Scabs and ulcers around the mouth and huffing

[TazDirtyBoots]

Could never meow from day one. He's huffed and coughed since day one, we put this down to hairballs because of the length and amount of fur. We groom him and stroke him a lot to try to prevent this and also give him special treats which help prevent hairballs. Still he huffs and puffs and pukes up enormous hairballs. It worries me every time.Recently he's started to get mouth ulcers and scabs around and in his mouth. I thought it might be the new cat nip toys i got him so i took them away about 1 1/2 to 2 weeks ago but the sores have spread. It started with a pink lower lip and it was swollen.  The inside of his top right cheek was very swollen with little ulcers on the inside but the swelling has gone down since then. There are still scabs along the top rim of the lip. However There are new sores and scabs in the left corner of his mouth. We feed him dry food (either kite kat or go cat) because we believe it prevents smelly breath and keeps his teeth from falling out. His breath stinks now though because of this thing. We also give him these tiny treats now and again called rattle and reward ( http://www.rattleandreward.com/ ). We sometimes give him a tiny bit of roast chicken, raw beef, Cooked or raw fish depending on what we're having for dinner. He loves the tomato juice from baked beans, I sometimes let him lick my plate after a meal as a treat if i know he likes the taste. It's going to be very hard to actually pin point exactly what he's allergic to because i can't help but give into his cute little "may i have some too please" gaze. I've checked for fleas and couldn't find any.
I just read a page about feline asthma while i was looking up this link http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_eosinophilic_granuloma.html
and he's been showing symptoms since we've had him. Huffing and ducking close to the ground with his neck extended. Thought it was hairballs.. Eosinophil was also mentioned on the feline asthma page. Could the two be connected?

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Thanks for doing your homework.  

Yes there is a correlation between feline asthma and eosinophilic granuloma complex and other feline allergies.  They are both believed to be caused primarily by allergens (but other causes have been implicated).  The lesions that you have described do sound like they could be eosinophilic plaques.  Cats, like people, can be allergic to anything.  That includes anything inside the house or out: any vegetation, fleas, pollens, grasses, etc, dust, dust mites, plastic bowls or plastic toys, foods, and more.  

Flea allergy is a very important allergy to consider.  If you are not using a monthly anti-flea product, please start.  Most of the time a flea is never seen.  A flea can bite a cat, than jump off, and you will never see the flea, but if that cat has flea allergy dermatitis, it will be affected for a month or longer.  Application of a monthly anti-flea product will eliminate this variable and allow you to concentrate on discovering any additional causes.

If you are using plastic bowls for the food or water please switch to ceramic or stainless steel.

Dry food is no longer considered the optimal type of food for cats.  In the wild, the best food for a cat is a few mice, or fish or birds per day.  Since cats originated as desert animals they derived all their liquid from their prey.  It has been recently noted that cats still do not drink enough water to support an all dry diet.  Additionally, cats bodies have no requirement for grains.  Therefore, it might be best to wean your cat away from kibble unto all canned, grain-free foods, or a home-made diet.  Some kibble can be given as a snack but should not be more than 1/3 of the daily diet.  Increasing the wet food will also help with the hair balls.  Omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils added to the diet can help with the hair balls,  the eosinophilic granuloma and with any other dermal allergy condition.

Medication as well as eliminating the instigating causes are recommended as treatment options for eosinophilic granuloma and feline asthma.  Prednisolone, and antibiotics, and other treatments may be necessary.   These medications must be prescribed by your veterinarian.  

The following link contains valuable information as well as photos of eosinophilic granuloma complex:
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/clerk/Starnes/index.php

[TazDirtyBoots]

There's not a speck of mould in my house either. Plus he seems to be much better now. So i was right about the catnip.

[TazDirtyBoots]

moUld not mold and thanks for the guilt trip during these times of recession. :P

[tug_slug]

Could it be possible that you have mold in growing in your house? Regardless please take your cat to the vet the things that you think are making him/her sick aren't. If you displayed the symptoms your cat is how long would you wait before you went to the Dr?  Best of luck