What option should I choose for cat allergy?

[Shawna87]

My handsome boy Beau is almost one year old. Ever since I adopted him when he was two months old he has been nibbling and licking the back of his legs. His legs are balding, scabbing, and swollen from all the licking and itching. I brought him to the vet and they gave him a steroid shot. It helped for a couple weeks and then came back. He went back to the vet and was given another steroid shot and antibiotics. It helped for a couple weeks and came back. My vet is thinking it’s an allergy which makes sense why the steroid shot helped. Here’s where I’m stuck on. My options for him are these:

1. Start him on a low dose a steroids and keep him on it long term (I’m not too comfortable with steroids long term).
2. Start him on a low dose of steroids and transition him to an allergy kibble. Take him off the steroids once he is on the allergy food (he eats both wet food and dry food so I’m nervous to switch him completely to dry food since I know it’s not the best for them).
3. See a dermatologist and go from there (which I’m afraid will be expensive and they might still not figure out what it is).

I’ve been thinking about trying option two to see if it’s an allergy but I just don’t want to make the wrong choice for him. Any suggestions or insight on my options?

thank you so much in advance!!

Here’s a photo of my handsome Beau

 

[Kris107]

It might not hurt to try a food change. I have a foster cat with scabs and they gave her a steroid shot and some limited ingredient food. She wasn't improving. Now I have her on hydrolyzed protein food and her spots aren't getting worse. She went from looking worse each day to just leaving the spots alone. She also seems to have more energy. I am crossing my fingers that her spots are healing and she can just live on this food.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Also something else to try if you haven't yet is different litter.. something completely different than whatever you are using now. Also make sure whatever litter you do get is fragrance free. not unscented as there is a difference..

What is the difference between “Unscented” and “Fragrance-free” products?

Can a fragrance-free product have a smell? Absolutely. Can an unscented product contain any compounds that have a smell? Absolutely. It’s all a matter of semantics although there are no universally recognized definitions here. Unscented products are formulated to have no smell but can contain...

www.mcgill.ca

 

[Shawna87]

It might not hurt to try a food change. I have a foster cat with scabs and they gave her a steroid shot and some limited ingredient food. She wasn't improving. Now I have her on hydrolyzed protein food and her spots aren't getting worse. She went from looking worse each day to just leaving the spots alone. She also seems to have more energy. I am crossing my fingers that her spots are healing and she can just live on this food.

That’s encouraging to hear! I’m thinking I should give the food a try. I’m so sad though because he can’t have any treats while we’re testing the food out for three months and he LOVES his treats. His birthday is also this month and I was hoping to get him a bunch of his favorite treats for his presents

 

[Shawna87]

Also something else to try if you haven't yet is different litter.. something completely different than whatever you are using now. Also make sure whatever litter you do get is fragrance free. not unscented as there is a difference..

http://[URL]https://www.mcgill.ca/o...between-unscented-and-fragrance-free-products

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Oh wow interesting! I’m so glad you sent me this because my other cat has asthma and we try to keep everything fragrance free for her. I’ve been buying unscented though thinking it was the same thing!

Any recommendations for fragrance free litter? I don’t see much out there.

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Oh wow interesting! I’m so glad you sent me this because my other cat has asthma and we try to keep everything fragrance free for her. I’ve been buying unscented though thinking it was the same thing!

Any recommendations for fragrance free litter? I don’t see much out there.

This is one I have used in the past and had good results with.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004U8Z7DI/?tag=thecatsite


Here are 2 others that I personally haven't tried

Kitty Diggin's Fragrance-Free Cat Litter, 7 lbs https://www.walmart.com/ip/21268937

Special Kitty Fragrance Free Non-Clumping Natural Clay Litter 40 lb https://www.walmart.com/ip/2462127386

 

[Shawna87]

This is one I have used in the past and had good results with.

Amazon.com


Here are 2 others that I personally haven't tried

Kitty Diggin's Fragrance-Free Cat Litter, 7 lbs https://www.walmart.com/ip/21268937

Special Kitty Fragrance Free Non-Clumping Natural Clay Litter 40 lb https://www.walmart.com/ip/2462127386

Thank you so much! I just added the arm and hammer one to my chewy order! Thank you again!

 

[heatherwillard0614]

Thank you so much! I just added the arm and hammer one to my chewy order! Thank you again!

You're more than welcome..
Hopefully that's what is causing Beau's allergies on his legs too. If it is hopefully this will help