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Plasma cell pododermatitis

My cat has been diagnosed with plasma cell pododermatitis by two vets. The first one wanted to put her on cortisone indefinitely, I didn't want her to have cortisone as the first option. The second recommended a 6 month course of antibiotics which helped but didn't completely get rid of the problem. After stopping the antibiotics the problem is slowly returning to it's previous state.

Does anyone have information and treating this problem in cats? Anything helpful?
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Avatar universal
As of 1-27-14, my cat has been cured of plasma cell pododermatatis. It's been over 4 years since his treatment with Atopica and the bleeding has not come back. He is now a happy and healthy cat. I would highly recommend to anyone who has a cat with this disease to use it. It worked when nothing else would.
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so glad to hear this. I am excited to be getting Paisley on Atopica tomorrow.
Avatar universal
My cat's biopsy just came back- lympho plasma cell pododermatitis. I know this thread is quite old, but going to try to comment/solicit some other current thoughts.
First treatment plan is Atopica. I think I am happy that is the first round. But it is expensive. $122 for a bottle that will only last 2 months. Not that she isn't worth it, but I have 10 pets and 6 are special needs in one way or another. Does anyone know if I can find this cheaper? Mostly in the event that 2 months is not long enough for her to heal, and she needs more. Or a reccurrance. I am hoping that like Boscio, it will only need a few weeks to get her to perfect health again. And will stay that way. She is early stages--just swollen and/or soft pad.
I have read most of the comments here, (up to 2014), but just have one question..for Opus88...should I try the supplements you suggested? Or wait to see what happens with the Atopica?
Hopefully all of your kitties are doing well.  
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Avatar universal
Thank you all for the very good information.  It is so very much appreciated.  I was afraid our cat Milano would not survive the treatments.  I now feel like there is hope
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I rescued an adult male cat about 5 years old, that was diagnosed with this disease. after vet visits and lots of research, a radical change in his diet produced the best results. I struggled for 6 months with his addiction to grocery brand junk food. Finally he started to eat purina one, and from there I was able to move to organic canned food and no grain crunches. it took about three years to see consistent improvement. About every six months previously he needed anti-inflammatory meds, but for the past two years he has stopped favoring his feet and climbed a tree for the first time because his feet aren't hurting! they don't always look perfect, but he no longer shows any signs of pain and has not needed to visit the vet for this problem in about three years.
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Avatar universal
Hi Bosclo,
I've been reading posts on this Feline Plasma Cell Pododermatitus.
I decided to take a family members cat to the Vet because I thought he was suffering.

After they diagnosed this (they hadn't seen it themselves before) they gave him a shot (he's about 5 years old) and a treatment of pills for about a month.
prednisolone. he has all 4 paws, puffy but his right front grew what looked like a cherry on the pad. It was bleeding when I took him to the vet .  The condition happened 5 months ago but the family treated it with a sterile environment and kept him in a very large dog cage so not to exersize the pad.

I'm really curious about this drug that seemed to put your feline in remission.
The vets talked about surgically removing this cherry formation off his pad if it does not get smaller.

Aunty Victor
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Avatar universal
He had surgery
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Avatar universal
Atopica 25mg with pill pockets. Initially twice a day. He would eat the chicken flavored pill pockets and not notice the pill. He still has scars on his feet, but the disease never returned. It's been over 4 years.
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So did he have surgery or just the Atopica? Mine is leaving blood everywhere she walks too.
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So did he have surgery or just the Atopica? Mine is leaving blood everywhere she walks too.
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Thanx so much for all the helpful information. After Kloe finished the Amoxicillin her paw looked a little better. I have gotten her off of all fish cat food. It has not been easy because fish was all she ate and you know how finicky cats can be. Because Kloe doesn't have any teeth she hasn't eaten dry food. While I have been switching her over I have supplemented the moist food with temptations treats. If I hand feed them to her she will eat them. I have bought every moist food on the market trying to find one that she would eat readily so that I could put the doxycycline in it.  So far nothing really strikes her fancy. I am feeding her the greenies pill pockets as treats with nothing in them to let her acquire a taste for them, slow going!! In the last few days she has really started to feel better. She is starting to scratch my furniture, she was never much of a scratcher. She doesn't hold her bad foot up anymore and is starting to run around. I was able to get a good look at her paw tonight and it looks a lot better! Yeah!  Maybe there is something to the food allergy connection. For the time being I am just doing watchful waiting, and trying to find the holy grail food that the doxycycline could be hidden in. The idea of the doxycycline cat treat sounds very interesting, what type of pharmacy would do that and what flavor did u find your cat liked best?  Is a cat only vet better than a dermatologist? Thanx again
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874521 tn?1424116797
thank you so much for posting and telling us of your experience with atopica...
yes it was originally manufactured for dogs but has been used off label for a few years for cats...
I am so glad it has worked so successfully for your kitty..Podo sounds like a very frustrating and stubborn disease to treat.
I am also glad you did try all other treatments first before resorting to atopica...its best used as a last resort.
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Avatar universal
My cat was 2 yrs old when he was diagnosed with plasma cell pododermatitis. After 6 mos of various treatments with no avail, my vet tried a drug usually used to treat skin diseases in dogs. The drug is Atopica 25mg. My cat was given 1 tablet twice a day initially, then lesser quantities. After 6 weeks, my cat was cured. I continued to give 1 tablet twice a week for 3 weeks and then stopped. It's now 1 1/2 years later and the disease has not returned. My cat is now happy and healthy. Hope this helps.
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Avatar universal
Greenies pill pockets. I would wait until he was hungry and feed him a pill inside one of these pockets. He always ate it.
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Avatar universal
I am sorry to hear about your cat, but there is HOPE!  I adopted a cat with pododermatitis.  Her first owner gave her up when she found out about her illness.  So, I adopted her and made sure that she has a very safe, loving, and happy home.  Most importantly, I worked very hard with my cat specialist veterinarian to cure her.  I was very proactive about this.  I guess you can say that I am very stubborn and when there is a problem, I get determined to resolve it completely.  Now, about my cat, Angel:  She was in very bad shape when I brought her home.  Her paws were scary looking.  Her nail beds were black and oozing.  She had no energy and seemed very depressed.  She did NOT play with toys at all back then and she was a 7 month old kitten at the time!  I made sure to use a wheat litter, preferably Swheat Scoop.  It is easy on cats paws and the best litter I ever used.  At first, I cleaned her paws with an antibiotic and antifungal cream and hydrocortisone cream.  It helped a bit.  I also gave her cat benadryl which helped.  I took her to the vet, btw, please try to see a cat doctor at a cats only clinic.  They are much more knowledgeable about this disease.  My vet gave her a steroid shot and antibiotic shot which gave her some relief for 2 months.  Then, she was on prednisolone at 0.5 mg daily for close to a year.  This controlled the symptoms, but when I weaned her completely off, she started getting symptoms again.  My vet put her on Triamcinolone at a high dose for 6 months and then we slowly weaned her off over another 6 long months.  Angel is in full remission.  It has been a year since she has taken the Triamcinolone, which cured her.  Her paws are pink, firm, clean, and beautiful.  Her nail beds are normal too.  She is so playful now and chases my other cat all over the house and she is older.  It is so nice to see the change in her health and personality.  She is a totally different cat since the day I got her.  Please talk to your vet about Triamcinolone because it may cure your cat!  In the meantime, keep your cat comfortable by applying a hydrocortisone cream on her paws, cat Benadryl, Swheat Scoop cat litter, and cleanse the paws with a medicated shampoo weekly.  And, get her started on triamcinolone.  Good luck!
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Avatar universal
I have to agree with Opus on this, use the Atopica as a last resort.  It is a newer drug and all the side effects are not really known.  My mother had her dog on Atopica for a short period of time, it did not end well.  

I had a local pharmacy put the doxy for my cat in treat form.  He resisted a little at first but we finally found a flavor he liked and giving him his meds was no issue at all.  He would actually come running to take them.
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Avatar universal
Thanx for your opinion !
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874521 tn?1424116797
thats too bad you found it was less effective in that form...oh yes they just 'know' when its time for meds don't they...
I have to do oral care on my Sami...and even taking the toothbrush out of the holder sends him running, I have to be very creative catching him first....lol

you could try that with the hair ball gel, but I do know some meds are very bitter. so she'll start to hide from the gel as well...but worth a try.

and I would highly recommend you try the doxy before atopica....steroids as the very last resort.
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Avatar universal
I tried the trans thermal gel in thyroid form for my old male cat, it was very ineffective and after awhile he would try and hide from me when he saw the gloved finger.  The amount of the doxycycline from the capsule is very small, only an 1/8 of a capsule 2x a day. I was thinking about  mixing it with some of the hair ball gel and putting it on the corners of her mouth so she licks it off. I'm giving her a week off after her two weeks on the amoxicillin and then I have to decide between the Atopica, doxycycline or steroids. I have read where sometimes it just goes into remission on its own.
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874521 tn?1424116797
hi...thats the unfortunate part of putting any medication in a cats food...they will refuse to eat it!!! cats are very particular abt their food, if it smells different most won't even try and believe me they can sure smell medications!!!

Atopica is also in pill form and most cats have to be on it long term....it is a type of steroid so use only as a last resort. You could ask the Vet if the Doxy can be made up by a compound pharmacy into a gel form, than that way you only have to administer to the tip of the ear and the body absorbs....but IF it can be done with that med. it does make it more expensive, but a way around cats that are very hard to pill.

good luck
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Avatar universal
How did u have to give the Atopica to the cat? Poor Kloe picked up an infection from the first trip to the vet. I had to give her Amoxicillin for two weeks. We had to put her in a spare room because we couldn't catch her. It took us an hour two times so we had to come up with plan B. It took the two of us to give the Amoxicillin twice a day. I have a prescription  for the doxycycline. 1/8 of a capsule 2x a day. Vet told me to put it in her food, but she is not a good eater and if she smells anything she walks away. How long was the cat on the Atopica? Was poor appetite part of this condition?
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Avatar universal
I took the sample to the vet today. I'm going to order the mercola product from iherb after I finish this. Mercolas  site to get free shipping u have to order 3 don't want to that until I know she will eat it. I'm waiting on the results of the stool sample before I start the doxycycline back up. If she has worms that treatment will have to come first. I lost my 14 yr old male cat this spring to cancer. He just stopped eating, tried everything to get him to eat, nothing worked. Cats can starve themselves to death. Keeping Kloe eating is my first priority. I feel like I'm in dejavu, with this eating thing. Thanks
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874521 tn?1424116797
I'm sorry to hear that, she is so tiny as it is besides no cats can go without eating their normal calorie intake..so she must eat.
doxycyclines most common side effect is nausea and vomiting....so its the medication since the vomiting is new and so is the med.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=642

if you are concerned abt worms, just take a stool sample to your Vets for testing...you do not have to subject her to the trauma of a clinic visit....
but I caution you abt giving any additional meds unless absolutely necessary to an already upset tummy.

mercola's products are very good, you can also buy same at iherb and their shipping is usually much cheaper however I see mercola's site offers FREE shipping right now. the product itself is priced the same at either source. sure would be worth getting:)

http://www.iherb.com/Dr-Mercola-Complete-Probiotics-for-Pets-90-g/41880#cid=492&p=1&oos=1&disc=0&lc=en-US&w=complete%20probiotic%20for%20pets&rc=9&sr=null&ic=1

you will have to add less to start with to get Kloe used to it perhaps, although I have found it has very little taste so my cats don't appear to notice when I add the primal defense one, and my boys are very finicky with their food too.

keep a close eye on that litter box, could sure be b/c she ate nothing all day....but she should certainly go by today.
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Avatar universal
Not a good day. Kloe threw up dinner last night with the antibiotic. Today I managed to get her to eat it this morning,but then she barely ate anything all day. Tried the probiotic in the tiniest amount and I think she smells it and walks away. Didn't use her litter box all day. I'm wondering if its because she ate so little or if the meds did something. Very strange! Tonight I didn't give her the meds just want her to eat something. I'm going to have her tested for worms, maybe there is an underlying problem. She had worms when I first rescued her the bad variety. Had to worm her twice until it was clear. I got an advertisement today from Mercola about a probiotic, maybe that one she would take. Kloe is still a little ferrel u can't just pick her up like other cats so administering things with a dropper is out of the question. She will run and hide all day.
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874521 tn?1424116797
well good for you, you are doing all the right things and taking care of little Kloe very well....bless you for doing that, it makes me cry to think of all the cats in shelters or on the streets who are in so much pain...:(

yes you have your hands full!!!...we 'know' the good foods and what we 'should' be doing but it always comes down to the cats has got to eat...and sometimes they hold us hostage!!!

when one of mine had to be taken off dry food 3 yrs ago....I too tried everything avail on the market, yes even the raw diets....he refused everything. as a very last resort I was forced to try and make him a homemade diet with something he liked...human food, pork or chicken PLUS all the needed supplements... it still took months to get him to 'like' it real well, but at least he was willing to try it ....so 3 years later I am still making this diet, his FLUTD is under control and he is very healthy.

that all being said, the second boy I have no matter what I did..(.and believe me I tried everything for a year.).. will NOT eat this homemade diet or any form of human food....NOR will he eat any of the 'good' brands of commercial food. but thank God he will at least eat canned food, unfortunately the junk brands...
But yes, the main thing is they must eat...so we must comply:)
Fish is not recommended as you know and is also extremely hard to get them off of once begun. I would highly recommend you add a Vit. E supplement in with it...but not now, lets deal with her taking the antibiotic and the probiotic first...add new stuff later.


its good that you feed tiny amounts several times a day....I too with mine, that is the normal way a cat eats...one of the reasons dry food got to be so popular.
they can only digest a small amount per feeding....

Is the antibiotic in liquid or capsule form? if she starts refusing her food another option is to give it via a dropper....if in capsule form, just open the cap and mix with a dab of water.
You can do the same with the probiotic if she won't take it in her food. the primal defense comes in powder form.

good luck and keep us posted on how she's doing ok....


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