Seeking Advice Once Declawing

ankitty

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Alas she doesn't take anything but dry food, I even tried cooking chicken etc. I had some success recently with a particular brand of wet food and their tuna flavor, I don't remember the name but it was one that did not contain chicken byproduct, which is why I bought it. She drinks a lot though, usually empties her water bowl in one or two days, so I don't believe its dehydration. The other vet gave me cortisone pills to be used after the injection wears off, I might try that, especially at present with the current situation. It may help her get through this wound phase with less itching. I try the egg thing, I never heard of that before, but it's worth a try.
There's a research on cats' water intake. Basically saying that cats need to take water from food. Even if a cat is drinking a lot of water, it's still not enough. 

http://www.catinfo.org/docs/WalthamDietaryWater.pdf

When my cats were eating dry food, they drunk a lot of water. Now I'm feeding all wet, they don't drink from water bowl anymore, but they pee a lot more, so they are definitely getting more water with wet food. 

Have you tried freeze dried raw? My cats go crazy with Stella & Chewy. Maybe you can give small amount as treat and slowly add some water?
 

snugglecat

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Also wanted to mention that if the dry food she eats has brewers rice or brewers yeast that could also be a problem for some cats. Maybe find a good grain free dry food without these ingredients in it.

I had mentioned my cat being allergic to any type of fish, she is even allergic to the fish flavored hairball stuff you give your cat.

I hope you can find a solution soon and she starts feeling better.
 

LTS3

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Have you tried Nature's Variety Instinct Limited Ingredients dry food? http://www.instinctpetfood.com/instinct-limited-ingredient-food-dogs-and-cats Might be worth trying for a few weeks. I know you said your cat won't eat canned but keep trying. Have you tried different canned food textures? Some cats will only eat pate/loaf. Others will only eat chunks in gravy.

Is a raw diet an option? There are commerical brands of raw pet foods you can feed if you don't want to make your own. Freeze dried raw is probably the easiest place to start as most brands are kibble shaped and crunchy. Some cat with food allergies do much better on a raw diet, even if it's just a partial raw diet.

I hope you will eventually find out the cause for your cat's itchiness. Ask your vet if he/she has access to VIN.com and ask other vets for an opnion on your cat's case. VIN.com is a vet only web site with tons of articles and a message board
 
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tuxedoontheloos

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When I was a teen we had an earmite infestation. All three of our cats got infested, but one, Shellfish, went absolutely crazy scratching around her ears and eyes. She scratched until she had big open wounds and continued doing so after the earmites had been taken care of. Eventually we realized that it was the itching from the scabs themselves that was driving her crazy. She had to stay supervised in an E-collar for almost six months. It would have been less, but every time she got the collar off she'd scratch her way back to square one. We added soft paws into the mix, and FINALLY we got her to heal. Though, just to be safe, the collar stayed on for several weeks until we were certain that the impulse to scratch was gone.

This was over a decade ago and Shellfish hasn't had an issue with scratching since.

The long term e-collar was a last resort for us, but it's a better last resort than de-clawing. The soft claws on their own might help.
 

sarah ann

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Allergy testing and shots are probably cheaper than surgery to declaw.

Your vet should give you antibiotic and steroid eye ointment.

In the meantime use the E Collar. Oral prednisone is safe than steroid shots.

Try adding fish oil as that helps when combined with antihistamines.

Try prescription food for food allergies. Once that is ruled out ask about allergy testing and shots.
 

detmut

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playerdark

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Thanks all, I was looking into other dry food but they all have a mixture of chicken and other ingredients except the allergy food which she doesn't really eat, so I doubt that would help with allergy. I bought some cans of Instinct food and Pride cans because they seemed to be the only brands where the cans did not contain chicken and other byproducts, but the dry food has. I can try to soften the pieces in water and see if she eats that. I know she like to sip up sauce, when I gave her fancy feast gravy she ate the liquid and left most of the meat pieces behind. I cooked a chicken once but she didnt touch it. Maybe I should try some beef instead, perhaps boil it until it falls apart and serve in the water it boiled in or so. Currently I give her Blue Wilderness, Eukanuba Hairball Control and Fancy Feast.

She has a collar right now so she cant scratch, but I ordered the nail covers from Amazon for now, will put them on before I remove the collar.

She seemed to have developed a severe sideeffect to the Gentak eyedrops the doc gave me. I think it hurts her eyes, she is very agitated when I put them in, closes the eyes, the ears twitch. This wasn't so the first days, got worse over the past two. It's Sunday now and I started giving them on Wednesday. I think her eyes look ok, no discharge, no squinting so I think she may not have an infection (anymore) but I wanted to keep on giving her the drops for a week in order to not develop resistant bacteria, but with the sideeffect as they are now, I really don't want to continue. I will call the vet tomorrow and ask his opinion.
 
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sarah ann

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You really want to keep her on just one food. No treats or other foods. For at least three weeks although some cats need up to five weeks to show a difference. Nature's variety limited ingredient is good.

But this could also be an allergy to something in the environment such as dust mites, mold or pollen. In that case you need to clean your house really well, dust, vacuum, clean mold from the bathroom walls etc.

If anti histamines don't help and the food doesn't help than you probably will need to do allergy shots.

Strict flea control is needed with revolution. Otherwise your cat can be allergic to fleas.

After you finish the food trial try adding fish oil capsules.
 

cheylink

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  Hi again.............sorry to hear she is still having so many problems. I have to tell  you again, my kitty Maia had very similar problems for a couple years. She had a few severe bacterial skin infections, even contracted ringworm one season and for the life of me I have no idea how! She would have runny eyes, itchy ears, sometimes develop scabby patches  between her eyes and ears.

       a few things made the difference for her.....................

     # keeping bowls, dishes , whatever she eats and drinks from cleaned on a daily basis is very important.  

     # Spring water or if tap water must be boiled down and chilled 

     # A humidifier in the winter months, this is MAJOR! When temperatures drop and heat comes on, the extreme dry air exasperates the itchy, scaly scabby skin irritation.

     # After 2 years of skin problems I added probiotics to her diet. I started her on a powder form specified for small animals added to her wet food dinner, only wet food meal of the day. When they discontinued those probiotics I tried to put her on another that was really for humans but I had researched and safe as long as given according to weight, and she had a completely different side effect which was black scab patches on her gum line. As soon as I stopped giving her that, symptoms went away.

     # this is when I found Pet Naturals Of Vermont......http://www.chewy.com/cat/pet-naturals-vermont-daily-digest/dp/35072

       She wont eat it as a treat, so I cut it up and mix it in with her once a day wet meal. This has made the biggest difference! Please read the link connected.

      I had a vet tell me that this wouldn't make that much of a difference, after she stuck a steroid/antibiotic injection in her neck, without explaining to me what she was giving her and I later found out could cause cancer if given repeatedly

       If u have any pictures of skin irritation you can post it may help.

      If u want to PM me, please do! Maia has never been healthier and skin infection free for 2  years, which is 8 seasons, huge for her!
 

reba

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Playerdark,  a lot of the cats in shelters are there because of the behavioral problems that develop after declawing.  So just in terms of risk/reward, you're taking a significant chance you'll going to end up with more problems instead of less.   You are cutting the cats 'fingers" off at the first joint.   Plus you have an older cat, that is already stressed from itching, so I think that makes it even less likely that she'll adjust. 

I don't want to lecture you, I would like you to take some time to educate yourself about declawing with an open mind.  The documentary "Paw Project" is on Netflix right now and, while it may be tempting to dismiss it as propaganda, it really is very informative and not the least bit over the top or gory.  Or just check out the website. 
 
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nebula

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"Paw Nation" is on Netflix right now and, while it may be tempting to dismiss it as propaganda, it really is very informative and not the least bit over the top or gory.  Or just check out the website. 
Great documentary. But at least in the US the title is "The Paw Project" :)
 

jamiep

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My cat also has a food allergy, though I don't think it's as severe as yours - she can eat wet food fine, but for some reason every type of dry food (bar "Sensitivity Control", which we get from the vet) causes her to scratch herself until she tugs out big tufts of fur. 

Don't know if this'll help but perhaps Sensitivity Control might work for you? Don't know how available it is, but it comes in both dry and wet food. It's damn pricey compared to everything else but it's worth it just so she doesn't scratch huge bald patches into herself :S
 
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playerdark

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Thanks I check the food add on and will get a bag and see how she's doing. I dont really think it's a skin problem at this point. I open another thread with the latest development
 

dinana

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1. Yes, "declaw" has become a 4-letter word. But there are health reasons, life & death reasons for some owners, so don't reply with your anti-declaw rhetoric to this post. There are different procedures; guillotine (avoid it), cosmetic (curved scalpel-does not remove any part of the paw like the guillotine does) and laser. Yes, laser is the most expensive, but the most humane and safest. All of my cats have been declawed for my medical necessity and since 1977, not one of my angels had a problem.
2. Yes, your cat will try to scratch the itch some other way, so it is important to find the cause ... Spend s few days on the Internet and on the phone; find your closest expert.
3. Have you tried Gluten Free cat food?
 

nebula

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1. Yes, "declaw" has become a 4-letter word. But there are health reasons, life & death reasons for some owners, so don't reply with your anti-declaw rhetoric to this post. There are different procedures; guillotine (avoid it), cosmetic (curved scalpel-does not remove any part of the paw like the guillotine does) and laser. Yes, laser is the most expensive, but the most humane and safest. All of my cats have been declawed for my medical necessity and since 1977, not one of my angels had a problem.
 
What source are you using to say that there are health benefits and "life or death" scenarios where declawing is essentially.  NONE of the declaw methods are "HUMANE". Every single one of them (including laser) remove the claws- and the first knuckle. 

I would like to see your evidence (backed up scientifically from a reputable source) saying that declawing is a health reason. Short of extreme injury to the paws , I can not see any reason declawing is considered  medical necessary. Personal experience 'i.e "My angels have not had a problem" is not a reputable source. 

Furniture and humans being clawed is NOT a reason. Cats can be trained, and there are paw caps (soft paws)

Be warned, TCS does not promote declaw and is in fact an anti-declaw site.
 
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pushylady

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A reminder from our rules:
This website is anti-declawing. Understand that if you are pro-declaw in your posts, you will encounter opposition. Please learn more about alternatives for declawing here in our forums as well as on our website itself. http://www.thecatsite.com/a/declawing-more-than-just-a-manicure
Which is not to say that discussions about declawing aren't allowed, but this isn't the place for someone with a pro-declaw agenda.
 

reba

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I don't think I'd put the declawing debate in the which way do you hang the toilet paper roll, I'd put it more in the female circumcision category - something that may be culturally acceptable, but is viewed as barbaric once enough people are educated on the subject.

 Have you watched the paw project? 

I fail to see how cutting off my fingers at the first knuckles with a laser is more humane than with a sharp surgical instrument.  The damage done by declawing isn't a result of what method they use - it's a result of the crippling nature of cutting a cats fingers off at the knuckle. 

And who are you kidding, most cats are declawed because people think it's a harmless way to save their furniture.  Vets don't disabuse them of that notion. 

And if you need to declaw a cat to preserve your health you just shouldn't get a cat.  It's really that simple. 
 

nebula

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And if you need to declaw a cat to preserve your health you just shouldn't get a cat.  It's really that simple. 
Very well put. The little research I have done on "medically necessary" reasons, all fall on the human. I even found one lady who claimed she bled easier due to diabetes, so a scratch could literally kill her. I highly doubt that, and there are soft paws to prevent that. If your health is that jeopardized by a cat- don't get one, it is that simple.
 
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