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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2007Cat dermatologist?
Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs one. A couple of years ago, I noticed a bald spot on the back of his neck. It was perfectly round, about the size of a penny. There were tiny blood spots. My first thought was that a bird had pulled out a beakful of hair. The spot bothered him, and he started digging at it. He ended up with a nasty wound on the back of the neck, and it took quite a while to clear it up. Even though I was using Frontline, TED was convinced it was a flea allergy. She ignored my theory about the bird. A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a similar spot on the back of his neck, so I took him to TED right away. She found a similar spot on the side of his neck. This time, neither spot bothered him, and he hasn't dug at them at all. TED shaved around the spots and cleaned them. She also gave him a steroid shot, and gave me some antibiotic pills to give him and told me to come back in two weeks. She also gave (sold) me some very expensive hypoallergenic food, because this time she had decided it was a food allergy. He wouldn't eat the food, although Lindy ate some of it. I finally went back to their regular food. When we went back, the spots were pretty well healed. However, they have become red and raw looking again. I don't see how it could be a food allergy, since he gets pretty much the same food all the time. He is an indoor-outdoor cat, and I suspect it could be an allergy to something he encounters outdoors, but only occasionally. I'm going to have to take him back to the doctor on Monday, unless I can come up with an alternative solution. She offered me a different kind of hypoallergenic food last time, and I turned it down. She'll probably push it this time. She is also likely to tell me to keep him in the house. Unfortunately, Lindy can open the cat door if I lock it, and does as soon as she finds it locked. That means the only way I could keep him in the house would be to shut him in one room. I did that when he was really sick soon after I got him, but doing it when he's perfectly healthy is another thing. He would be miserable. Also, the only room that would work is now filled with fernows (I'll put it here for now and figure out what to do with it later), so he'd be really cramped. Does anybody have any suggestions?  SignatureJoy Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this. > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs one. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > -- > Joy Don't have any suggestions, but that's really weird, isn't it? I'm afraid I don't know much about allergies. I hope Cheryl sees this. She's very knowledgeable about skin allergies from trying to help Shamrock. She's done about everything humanly possible to help him. I bet there is an animal dermitologist in most larger cities. At least an animal allergist. I drive by a sign in Oklahoma City that says "Animal Allergy Clinic." I used to think it was for *people* who were allergic to animals. Found out later it is for the animals! Sherry >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 65 lines] > > Sherry Thanks, Sherry. I'll do an Internet search and see what I can find. Joy > I don't see how it could be a food allergy, since he gets pretty > much the same food all the time. Human and cat food allergies are pretty similar, and it's not at all unusual for a human to develop an allergy to something they've been eating regularly for decades. It's also not unusual for formulations of processed foods (either for humans or animals) to change without warning and without adequate documentation on the packet. Since the problem did clear up as a result of the elimination diet, it looks like your vet is onto something. Stick with it. One problem that is common with human food allergies is for people to be addicted to foods that make them ill - the allergic reaction releases morphine-like substances and you literally get withdrawal symptoms when removing the offending food from your diet. (This seems to be most common with wheat and dairy allergies). It wouldn't surprise me if a cat reacted the same way. In humans, the withdrawal phase usually lasts two weeks to a month. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 There is an animal veterinary clinic that I've seen in Marina del Rey http://www.animaldermatology.com/handler.cfm?event=practice,template&cpid=14749 Animal Dermatology Clinic Marina del Rey 13286 Fiji Way Marina del Rey, CA 90292 (310) 822-3376 phone (310) 306-9623 fax infomarinadelrey@adcmg.com We specialize in diagnosing and treating: Chronic and severe skin and ear disease Immune mediated and hormonal skin disease Nail and nail bed diseases Skin manifestations of internal disease Wayne Rosenkrantz, DVM, Dip ACVD Rudayna Ghubash, DVM, Dip ACVD Kinga Gortel, MS, Diplomate ACVD Christina Restrepo, DVM Allison Kirby, DVM Gennie Thanks, Gennie. SignatureJoy Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this. > There is an animal veterinary clinic that I've seen in Marina del Rey > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Gennie > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs > one. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Does anybody have any suggestions? Bam-Bam gets similar, mostly on the front and sides of his neck, occasionally on a cheek. We noticed the first one after he picked a fight with Barney. And there was a tuft of white fur on the floor near where the skirmish broke out. No such marks on Barney. Seems that Bam-Bam is a bully - just not much of a fighter (more of a lover, actually)! Seems he gets the worst out of the fights he picks - no matter who the oponnent is! Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > bully - just not much of a fighter (more of a lover, actually)! Seems he > gets the worst out of the fights he picks - no matter who the oponnent is! Lindy and Nanki-Poo don't fight, but there are other cats in the neighborhood. However, it seems strange that all three of the sores have started out being almost perfectly round. Joy >>> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >>> one. [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] > > Joy Bam-Bam's aren't round, for the most part. They're odd shapes - the shape of whatever chunk of fur the other cat got hold of! Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs one. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Does anybody have any suggestions? It really could be a food allergy. It's the most common reason besides flea allergy I believe. Currently Pearl has a bald spot on her neck but it is not irritated at all, so I think she grabbed a chunk of hair out with her toe. But "hot spots" seem to be related to food and they *can* become allergic (as we can) to anything at any time. Very often, it can be to grains. You might see if you can get some grainless wet foods and feed just that for a while. Wellness has some (look for the little triangle symbol on the label) and there are a few Fancy Feast flavors that do not have grains in them (you just have to read the labels: chicken gourmet feast and tender beef are two that are grain free.) Many cats with bad allergies have turned around on a raw diet, but that is a tricky proposition to make raw food at home and switch them. Allergies just suck all the way around. >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > proposition to make raw food at home and switch them. Allergies just suck > all the way around. I suppose it could be a food allergy. However, my vet is adamant that a little wet food is okay, but they should have mostly dry food. I've noticed that both sores look a little better than they did when I posted. Joy >>> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs one. >>> [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > > Joy Yes, well, most vets don't understand feline nutrition one bit. Here is the only vet I trust on this issue: www.catinfo.org She and Elizabeth Hodgkins know what they are doing. Elizabeth Hodgkins actually formulated food for Hills, but is not happy about them. Dry food is the base of *many* illnesses and certainly a contributing factor to allergies, diabetes, CRF, crystals and other urinary problems. It may not be the sole cause, but it is definitely a contributing factor. When Grant had crystals and blockage, after I got him on all wet food, he never had a problem again. I see cat after cat come on the diabetes board, get on insulin and off dry food and then off insulin. Not all wet food is equal, but there are plenty out there that are just fine and not full of fillers like dry food. The vet community is slowly picking that up, but the big food companies are about the sole info provider they get on nutrition at vet school and many people don't want to deal with wet, or think it is expensive. Well, its more expensive yet to have to treat various diseases. Trust me, I know this. >You might see if you can get some grainless wet foods and >feed just that for a while. Wellness has some (look for the little >triangle symbol on the label) and there are a few Fancy Feast flavors >that do not have grains in them (you just have to read the labels: >chicken gourmet feast and tender beef are two that are grain free.) It surprises people to hear it, I know, but studies have shown that the most common food allergens for cats are fish, beef and dairy products. Even chicken is higher on the list than any of the grains. Here's a good page from the Merck Veterinary Manual describing how to do an elimination diet: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/70400.htm SignatureWayne M. > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs > one. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Does anybody have any suggestions? Did it clear up after the steroid shot? Our Sam had a 4" metal rod in a back leg most all his life from an injury. Every spring as regular and the sun, he got an allergic reaction on that leg. Started pulling out the fur and chewing on it. Every spring he got one, and sometimes two steroid shots, and it cleared up until the next spring. The way my best allergist explained it to me, if you have things you are allergic to and you are exposed to them, it is like stacking up blocks. Now it doesn't much matter what each block is. And you won't have an allergic reaction until the blocks get as high as your allergy threshold. Once you're there, the next block will cause a reaction. Now to get rid of the reaction, you've got to get rid of some blocks. Doesn't much matter which ones. Just have to get rid of enough blocks to get you below the threshold. Now some blocks are higher than others, like a shellfish allergy and have to be avoided altogether. That's one reason finding and treating food allergies is popular. Those are easy blocks to remove. In my case I'm allergic to a lot of stuff, including my dog and cats. I'm also allergic to housedust mites and lots of weed and tree pollen. I have to watch it on the amount of some foods that have things like wheat gluten. If I didn't have the cats and dog, the dust and weeds wouldn't be so bad. But since I love them and need them in my life, I'm extra careful about the other things I'm allergic to. I don't mow the lawn (which I actually enjoy) and stay in on smoggy days. I'm careful about dust in the house. Keep the dog out of our room. Only let the cats in at night. Wash my hands faithfully if I've been petting the cats especially. Keeps my hands away from my eyes so I won't transfer dander, etc. Even use all unscented laundry stuff, and change my clothes if I've been playing with Kayla a lot. If Nanki Poo only has problems sporadically, I'd just watch for outbreaks and get him a steroid shot. I'd be leery of super expensive RX pet foods, especially since he won't eat them. But I'd watch out for the ingredients in the pet food I did use. Avoid glutens, especially corn but wheat as well. Lamb is supposed to be the least active meat for allergies. Shellfish and fish might cause a problem. Egg could be a problem too. The vets like the hypoallergenic foods in part because if the pet will eat them, it can keep that allergy threshold down so other stuff won't bother them. Plus its a great profit center. I don't know if there are steroid creams you can use locally on a cat, but you might want to find that out too. Neosporin is my standby treatment for anything that breaks the skin. Jo > The way my best allergist explained it to me, if you have things > you are allergic to and you are exposed to them, it is like > stacking up blocks. Now it doesn't much matter what each block > is. And you won't have an allergic reaction until the blocks > get as high as your allergy threshold. Once you're there, the > next block will cause a reaction. Bingo! This is the key, and is documented in the book "Pet Allergies, Remedies for an Epidemic" by Plechner and Zucker. Food allergy "hit list" for cats: Beef and beef by-products Tuna Milk Yeast and yeast products Pork* Turkey* *The author says that during Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays there is a flood of sick animals to the vets office. I feed Shamrock turkey varieties of cat food, so it's probably the method used by butchers and processors that make it hard for animals to handle. For those that still use flea collars: "Flea collars? From a practical standpoint a joke. But serious business and ample earnings for the manufacturers. Millions are sold yearly. They don't really stop fleas. Or if they do, maybe only around the neck area where the collar may act as a local deterrent. There's still a lot of cat and dog for fleas to attack. "Collars contain insecticides which can and do cause chronic eye tearing and sneezing. When wet, these chemicals flush onto the skin and become absorbed into the body, posing a danger to a pet's nervous system. Some of the chemicals used in collars are spinoffs from nerve gas research." If you get this book, read page 42 and 43 about vitamins (not the answer) and minerals (possibly the answer) due to inefficiencies of processed pet food. Sorry, Jo, I didn't get to the compounded effect of allergens because I got caught up reading this book again. It's in there, though. SignatureCheryl > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs > one. [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > Does anybody have any suggestions? Yes. Tell me what a fernow is. MLB >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > > Yes. Tell me what a fernow is. MLB She did - the sentence in parenthesis. "I'll put it there FOR NOW and figure out what to do with it later". My entire house is filled with them (including 12 cats and a dog - I still haven't figured out what to do with THOSE ;) ) Signaturehttp://www.firstgiving.com/nalee1131964 About my charity: Monroe County Humane Association Established in 1956, the MCHA is the longest standing animal welfare organization in Monroe County. The MCHA is dedicated to "Leading, Advocating and Educating for Animal Welfare." Find out more at www.monroehumane.org. >>> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >>> one. [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > (including 12 cats and a dog - I still haven't figured out what to do with > THOSE ;) ) I guess I wasn't too swift on that one. Thanks. MLB > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs > one. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > was convinced it was a flea allergy. She ignored my theory about the > bird. <snip> > Does anybody have any suggestions? I'm inclined to think it's ringworm or something similar. Dee >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Dee No that the vet would have been able to diagnose. At least mine always does a quick test on any dermatology thing to be sure before he looks for other causes. Jo >> Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs >> one. [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Dee I couldn't help wondering about that, although it doesn't look like the case of ringworm my daughter got from the neighbor's cat when she was small. The doctor said she didn't think that was what it was so she was going to test for it. I'll see what she says when we go back. Joy > Is there such a thing as a cat dermatologist? I think Nanki-Poo needs one. <snip> > Does anybody have any suggestions? No suggestions, but lots of purrs and best wishes, Polonca and Soncek |
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