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Kitty has allergy symptoms
by FurballsMom, Nov 06, 2009 12:47AM
Okay, so I just took Akira to the vet. The vet did tell me what I already knew--that Akira has some kind of allergy, since she has been scratching like crazy. She prescribed a topical steroid called Animax and told me that I can also use Benadryl cream. The vet thinks that Akira is likely allergic to beef and/or salmon as well as grains. It could be something in the environment, too, because my own allergies have been driving me crazy big time lately, too--for about as long as Akira has been scratching more than usual. It could be all of the above, too. So, I was told to try the process of elimination by using just the turkey Wellness grain free. It's a lot like an elimination diet that people go through for food sensitivities.
The vet had said that Benadryl cream by itself would be enough, but instinctively I knew it wasn't because I had used some sparingly on her itchiest areas and she was clearly still itching really bad. And, I have allergies myself and sometimes need a touch of steroid to calm down the worst symptoms, so I thought the same thing would apply to the cat--to use the steroid cream temporarily, to calm down the skin inflammation enough for the skin to heal--then use the Benadryl in the manner that the vet told me after that, as it is a gentle antihistamine. She also said to buy some Zyrtec and give Akira 1/4 tablet each day for her allergies.
She said that what I had read online about giving oral Benadryl to cats for their allergies is correct, but my instincts to not give it to her without talking to the vet first were right on, too. She wants me to use Zyrtec for the cat right now and told me how much to give her. Since this seems like the conservative approach, I trust what the vet says, although I do think I'll hold back on giving her any oral medication 'til I see how well she does without it.
Does this sound like the right thing to do? To first see how well she does with just the topical medications before trying to administer oral antihistamines--as in 1/4 of a Zyrtec that her vet advised me to give to her?
I mean after losing my previous cat to colon cancer, I just worry about giving anything to Akira orally, because I don't want to go through all that again. Although, except for some itchy allergies, Akira is actually in good health.
When I first got Akira, she was already overweight. I knew she had lost some of the excess weight, though, because she is a lot better shaped. Her doctor said that she lost approximately 1 1/2 pounds. She still needs to lose a little more weight, but it looks like she will lose the rest of the weight without too much effort. Grains are also fattening, so going grain free helped in this regard, too--not just because of her allergies. Her previous owner used to buy cheap stuff in bulk from one of the warehouse stores in an effort to be able to continue to be able to afford to feed her. At that time Akira hadn't shown any signs of having these allergies, so her previous owner was unaware of this before she died. She had certainly done the best she could to take care of Akira under the circumstances she herself was in. That was a slow and steady weight loss, too.
The vet had said that Benadryl cream by itself would be enough, but instinctively I knew it wasn't because I had used some sparingly on her itchiest areas and she was clearly still itching really bad. And, I have allergies myself and sometimes need a touch of steroid to calm down the worst symptoms, so I thought the same thing would apply to the cat--to use the steroid cream temporarily, to calm down the skin inflammation enough for the skin to heal--then use the Benadryl in the manner that the vet told me after that, as it is a gentle antihistamine. She also said to buy some Zyrtec and give Akira 1/4 tablet each day for her allergies.
She said that what I had read online about giving oral Benadryl to cats for their allergies is correct, but my instincts to not give it to her without talking to the vet first were right on, too. She wants me to use Zyrtec for the cat right now and told me how much to give her. Since this seems like the conservative approach, I trust what the vet says, although I do think I'll hold back on giving her any oral medication 'til I see how well she does without it.
Does this sound like the right thing to do? To first see how well she does with just the topical medications before trying to administer oral antihistamines--as in 1/4 of a Zyrtec that her vet advised me to give to her?
I mean after losing my previous cat to colon cancer, I just worry about giving anything to Akira orally, because I don't want to go through all that again. Although, except for some itchy allergies, Akira is actually in good health.
When I first got Akira, she was already overweight. I knew she had lost some of the excess weight, though, because she is a lot better shaped. Her doctor said that she lost approximately 1 1/2 pounds. She still needs to lose a little more weight, but it looks like she will lose the rest of the weight without too much effort. Grains are also fattening, so going grain free helped in this regard, too--not just because of her allergies. Her previous owner used to buy cheap stuff in bulk from one of the warehouse stores in an effort to be able to continue to be able to afford to feed her. At that time Akira hadn't shown any signs of having these allergies, so her previous owner was unaware of this before she died. She had certainly done the best she could to take care of Akira under the circumstances she herself was in. That was a slow and steady weight loss, too.
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When did Akira start to show those symptoms? Has it always been like that? Do you think it could be weather changes? I am not sure where you live, but some cats are allergic to weather changes (more specifically, probably something that comes with changes in the weather, like pollen release etc)
Topical treatment is better to start. I remember, when my cat Abby got infested with ringworm, the vet first gave him Lamisil cream, and a medicated shampoo. Because the ringworm was so severe, he then gave me Lamisil tablets. So definitely right....in that most vets will do the elimination process, and choose topical treatment over antihistamines.
Let us know how she does with the food!!
Cats can suffer from all the same allergies that people do only theirs manifest on their skin, opposed to ours which usually manifest as sneezing, running nose/eyes etc...
We have been through all the elimination process. trouble is like us humans when one allergy develops it can and does lead to allergies to everything!!
I'm afraid unless Akira is the exception or you are lucky and are getting this allergy in the bud.....its my experience topicals will only work temporarily, as soon as treatment is stopped the breakout will return....
From all the newest reading my Vet and I have done, its BEST that the new food you try NOT be anything with feathers...chicken,turkey,duck....
we tried venison but he wouldn't eat....so as of yesterday he is EATING FISH, anything fish my vet said, tuna,salmon,sardines etc...
He is also currently on an antibiotic just incase the scratching has brought abt a secondary infection....and that is also working great at the moment...he is scab free.
also wanted to mention his scabs like Akira's are also localized to over the eye and top of head, which is consistant with a condition called EOSINOPHILIC PLAQUE.
best of luck to you and Akira, this is a most frustrating condition to say the least....lets keep in touch to see whats working ok.
Oh you can read my posts and the replys I got from ASK A VET...posted in mid October.
There is also a likelihood that there is something in the environment in my apartment, like dust or something, that is bothering Akira, because my allergies have been really bothering me a lot, too. I'm trying to narrow this down, too. It's a reasonable assumption, since my own allergies are driving me nuts, too.
I will certainly check out your posts on ASK A VET. I may not be able to do it tonight, but I will definitely check this out.
The highest food allergy is birds......and than possibly fish.
but the trick with food allergies is to feed them something they haven't been EXPOSED to before, for mine he's never had fish food...so it was a good one to change him too...
We just need to keep digging there has to be an answer for these poor guys other than medications....
for allergies with skin irritation?;
1/4 cup PLAIN organic yogurt (i would imagine non organic could be substituted?...and i will also get one that has probiotics...i'm sure going to try that.
apple cider vinegar 50/50 diluted wirh water and sprayed on sponged on..................this one I think would sting if there are open scabs....and I think I wil try but very lightly to start with..
worth a try sometimes home remedies are more helpful than all the medicines and more agreeable for sure.
any thoughts from anyone on this therapy approach?
Feeding them something they haven't been exposed to is pretty tricky. Akira's favorite has always been salmon. Her vet thinks that fish is a more common allergy than poultry. Well, time will tell. My thinking is that since she has shown before that she craves the thing she is allergic to, like grains, that she very likely is allergic to her favorite--salmon. But, I know that it's still going to take a process of elimination to figure out for sure which ingredient it is that is bothering Akira. I would give canned food with venison, but I tried that one before--she hated it. She definitely doesn't like venison.
I don't know if Akira has a dairy allergy or not. One step at a time, I suppose. But, at some point I could try the yogurt. I haven't put any of the creams on her yet at all today and I haven't noticed any serious scratching. This is good, because the less steroids are involved, the better. Probably more effective when it is necessary to use them, too, if they're not used all the time.
the thing is with food and allergies my vet said to give them something they have NEVER been exposed to before, so if she's never had chicken than try chicken see what I'm saying?...could be she's develped an allergy to salmon for sure....just keep away from anything with grains...I have one too that can't eat grains, I feed him INNOVA EVO and he loves it and he is very healthy....there are also many others on the market.
My Sami sure DIDN'T like the venison either nor the duck, may try lamb next time??
best of luck, glad she's not scratching today
there is lamb avail if you go to a raw diet....so maybe thats what I'll have to try.
right now he is loving his fish so much, my vet said leave well enough alone, see if he breaks out again, than we start AGAIN from scratch.!
I make things as pleasant as I can for Akira. I spoil her with a massage after I give her all that medicine. She really likes it, and I know I reduce the stress she feels from being forced to take the allergy medicine that she doesn't like. You should've seen her this morning after I was finished massaging her. She was so relaxed that she nearly forgot about being hungry for breakfast. I practically had to peel her off of the chair, so I could get up myself to feed her. LOL. I know that has to help, if it relaxes her that much.
I do hope you get to the bottom of Akira's allergies soon. This is a tough situation to figure out :(
was the zyrtec ordered by your vet?
and do you just purchase the people med thru pharmacy? and give 1/4 tab of a human dose??
so glad to hear this works...I will give it a try too if Sami starts to break out again..
lets keep searching there has to be a long term answer.....
Jade, I too had a kitty with issues that possibly could have been allergy related and I put her through steroids off and on for long periods until they no longer worked and she got very ill....If only I had known all this MH info before, I feel so bad now..
One of the best things that happened was when I went to my usual pharmacy, Walgreens, and talked to the pharmacist about getting the medication for my cat. I have to give these guys much credit for helping me out. They actually contacted the vet's office when I wasn't clear on the dosage, so I could double-check the instructions. The pharmacist actually did this without my asking him! So, I have to give him due credit for this kind of help.
I also wanted to save some money on the store brand medication. It was such a deal, because the usual 14 day packages were double packaged (28 days) and were on sale for a few dollars less than usual as well. So, the pharmacist's assistant double-checked the information on the package in the computer in order to make sure that this was going to be right and safe for my cat. It is clearly the same medication, but there was language on the package suggesting there was more to it. So, they double-checked this information, too--all to make sure I got the right medication for my kitty!
I found out from the vet that I had been doing something right all along when I had used Benadryl cream on the itchy spots out of desperation to help my kitty. She said to continue using Benadryl cream. Wow! What a relief to know this had been what the vet would've recommended anyway.
The vet did prescribe a steroid cream, too. It's called Animax. I mentioned that I felt that Akira needed something more than the Benadryl cream, since I had already been doing that. I know I was right, too, because there was so much redness and irritation where Akira had scratched all her fur off her head in front of her ear. The steroid cream has helped to calm this down. She has an itchy spot on her chin/lower lip, too. So, I've been putting a bit of the Benadryl/Animax on that spot, too. Obviously, I use sparing amounts with this being so close to her mouth. It had been red and irritated, too. The redness there has calmed down, too.
I used discretion on using the steroid, Animax, and use it as little as possible. So, I will reach for the Benadryl cream first. This is actually what I'm supposed to do. I understand that long-term steroid use isn't a good idea, since that's not good for us humans. This is still so much better than steroid injections! I sure am glad veterinarian medicine has made some advances over the years.
I know the massages help relax my furry baby. Akira really likes it. I sure wish I had someone do that for ME. LOL. I'm glad to do it for my kitty. It gives us some special time together. Akira seems to understand that I'm just trying to help make this easier for her.
Since others have similar issues with their kitties, it seemed like a good idea to give the full information I have for this allergy situation. Some day we'll all get to the bottom of what works for our individual kitties. I know folks will be glad to know about the Benadryl cream and the Animax.
The most common types are hay-fever and dust allergies. Remember dust is not just dust. It is also dirt, human skin slough, dust mites...etc.
The cream is only an outside help. It does not help the internal overactive histamines that can cause other problems.
I have read many studies about Zyrtec and animals. It is highly recommended for larger animals such as large dogs and horses (yes they too suffer allergies). But not such good studies with cats (in the larger studies).
I know that Vets don't often like to use Benedryl because of the sedative effect it may produce. However, with the right dosage per weight it does wonders without long term effects that still have not been studied with prescription medicine.
The AVMA has consistently endorsed medication such as Benedryl for allergies that have not been defined.
You might also ask your vet to do an allergy blood test or even a skin test. They respond just like us 'humans' do.
I'm so glad Akira is showing some relief...how frustration for these poor kitties too...
Furball. as far as I can understand its the ORAL steroids that pose a problem, the topical ones should be safe even long term, unless Akira is licking it off..but its still very small amounts.
My Sami also has a prescription..called something different here in Canada...
although with him he does lick it off and cause more problems because the scabs than break out in open sores...can't win can we.
Yes the pharmacy's can be very helpful...back when I had my Opus on blood pressure pills my vet recommended I buy them thru my pharmacy, as they were the same a human med. and alot cheaper thru them than the clinic...
always pays to ask for anyone animal on meds...
keep up the good work with Akira, lets hope we can find some answers for them ya