NOT a flea allergy?

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Beth - 21 Aug 2004 02:20 GMT

Hello,

I took my 9-year-old cat to the vet today because she's been biting at the
base of her tail. She also has some red skin and scabs along her spine near
the base of the tail. I assumed flea allergy - she has been going outside
occasionally after three years indoors, so she is definitely exposed to
fleas now.

I was surprised to hear the vet list off about 5 things he thought could be
causing the problems. Dental problems, anal sac impaction, food allergies
(my cats have been on Science Diet Senior dry for 2 years), etc. I was
pretty surprised, but he said that he didn't see any flea debris, and he did
comb her quite a bit. It's true that I haven't seen any fleas on her or in
the house, but I felt a LITTLE bit like I was getting the hard sell. He
recommended a lot of lab work.

He was really hung up on the anal sac thing, which I didn't understand - she
has NEVER scooted (my husband calls it "doing the Pooky" - his childhood
cat), and she's not licking her but any more than usual! And maybe I'm
misunderstanding exactly what he was proposing, but wouldn't he be able to
diagnose an anal sac problem without lab work, and maybe even treat it on
the spot?

So - we don't see fleas - does that mean it's probably not a flea allergy?
And I understand that biting the base of the tail is a pretty classic flea
allergy symptom - is it also a sign of anal sac problems? I'm open to all
advice and personal experiences you might have. I've given her the
Advantage and I'll see if that helps. I hope so!

Thanks!
Beth

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Paige - 21 Aug 2004 23:45 GMT

I have recently begun to think that my cat was suffering from flea
allergies. After a year of steroid shots to prevent the itching I started
giving her Flontline Plus. I never did see a flea on her either but after
reading about flea allergy dermatitis; often the cat/dog is very efficient
at removing the fleas when grooming/chewing or actually ingesting them that
sometimes you will never actually see one. The animals are allergic to the
flea saliva, and one bite from a flea can cause itching in the allergic cat
for up to a week.

This may be of little hope to you but it very well be a flea allergy. Since
giving my cat the frontline religiously for the last three months she hasn't
had to receive any shots.

Good luck.
Paige

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-L. : - 22 Aug 2004 07:52 GMT

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> diagnose an anal sac problem without lab work, and maybe even treat it on
> the spot?

Anal sac impaction is obvious. Highly unlikely that was the problem.

> So - we don't see fleas - does that mean it's probably not a flea allergy?

Correct.

> And I understand that biting the base of the tail is a pretty classic flea
> allergy symptom - is it also a sign of anal sac problems?

Can be, but you can tell when an anal sac is infected.

> I'm open to all
> advice and personal experiences you might have. I've given her the
> Advantage and I'll see if that helps. I hope so!

My bet would be food allergy or allergy to some cleaner or something
else in the environment. My Mom's cat was allergic to insecticides,
and had the same symptoms. Have you used any flea collars on her, or
any insecticides in the house?

-L.

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~*Connie*~ - 22 Aug 2004 21:59 GMT

the vet was hung up on the anal sacs, but did he express them? did he tell
you they were full or impacted? Did he give you antibiotics to help them
repair themselves? blood work to diagnose a anal sac issue sounds wrong to
me. I work in a vet clinic, and usually the vet just sticks his finger up
the anus and expresses anal glands.

Im not saying it wasn't anals, but it very well could be a food allergy
(people and pets develop them at any time) can't hurt to try an anti
allergen food. (unless your kitty has a sensitive stomach)

interesting to hear him think it was a dental problem... that doesn't make
much sense.

have you thought about a second opinion?

> Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
> Thanks!
> Beth

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Beth - 23 Aug 2004 02:55 GMT

Thanks to everyone who responded. It's been just about 48 hours since I
applied the Advantage, and she seems much, much better! Paige mentioned the
possibility that the cat was so efficient at removing fleas that I never saw
one. I think and hope that this was the case. Her grooming had been
frantic and sudden, and she would bite at herself ferociously.

Her grooming is more normal, and while she is still licking at her back, she
is NOT biting anymore. I think she's now just grooming her scabs, which are
already healing. Her skin is no longer pink.

To answer other questions, she hasn't been exposed to anything harmful such
as pesticides, that I'm aware of (although she's outside, she stays in our
backyard and usually never even leaves the patio). Regarding the anal gland
possibility, he asked me if she was over-grooming her genitals/anus and if
she ever scooted. I said absolutely not, and he said "Well, that is
something to consider, that it might be an anal sac problem." He never went
further than that, and it wasn't until I got home and started reading about
it that I realized that was weird. As people here said, it should have been
obvious and he could have diagnosed/treated it right there.

Connie, his explanation for the dental thing was that if there was a lot of
bad bacteria in her mouth/teeth, her normal biting and grooming could
introduce that bacteria to her skin and cause the problems. I thought this
was pretty odd, and yes, I had planned to get a second opinion if she didn't
respond quickly to the flea meds. I will not be taking my cats to that vet
anymore; I've asked around on a local group for some recommendations and
gotten a good response.

Maybe I'm being too quick to judge, but I do think I'll be taking my cats to
a full service vet from now on, and no more "cats only" clinics. I sort of
felt manipulated there, like "well, if you really loved your cat, you'd
spend $200 on blood work right now" when all she needed was Advantage.
(Please note, if she needed it, I would spend $200 on blood work in a
heartbeat!!)

Again, thank you everyone for your kind responses!

> the vet was hung up on the anal sacs, but did he express them? did he tell
> you they were full or impacted? Did he give you antibiotics to help them
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> > Thanks!
> > Beth

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-L. : - 23 Aug 2004 07:56 GMT

> Maybe I'm being too quick to judge, but I do think I'll be taking my cats to
> a full service vet from now on, and no more "cats only" clinics. I sort of
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Again, thank you everyone for your kind responses!

Just a comment on your last comment. ;) If you are referring to a
feline specialist clinic, there are good reasons to use them. While
there are bad eggs in every bunch, I am a huge fan of feline
specialists. They see *way* more cases than regular vets, have been
exposed to odd and hard cases most vets don't see, and often have
treatment plans that other vets don't even know about. While I agree
that your vet's approach was probably not warranted, most vets
understand and respect the limitations guardians have to place on
treatment. I have had a similar situation happen when I took my cat
to a "regular vet" so I guess my point is...such attitudes can come
from any type of vet and aren't necessarily exclusive to feline
specialists.

Hope this made sense...it's late. ;) Glad your kitty is feeling
better. :)

-L.

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Camilla Cracchiolo - 26 Aug 2004 10:53 GMT

My cat did that for years, plus hissed at her tail and we
couldn't figure out what was wrong. A vet even said it was probably
a behavior problem.

Then we shaved the area, took a good look and there was miliary
dermatitis really bad...little red bumps, basically. We changed her
food, and put hydrocortisone 5% lotion on the bumps. They went away
and they stayed away for good.

>Hello,
>
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>Thanks!
>Beth

___________________________________________________

Camilla Cracchiolo
Registered Nurse
Los Angeles, California

camilla4@mindspring.com webpage temporarily down

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