little familiar. My heart goes out to you and your furbaby. *hugs you tight*

In our case, it turned out that our cat had developed some food allergies that manifested as fungal/yeast infections on his skin (as well as in his ears, and around his nails and paw pads), and a flea allergy that caused his immune system to go haywire make his body attack itself. And because Buddy is FIV+ and almost always sick with upper respiratory infections and whatnot, his immune system was pretty screwy to start with.

The vet prescribed Veraflox for the infected wounds where Buddy had scratched himself raw, but it seemed to be taking forever to notice a discernible improvement. So with our vet's blessing, we started slathering Manuka honey on the open sores as we waited for the antibiotics to kick in, and thank God, Buddy finally turned the corner and started to get better. He's still not 100% 'cured', but we're learning how to at least manage his symptoms.

I hope you can find a vet that can figure out what's causing Suki's problem, and get her started on the appropriate treatment. Wishing y'all all the best, and real soon!

 

[dustydiamond1]

Thank you for all the varied responses, they've been really helpful. I'm going to try answering questions as best I can.

The first vet did a skin scraping when she was still a kitten, they said they didn't find anything, but I might try again at a different vet just to be sure? That was about a year and a half ago.
I haven't had any issue myself and neither have any of the other animals in the household so I don't think it is anything contagious like that, but it's worth a second look.

We were using Prednisolone for a while, we had it mixed with corn syrup and given orally. After a while it started becoming less effective. We tried Atopica for a short time, but it had no effect on her. I then we switched vets because they didn't think they could do anything more for her.
The vet I was going to before I moved was giving us something called "depo"? I'm unfamiliar with it and googling it brought up a couple results so I'm not sure exactly which one they gave her. They gave it to her once a month, and when it was real bad they'd give her another shot they said would help her heal faster.

I'll keep looking into things, I'm going to try and find a place to maybe do an allergy panel test, just to rule out the more common allergens at least.

Here are pictures, I saw that someone asked. These first three are old, each happening at different time periods.
View attachment 224831View attachment 224832 View attachment 224833



And these last four are from today.

View attachment 224834 View attachment 224835 View attachment 224836 View attachment 224837

Oh your poor sweet baby, and poor you! Keep us updated!

 

[laura mae]

Aw, poor baby. I would second the coconut oil at least for some temporary relief. Maybe consider trying it in a spot that can't be licked off, to see how it may heal the wounds. My old fella Scooter had a hot spot on his side that he would not leave alone for the longest time. We tried so many things. The vet had an ointment that was flavored with something unpleasant and bitter so he wouldn't lick it off. He also got some anti-anxiety medication too (which I didn't use for long). I even put him in an infant t-shirt to keep him from licking the area. That ended when I found it in the litter box.

Something is clearly making her skin itch or crawl and she's biting at the sensation. Once the skin is raw, it's going to itch and so it is impossible for her to stop. I personally have very sensitive skin (eczema my whole life and I'm 57 now). When I was young, I could not stop scratching and once the skin is broken the itching feeds on itself. I will personally vouch for the blessed relief that coconut oil can bring at least to human skin! Maybe it does work on a kitty too. That said I think I've read somewhere that you probably don't want to let a cat lick off too much coconut oil because of some sort of digestive disagreement (I can't remember what though).

Weird stuff that personally makes me feel like there are bugs walking across my skins: Softsoap. Softsoap is the evil worst. And Pantene shampoo. I say that just in case your kitty is similarly wired. Silly maybe, but worth a mention

 

[maggiedemi]

Has your vet ever tried Frontline Plus or Revolution? Those are the 2 that I know of that kill mites that can cause mange. Also, I would make sure she is de-wormed.

 

[melontine]

Suki had been dewormed when she was younger, recently she had a tapeworm (I think from eating raw meat or a stray flea, I found her playing with a dead mouse not long before I found the tapeworm segments in her stools) so we went in for that about two-three months ago and they did a fecal exam there and found nothing else. We use revolution now, since we found that works better for fleas than frontline. I can take her off it for a bit and see if that helps, it's still snowy where I live now so I doubt there are too many parasites about. I didn't know that took care of mites too, that's good. I only got it to prevent fleas.
She's an indoor only cat, and has been since I got her. My next vet appointment is on Monday, she'll get the depo shot and I'll ask them more questions and see if they can help me figure this out.

 

[maggiedemi]

Well, it must not be mites then if she's on Revolution. That sucks, I thought I had it solved for you. I hope you can figure out what is causing it.

 

[melontine]

Hello, it's been almost a week since my last post.
I figured I'd post an update,
She was given the shot and her sores have healed up. The vet doesn't believe this is the best solution, as the shot she needs could cause some adverse effects after prolonged use. I asked about allergy testing and found a clinic about an hour and a half from where I live who can do it. I'll make an appointment there and hopefully get some answers.
I'm a bit nervous, keep wondering what if I can't afford it, or what if they find nothing. But I won't know until it's done.