Vibes for Spencer please!

[goholistic]

 
I sure hope so. I love my baby boy so much! He's my first boy kitty and truth be told, I love my girls a whole lot, but Spencer is my secret favourite. I know we aren't supposed to have favourites, but I think it's because when he lets me, he lays cradled in my arms and lets me rub his tummy for as long as I want.

  Which I admit is usually once or twice per day if he gets close enough for me to grab him

We say we're not supposed to, but sometimes we can't help but have a favorite.

  Sebastian is my favorite and he's the one with the most medical issues lately, so I know exactly how you feel. If Spencer is frisky, that is a great sign that he is feeling better!  

 

[natalie_ca]

Tomorrow I take Spencer in for a follow-up. He hasn't let me look in his mouth. To be honest, I haven't tried very  hard because I'm afraid of what I might see   The facial swelling on the right side has gone away completely though. 

However, on Tuesday, on the same side, just under his chin I noticed a hairless patch. Not sure if Abby or Katie scratched him (Katie tends to bunny kick), or if it was self induced trauma when he was scratching. He's had similar before, only they tend to be on his cheek near his whiskers. In January on the right side, and then again after I noticed his facial swelling and booked a vet appointment,  a few days later he got one on the side of his facial swelling, again by his whiskers.

I'm going to start clipping hind nails too, just to be safe.

 

[natalie_ca]

Update on Spencer

He saw the doctor today. His mouth is looking so much better. There are still issues though.  2 weeks ago the entire inside of his mouth on the right side was blood red and oozing pus. Today it is a moderate pink and the skin has thickened.  There is no drainage and he wasn't flinching when she was examining him. Basically things have improved but we aren't where we need to be.

The plan is:

1. Another 2 week antibiotic injection

2. Transition him to a hypo-allergenic diet (veterinary dd diet). Because I free feed dry and my cats tend towards nibbling, even their wet food, I have to do the diet for all 3 cats

3. Follow-up with the vet on October 12th.

4. Continue the diet for at least 3 months, with monthly visits to the vet to check on his progress

After that we'll look at a biopsy and prednisone if things don't improve.

I also have to stop using a plastic dish for their food. Get rid of the water fountain because it is plastic (not that they are using it, they prefer the small glass bowl in the bathroom).

Spencer was such a good boy at the vet today.

I'll update this thread as needed. Hopefully it will help others who might be experiencing something similar.

 

[goholistic]

"Better" is certainly great news! 

I do wonder about the two-week antibiotic injection. They can be pretty harsh on the system overall, especially if it's Convenia, which I avoid. Does the vet still suspect a bacterial infection?

Sounds like you're working effectively with your vet to figure this out and are heading in the right direction. Another thing you may want to change if you haven't already is the type of water. If you're using tap water, you could try purified water or spring water (from the large gallon jugs).

Mouth issues are so frustrating. Continued vibes for Spencer! 

 

[angels mommy]

Hi Natalie, I'm just seeing this thread. I'm glad Spenser is better. I pray his progress continues!  Yes, good to get rid of the plastic. I did that a long time ago, & Angel's chin acne went away, all but an occasional break out, then Laurie told me to also get rid of the plastic placemat & he has never had it sense!!

 

[natalie_ca]

She said there is an underlying issue with an infection on top.

 

[jcat]

She said there is an underlying issue with an infection on top.

Meaning allergy-induced itching, and his scratching caused an infection? That sounds logical. :cross: that the infection clears up completely this time, and that the special diet and no plastic help.

 

[natalie_ca]

Meaning allergy-induced itching, and his scratching caused an infection?

I'm not sure.  The issue was inside his mouth, not on the outside that I could see, at least not initially.

In January he had a lesion on his left cheek behind his whiskers. There was no swelling. I figured he and Katie were wrestling and she bunny kicked him and gave him a war wound.

This time around I noticed the swelling on the right side of his face, and then a few days later, he had a wound on his cheek behind his whiskers. It looked the same as the one in January. Again, I figured a squabble or rough play.

On Tuesday this week, he had another of the same, on the right side (the side where the swelling was). but under his chin instead of behind his whiskers on his cheek. It looked the same, but now I was thinking was this trauma from playing, or self induced from scratching.

She said that after we've tried the food diet for a few months, if there still shows an issue, then she recommends a biopsy. She said that cancer is pretty low on the scale because of his age, but it is possible that there could be lymphocyte cells (not really sure what the significance of that is); when said that that would indicate cancer, she said "not really."  Then she went on to explain. To be honest, I was rather tired today when I went, and my brain was foggy from lack of sleep and worry, that I really didn't grasp that part.  I figured we would do the diet, and then talk about other stuff later on if the diet and the extra antibiotic doesn't clear up the issue.

I took all of the old food way, vacuumed the floor so that he can't get even a morsel of the old food, and tried them all on a can of the dd duck flavour.  Spencer loves it, and Katie doesn't seem to mind it either.  Abby on the other hand went and sniffed a few times, but didn't eat.  So I'll keep an eye on her and she what she does. I may have to feed her a can of Friskies separate from the twins and hope she starts to at least eat the new dry that I free feed.

 

[natalie_ca]

Just updating.

It's been 2 weeks since his last visit to the vet, and trying to switch him and my other 2 to the hypo-allergenic food.  It hasn't gone so well with the food switching.

Initially Spencer started eating the new dry food right away.  But Abby and Katie wouldn't eat it.  None would even eat the new canned.  So I had to put out the old dry, plus keep the bowl of new dry out.

Abby and Katie ate the new dry, but when offered the choice, Spencer went for the old dry instead.  Then out of the blue Abby started eating the new dry, while Spencer and Katie kept up with the old!  So wrong cat took to the new dry!  LOL

Only once was the new canned food plate empty in the morning. I have no idea who ate it.

So today we are starting to try a different flavour.  Venison instead of Duck.  Their office kitty RJ wouldn't even try the Duck when it was offered to him as a treat today!

I currently have the new dry and new canned out. Spencer went and ate some of the canned immediately.  Both Abby and Katie smelled both but didn't eat any.  I'll see how things go this evening. If I don't see them eating, I'm going to put them into a separate room and give them some old food to eat, while leaving Spencer out with the new food, and then all 3 out over night with the new food only.  So long as I get some food into all 3, I'm not really concerned about the quantity at this point; I just need to get them all onto the allergy food for Spencer's sake.

Spencer's mouth is looking so much better. It is the normal colour, but there is still some roughness noted.  The vet gave Spencer one last 2 week antibiotic injection today, and I really need to work on getting all of their food switched. 

If in 1 week I still haven't been able to get them fully switched, I can take the food back and try plan B, which is a different brand.  And I take him back again in another 2 weeks for another check up.

My boy is becoming quite the expensive kitty!  $200 each visit so far, which includes food with the last 2 visits.  Today they only charged me for the food, not the check-up.

 

[angels mommy]

I'm glad Spencer is looking better. That's great the Vet didn't charge you for the last visit. I know how those Vet bills can add up all to well!  I know my Vet charges a little less for follow up visits, only by $5.00, but it still helps.

As far as switching the food over, have you tried to mix a little of the new into the old? You increase the amount of new & decreasing the amount of the old every couple of days or so.

At least that's what I have read from others on this site as how to switch over to a new food. I did that w/ Angel when I had to switch him to the Purina UR. I started w/ 3/4 of the old food, & 1/4 of the new until it was 1/2 & 1/2, then, 3/4 of the new & 1/4 of the old, until finally all new. It only took a week or two, I don't remember exactly, (but I had read not to do it to quickly) It worked w/ no problem.

 

[natalie_ca]

 
I'm glad Spencer is looking better. That's great the Vet didn't charge you for the last visit. I know how those Vet bills can add up all to well!  I know my Vet charges a little less for follow up visits, only by $5.00, but it still helps.

As far as switching the food over, have you tried to mix a little of the new into the old? You increase the amount of new & decreasing the amount of the old every couple of days or so.

At least that's what I have read from others on this site as how to switch over to a new food. I did that w/ Angel when I had to switch him to the Purina UR. I started w/ 3/4 of the old food, & 1/4 of the new until it was 1/2 & 1/2, then, 3/4 of the new & 1/4 of the old, until finally all new. It only took a week or two, I don't remember exactly, (but I had read not to do it to quickly) It worked w/ no problem.

I asked about mixing, and they told me not to do it because it can turn them off of the old food.  They gave me several pages to read about switching cats to new food. I haven't read it yet, but will before bed tonight.

I'm going to park myself on the couch tonight to watch tv. Their food dish is near, so I'm going to pay attention to who is eating.  If I don't see Katie or Abby eating by the time I go to bed, I'll give them some of the old dry in another room.  Then leave the new in the regular spot in the kitchen.

I'm so happy that Spencer's mouth looks so much better.  It must have been sore for awhile, and I feel like such a bad meowmy for not having noticed.  In hindsight there was a change in his behaviour. He had become less cuddly and didn't seek me out as often for pets and brushes.  But it was so gradual, and it was so warm over the summer....  Anyway, I'm trying to not beat myself up over it, but I still feel so bad that my baby boy was hurting and it took me who knows how long to finally see there was a problem

 

[goholistic]

So glad to hear Spencer's mouth is looking better! 

  Don't beat yourself up over it. We all know how good cats are at hiding their pain.

I know how frustrating food and cats can be! Keep it up.  

Continued vibes for Spencer.  

 

[natalie_ca]

Well, the good news is that they all ate a bit of the new food. Spencer went for the wet and then later some dry.  Abby held out but then decided to at least try the dry, and she spent a few minutes chowing down.  So did Katie.  So I'm not going to put out any of the old, since they've shown that they have eaten something today, and will eat the new food.  So we'll see how tomorrow goes. Same plan.  Leave the new out until the evening and if some or all of them don't eat it, I'll put them in another room with some old food.

I just seriously hope that this is actually a food allergy and not just a sting from that dead wasp that I found in my apartment.  I was afraid that the swelling to his face was from the wasp, but I don't even know if Spencer was near it when it was alive. I know wasp stings can be nasty in cats. 

The vet was pretty confident that it wasn't a wasp sting, and that the trauma I've been noticing around his whiskers and chin is likely self induced from scratching, and not from playing. 

 

[jcornman]

Good to hear he is doing better.  I take it that the wasp hasn't been ruled out yet.  That would still be my primary suspect.  I know from experience that they don't have to be alive to sting.  Stepped on a dead one on the beach  once,  man did that sting.

 

[natalie_ca]

 
 I take it that the wasp hasn't been ruled out yet. 

The vet is pretty confident that it wasn't the wasp and that it is food allergies because of his scratching. 

But to me, the scratching could be that it was painful, and now itchy because of the healing process. I know when i get a sore and it's healing, it itches like mad.  But she is convinced that it is allergies and not related to the dead wasp that I found.

 

[ldg]

Wow, how did I miss all this! :anon:

Do you have a scale in the house? To keep track of whether they're eating or not, you might want to weigh them every week for 2 or 3 weeks, just to make sure.

I'm so glad Spencer's feeling better. :rub:

You can't beat yourself up for things like that, you really can't. The changes ARE often so gradual, it can be nearly impossible to notice. But that's why I suggest actually weighing them. By the time I noticed Lazlo was losing weight, his problem was already well advanced. And sometimes it's just the littlest things. When Tuxie was developing his problem with anemia (autoimmune disease), the first sign was simply that he would turn his back to us when we went to sit in the same room with him. We figured it out with 20/20 hindsight. But really - you just can't blame yourself for not being aware of such subtle changes - especially when it happens over time.

 

[natalie_ca]

He's been at the vet's every couple weeks recently, so they've been weighing him there.  He's maintained his weight.  Yesterday it was down just a very wee little bit, and she said that it was because he had "pooped!"  LOL 

They seem to like the new Venisen flavour.  All 3 ate some of it yesterday and I heard munching today. 

I'm just not eager to have to be spending in excess of $150.00 per month on cat food for 3 cats, if it isn't necessary (if Spencer's problem was the wasp and not allergies).  I'm just at a loss as to how a cat can develop a food allergy after 3 years of eating the same food!

 

[jcat]

It's good to hear that his mouth is better and that you've found a food all three will eat. From what I understand, allergies can develop at any age. I suddenly became allergic to cherries at 38, and now can't eat any fruit with pits. The allergist told me sudden-onset allergies weren't uncommon. It's also possible that the formulation or source of ingredients in the food he'd been eating.changed.

 

[denice]

I have a cat that has developed an allergy to chicken after 10 years.  His showed up as a yeast infection in his ears.  I'm not using a prescription food though, I'm just avoiding poultry in his food.  Of course chicken is the most common ingredient in foods even in the ones that aren't marked as chicken.

 

[jcornman]

It certainly will not hurt to treat for food allergies however itching certainly doesn't rule out a sting.  This summer I was stung by a wasp.  One week later after I thought it was all over the site of the sting started to itch and hurt.  I wanted to dig a hole in my arm because it felt like something below the skin itched worse than any itch I'd ever experience, far worse than poison ivy.  Checking on the internet, I found others who had the same type of delayed reaction. If I understand correctly this is a mild allergic reaction to proteins in the venom.

It isn't that I think you should change your treatment, I just don't think you can rule out a sting because it itches or looks like an allergic reaction.