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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2005Sore on right hind leg has returned - what to do? Help!
I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of my mom's cat. We've tried Tresaderm and a two week trial of corticosteroids. That cleared it out but when we stopped, it came back. Then we continued with just the Tresaderm to no avail. The vet gave her Tresaderm and an anti-depressant and it seemed to be working but then came back. For the last several months, she's been on a combo of Clavamox, an anti- histamine and an ointment (which has been changed for the last two weeks to 2.5% Hydrocortisone cream 2x a day, but nothing seems to work. The wound is about a half inch in diameter, but the surrounding area is red (about 1.5 inches in diameter). I've been reading that a change of diet (she's on Fancy Feast wet and Purina One hard food) and removing all possible allergens in the home might be helpful. We've been trying to get rid of the old carpets, but finding someone who just picks them up (when you're not buying another one hasn't been easy). The rubber underneath is all hardened and has to be picked up. I told my mom to cover the carpet with a blanket or bedsheet in the place where the cat sleeps. The vet doesn't think it's fleas as she's an indoor cat, and she tested negative for ringworm. The cat has never had booster shots, however, and she's now about 8 years old. My mom is very upset as they've grown very close and she doesn't know what to do other than go to another vet. The info I've read on the net suggests that other than steroid shots and environmental changes, there's little else to do. Does anyone have suggestions? Should I be going to a veterinary skin specialist? Just wanted to add that this has been going on for over a year, even with the treatment. > I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of > my mom's cat. We've tried Tresaderm and a two week trial of [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > Does anyone have suggestions? Should I be going to a veterinary skin > specialist? > Just wanted to add that this has been going on for over a year, even with > the treatment. Depo Medrol. No dry food. Vacuum a lot and keep mold out of the bath and kitchen. > Depo Medrol. No dry food Our vet gave the cat a shot of Depo Medrol yesterday along with Tresaderm to be administered 2x a day and Prednisolone once at night (half of a small tablet). However, the cat has hardly been eating since the shot. She had a little bit last night and next to nothing today. She's alert, but I don't want to start with the other meds until she eats and shows she has her appetite back. Should I allowed him to have given her the Depo Medrol without a blood workup or skin scraping? She had the ringworm test last year and that was negative. He gave her Depo last year at this time and it seemed to help, but the sore never entirely went away. I'm just worried about all these meds (she was previously on an antihistamine and Clavamox with 2.5% Hydrocortisone cream. > > Depo Medrol. No dry food > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > start with the other meds until she eats and shows she has her appetite > back. I think this is wise, if only because the Depo Medrol shots make my cat feel bad for a couple of days. Can you tempt kitty with something she cannot resist? > Should I allowed him to have given her the Depo Medrol without a blood > workup or skin scraping? She had the ringworm test last year and that was > negative. Didn't you say she is all indoor? Is seems that if he checked her for parasites etc. last year, it might not be necessary to test her now. Is the sore on the very back of her leg, like along the tendon running up the middle of the back leg? >He gave her Depo last year at this time and it seemed to help, > but the sore never entirely went away. Has she actually had an open sore for a year?? That really is terrible. I am at a loss here because my cats lesions always go away within a couple of days of the Depo shot. The only time she had the open sore is when she had the ulcer on her lip. >I'm just worried about all these > meds (she was previously on an antihistamine and Clavamox with 2.5% > Hydrocortisone cream. I know you're worried, I would be too. I wish someone who has a cat that gets a similar sore would comment. I think if I were in your place I might try another vet. >> > Depo Medrol. No dry food >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > cat feel bad for a couple of days. Can you tempt kitty with something > she cannot resist? Last year, I chopped half of her prednisilone pill into a fine powder and rolled a tiny amount of Boars Head roast beef or low sodium turkey breast around it, and she gobbled it up most of the time. That's the only time I will ever deviate from her normal diet of Fancy Feast wet canned food and Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice dry food. However, the vet suggested we go to lamb and rice and I'm thinking of eliminating the dry food entirely. >> Should I allowed him to have given her the Depo Medrol without a >> blood workup or skin scraping? She had the ringworm test last year [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > the back > leg? The only time she is outdoors is when we take her to the vet. She's always indoors. If you hold the cat up from behind, the sore is on her front right side of her right hind leg. It's not on the inside or in the middle. >>He gave her Depo last year at this time and it seemed to help, >> but the sore never entirely went away. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > within a couple of days of the Depo shot. The only time she had the > open sore is when she had the ulcer on her lip. I should clarify that a bit. After the shot of depo last year and and a two week treatment of Tresaderm with the Prednisolone, the sore was almost completely healed. In fact, you could barely see any redness as it was all covered with her gorgeous hair again. For the last nine months or so, it's come back in varying degrees. >>I'm just worried about all these >> meds (she was previously on an antihistamine and Clavamox with 2.5% [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > I think if I were in your place I might try another vet. I'm thinking of it, too, especially after his last diagnosis yesterday regarding a possible internal mass on her abdomen, slightly lower thanth the external fatty tissue lump she's had for years (thought to be caused by an hernia). As I said in a previous post in this group, vets come with with different opinions and some can lead you into very unnecessary procedures which can do more harm. > Last year, I chopped half of her prednisilone pill into a fine powder and > rolled a tiny amount of Boars Head roast beef or low sodium turkey breast > around it, and she gobbled it up most of the time. That's the only time > I will ever deviate from her normal diet of Fancy Feast wet canned food > and Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice dry food. This sounds good (FF is what I feed, but just the varieties that do not have wheat gluten AND have meat as a first or second ingredient) except for one thing: food allergies might be exacerbating or even causing the lesion. So if this is what you have been feeding her all along, it might be good to try other foods. > However, the vet suggested we go to lamb and rice and I'm thinking of > eliminating the dry food entirely. From what I have seen in my cats, I think this is a great idea. Once you stumble upon a food that seems to agree with her (in my case it was when Gracie had no lesions or bumps or wheezing three months after a Depo shot!) then stick with it. With these cats, even if the food they do not react to is not the very best, so be it! (That is what my vet said, anyway. The food she was getting when she began to get better was FF Chopped Grill Feast, which has byproducts as a first ingredient--not the best variety, but she chowed it down and had no reactions, and even got up to a whopping 8 pounds at one time!!) > The only time she is outdoors is when we take her to the vet. She's > always indoors. If you hold the cat up from behind, the sore is on her > front right side of her right hind leg. It's not on the inside or in the > middle. Femcat, this is very different from my cat's lesions. I reallyhope someone else can weigh in. > I should clarify that a bit. After the shot of depo last year and and a > two week treatment of Tresaderm with the Prednisolone, the sore was > almost completely healed. In fact, you could barely see any redness as > it was all covered with her gorgeous hair again. For the last nine > months or so, it's come back in varying degrees. I see. I guess the next question is, what, if anything, changed in the last nine months, diet/stress/airborn allergen wise? > I'm thinking of it, too, especially after his last diagnosis yesterday > regarding a possible internal mass on her abdomen, slightly lower thanth > the external fatty tissue lump she's had for years (thought to be caused > by an hernia). As I said in a previous post in this group, vets come > with with different opinions and some can lead you into very unnecessary > procedures which can do more harm. Yep. When it come to these creatures who depend upon us, a second opinion is never a bad idea. Best of luck to you. > I think if I were in your place I might try another vet. The one constant I see in this group and an many other local boards around the net is the problem people have finding good vets (other than in the most costly of areas where the vets build elaborate animal hospitals.) > I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of my > mom's cat. We've tried Tresaderm and a two week trial of [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > Does anyone have suggestions? Should I be going to a veterinary skin > specialist? So your cat has been diagnosed with Eosinophilic granuloma Complex? Mine has it, and takes none of the above. She gets a shot of Depo Medrol every three months and her lesions are completely controlled, as is her asthma. I also control the common allergens and feed her FF varieties that have no wheat gluten and meat (as opposed to byproducts) as the first ingredient. What I don't understand is that you seem surprised that the lesion comes back. That is what always happens. It goes into remission, then pops out and you control it with the steroids. I think you need a new vet, or to ask your current one to use Depo Medrol shots and forget the cream and anti-depressants. > > I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of my > > mom's cat. We've tried Tresaderm and a two week trial of [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > a new vet, or to ask your current one to use Depo Medrol shots > and forget the cream and anti-depressants. Oops, sorry, I see I already answered this one as my alter ego Lumpy. Must be overdosing on tryptophan. >> I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of >> my mom's cat. We've tried Tresaderm and a two week trial of [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > > So your cat has been diagnosed with Eosinophilic granuloma Complex? No. He's not sure if that's what it is. He thinks it's more likely an allergy to food or the carpet, or an obsessive compulsive disorder caused by boredom. I suggested a possibility of granuloma. > Mine has it, and takes none of the above. She gets a shot of Depo > Medrol every three months and her lesions are completely controlled, > as is her asthma. I also control the common allergens and feed her FF > varieties that have no wheat gluten and meat (as opposed to > byproducts) as the first ingredient. Isn't there a danger of regular steroidal injections and the problems of it being metabolized through the kidneys and liver? The vet wanted to stay away from injections after the first one last year (and the corticosteroid pills). He suggested it on the last visit and my mom was afraid to continue. It that's the only solution, and the solution is better than continuing with the sore, then we may have to consider it. > What I don't understand is that you seem surprised that the lesion > comes back. That is what always happens. It goes into remission, > then pops out and you control it with the steroids. I think you need > a new vet, or to ask your current one to use Depo Medrol shots > and forget the cream and anti-depressants. I spoke to him about it today and he wants to see her again. He may do a blood work up. He's the kind of vet who's very kind, easy to talk to, and will call you back without question. He also seems very knowledgable about most problems. The one think he doesn't have is the modern day high tech office with the blood test computer, and all the other accoutrements that the younger (under 45 yo vets) seem to have. > Isn't there a danger of regular steroidal injections and the problems of > it being metabolized through the kidneys and liver? The key is, what do you mean by regular? Yes, there are side effects and they are dangerous. My vet said that we could give Gracie Depo shots as often as every two months without worrying about too high a risk of diabetes etc. The relief the Depo gives her is complete, and she began with three shots a year (one every four months) went to two every year (one every six months) and then this year had to have three, one in March, one in July, and one in September. The vet wanted to > stay away from injections after the first one last year (and the > corticosteroid pills). He suggested it on the last visit and my mom was > afraid to continue. It that's the only solution, and the solution is > better than continuing with the sore, then we may have to consider it. > > What I don't understand is that you seem surprised that the lesion > > comes back. That is what always happens. It goes into remission, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > high tech office with the blood test computer, and all the other > accoutrements that the younger (under 45 yo vets) seem to have. Kind vets are not always the best, especially when they are older and may be out of the loop with regard to current practices. Pin him down about Depo and how often he thinks your cat might have it without a great risk of side effects. You have tried oral and topical steroids, and they have not worked. Systemic is the only other thing I know besides working harder to clean up the allergens. Good luck, and please do let us know. It is hard to watch the little ones suffer. >> I spoke to him about it today and he wants to see her again. He may >> do a blood work up. He's the kind of vet who's very kind, easy to [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Good luck, and please do let us know. It is hard to watch the > little ones suffer. Will do and thanks for your advice. I have a friend who has an 17 yo male cat and recommended he see him 2 years ago, as the poor thing looked emaciated. The vet did a blood panel and diagnosed a hyper-thyroid condition. He adjusted the meds accordingly after two more blood workups and now sees the cat annually to make sure the blood levels are ok. The cat started eating better immediately after starting meds and looks markedly improved. I know what you mean about watching animals suffer. My mom gets very depressed and it's hard for an elderly lady to give meds to an animal. It's even harder on the son who doesn't live with her, gets anxious calls, and also worries about the animal and cares greatly about both. > I've been writing for a year now about the sore on my the hind leg of my > mom's cat. Your vet can gain a lot of information needed to treat this problem with a biopsy. Depending on the location and the cooperativeness of your cat, biopsies can sometimes be taken just using local anesthetic.
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