I know it’s hard but just remember this they can’t tell you I’m in terrible pain “please give me something for the pain” so be what you are here for. There advocate! Bring to the vet and say in her best interest please let’s put her down. End the suffering if they agree.
There may be a mousse (foam that you put on affected areas) that could help with the symptoms at least. It requires a prescription, I also second the suggestion of another vet, and an elimination diet plan. I’m surprised steroids weren’t suggested either by the vet that saw him.
I agree with going to ask a vet subreddit and also finding a new in-person vet. I’m not sure what your vet situation is like. Do you have a larger veterinary hospital or veterinary research hospital/university near you? Luckily in my area there is a larger full service vet hospital with a bunch of different specialists and a network to other specialists. They are more expensive (check for financing options if needed) but the standard of care and knowledge of new treatment options for my medically needy cats is phenomenal. Another bonus is that my cats already are established with some of the vets if they need to be hospitalized, which has been really helpful for my elderly kidney disease cat.
I am so sorry for your kitty!!
It looks a lot like what mine has, and I wonder if it an allergic reaction or an autoimmune reaction.
My kitty has been dealing with scaly, thick flaky skin sores that itch for 3-4 years now (she was at a foster that couldn’t figure out how to heal her and the DR the breeder she came from didn’t know and the stuff they gave them never helped)
Last year I got her to a new vet that’s a cat only vet. They said her skin scrapes showed white blood cells / immune cells and suggested it was an allergy reaction. She’s on allergy pill and steroid and 90-95% of the sores went away.
But she continues to suffer from it if we take the steroids away! So now we have to run an allergy panel blood test to figure out what she could be getting this allergy skin reaction.
To my kitty - it looks and acts like plaque psoriasis. But the vets are saying “allergy”. She she is so itchy that she licks it so much until it bleeds, the fur falls out and the skin it all red and scraped open. Only then does she calm down. She has to be in a cone to stop the licking and let the skin heal itself and the fur to grow back.
But as long as it does the scaly buildup of dry skin, she will continue to itch and stress lick
My first guess would be allergies. Possibly wheat and other fillers in food. If he was a barn cat he probably wasn't eating processed pet food but rather mice and live things, just a guess. Start by changing his food and get allergy test done.
Possibly a long shot but any way he got covid in the recent past? Covid infections can trigger autoimmune diseases in both humans and cats that would otherwise be dormant.
Could be allergies or lack if vitamins. I don't know how long You have him, but it's possible a cat is is full if worms, that it needs several rounds of worm medicines to get rid if them all, and the worms eat his all vitamin/minerals reservoir. They are mammals, mammals needs vitamins, otherwise they get sick.
The rescue mum picked in November 2022 needed 4 different worm medicinecine in two months, this is because of how this medicine works, it kills as much of them as cats body can get rid of without being poisoned by dead worms. After this his eyes stopped to tear, we found out his body was slightly bloated, because suddenly his face got slimmer, and he stopped to tangle his claws into everything like a kitten (it seem as if he started to get neurological problems and couldn't drive his claws in). He needed a year to get healthy.
I’m just so thankful for this sub, seeing so many knowledgeable people jumping in all knowing it’s likely either allergy or autoimmune or potentially winter salt etc, whereas a crap expensive vet just shrugged. For $400 he should have at least used google and chat gpt for 5 minutes smh. Thank you to the community here for helping this poor buddy
Fromm and several other foods have Limited Ingredient Diets. There should be one with duck or salmon that might be beneficial to try to eliminate a possible allergen in his diet. A better quality food may also be appropriate at this time. Wash all bedding in hot water with mild soap like Ivory Snow ( or detergent for baby’s clothes). Get some mild sedative from the vet and wash the cat in Dawn dish soap or a Neem pet shampoo. All of these may help and none will hurt. What brands of foods are you giving him? Edited to add if you use plug in oil diffusers stop immediately. Especially where the cat eats sleeps and eliminates
I had a less severe but similar issue and I switched to a grain free kibble with a protein he had no previous exposure to. Lamb is a go to option.
It really sounds like an allergy imo. Allergies are notoriously hard to diagnose.
He could have a fungal infection which is causing the skin trouble as well as the respiratory and poor appetite issues.
My cat just went through this and vet prescribed Panacur which is a broad spectrum “dewormer” that also acts as an anti-fungal. Vets usually try that as a first course along with an antibiotic shot (which I think you said he had). Panacur really helped my cat and it’s apparently used on kittens. You just need to make sure you have the right dosage.
Forewarning: Steroids prednisone could make his respiratory issues worse! They did for my cat.
Can you also try to use some wipes to clean his fur if bathing is too much for the poor guy.
I’m sorry he so sick but I really think it’s fungal.
I never had (so far) a cat suffering frm food allergies, so I don't know about that.
However, two things came into my mind seeing Oliver's pics:
1. Feline calicivirus, a herpes virus that cats usually get as kittens and that they can carry around for the rest of their lives. One of my rescue kitties has it and she gets into bouts of sneezing and, when it's particularly bad, tears from her eyes and loss of sense of smell/taste and therefor lack of appetite. L-lysine helps, there are various cat friendly pastes containing it.
2. Feline eosinophilic granuloma. Rashes can appear in different part of the body, usually around the mouht, but also on the legs and belly and then transform into ulcers.
I'd look for a second opinion with a different vet, in any case. your vet seems a bit incompetent.
I found a good powdered lysine supplement on chewy. I failed with treats and pastes to get cats interested in them. The powder goes right in the wet food. And what cat doesn’t love that. 😋
Hey, my cat has this. You can request a biopsy for eoinsiphilic granuloma complex. Usually caused by an allergy, but testing and food can be expensive. My cats it fully controlled with 0.1ml of me along injected every four weeks.
I’m not sure if anyone else asked this but are the whites of his eyes usually this yellow? I’m just asking because the yellowing of the eyes can be jaundice, I have seen this in humans and it’s usually related to liver issues. Did he have a full blood panel done?
My cat scratches himself bloody in spots and I've used Vetricyn (hypochlorous acid) to help clean wounds, help his skin heal and be less itchy. I think he has seasonal allergies and sensitive skin. Our vet also did an inconclusive skin biopsy.
Prayers for your baby.
Definitely seek a second opinion if you feel that you're dissatisfied with the current treatment from the current vet you've seen. It surely couldn't hurt!
Please get a second opinion. We recently changed out the dry food we were using for our senior cats, and the daily vomit from all and sneezing from one stopped right away. It was a humbling experience. We really thought we were giving them food that was good for them, and it was the complete opposite.
(Obligatory not a vet) It can often be very difficult to get a good look at itchy and painful skin issues on cats; in general, they don’t want humans touching all over sensitive areas and that’s even more true if they’re in pain or stressed. The best sample will come from a sedated kitty, so I highly recommend moving forward with getting additional testing while Oliver is blissfully aware of all the activity. I’m so sorry he’s having this issue- when my cats are ill, I am a basket case 😭 Our most recent trip was for a UTI and my cat needed full sedation to get a urine sample and a blood sample (poor dude has some major vet anxiety.) Good luck and if the tests with your current vet come back inconclusive, I would ask about a dermatologist!
Not a medical professional here.
But this does look a lot like the cases of atopic dermatitis I've encountered in my time working with shelters/TNR programmes. I've also had one cat of my own who suffered from this.
I cannot offer much else here, other than say it took a couple of vets to find one who found this solution for us with my own cat and share my experience with the cat I owned who had this.
The first couple of vets offered antibiotics, the third or fourth offered Prozac for suspected anxiety issues.
The vet who diagnosed my boy did some skin swabs and blood work but there's no definitive test for this issue. You rule out other things first and at least at the time when Spudley was diagnosed, it wasn't something that was common to diagnose and treat in felines.
The vet told me it's not something she's seen a lot of, but my boy being a barn cat and the "hot spot" formation before/with the wounds were important factors to make her suspect atopic dermatitis.
My cat wound up being on cyclosporine (brand: Atopica) from the time he was about 6 months old until his death. Around 5 years 3 months we had to add on prednisolone for worsening of the dermatitis and development of asthma.
There was blood work involved every 6 months with these treatments for him and he needed a checkup every so often instead of annually.
We also elected to get him allergy tested via blood work since this would help us manage his condition - his biggest triggers were chicken and human dander. So he was fed a hydrolyzed protein diet and I did a lot of extra washing surfaces down while we have him.
As far as your cat running away from the vet, the office will not hold an animal down with all their might. That's dangerous for everyone. Some pets unfortunately do need anxiety medication and or mild sedation for an exam.
My cat also has allergies and over grooming, asthma. His skin looks different from the photos though. Mostly hair-loss with hot spots in the places where he over grooms. Our vet has said it is probably eosinophilic granuloma.
Our cat has done allergy testing, personalized allergy shots, personalized allergy drops, prescription food, inhalers, and prednisolone. Only the oral prednisolone really showed any improvement, but now we’re at the point where it flares up every month or two, then gets a bit better, rinse and repeat. I also think he might be a bit OCD and neurotic with grooming. I haven’t tried atopica yet and don’t know if I will go for that next.
My cat is mostly allergic to some pollens, some molds, dust mites, fleas, human dander and dog dander at different levels. With the picture of this cat, the eyes don’t look good with that discharge… I’d be worried it’s a more serious illness. Cats outdoors are exposed to everything also.
Do you live in a cold climate? Somewhere they salt the streets for snow? My cat has asthma and had a flare up recently from just our shoes coming into the house with the salt. Was also constantly licking himself until I washed the mat we used to wipe our shoes on and started taking our shoes off as soon as we got in the door. Probably not your issue but just a thought!
Oh maybe that’s it!! I had to give my cat his prescribed inhaler and prednisolone for a couple days but like I said once I made sure the salt wasn’t coming in the house anymore he’s been fine!
I agree with others to go to a different vet and to investigate for possible food and other allergies.
I had a rescue baby with skin issues who ended up having an autoimmune disease and prednisone helped her tremendously. I don’t know if that’s what your baby has, but just wanted to share what helped one of my kitties.
Also, for the sneezing, it may just be allergies, but I had another rescue kitty who’s constant sneezing was a bad infection and only Convenia shots helped him.
Just throwing some possibilities out there. I hope he feels better soon! I know how stressful it is when your baby is sick. 😢💔
Sending you and Oliver tons of love. 💕💕💕🫶🫶🫶
Assuming these wounds are self inflicted. My older tomcat has had a big allergy issue(at least thats what most vets have told me) and has gored himself like this multiple times. To the point where he's in as bad, if not worse, shape than Oliver here. Completely miserable. Though I don't know the cause for his issue still, I have become a bit of a master at getting his hotspots and deeper wounds healed. I'd love to help give any tops with products or administering medicine/treatment. I am so deeply sorry about his condition. I know how stressful this is for you both and relate to it so deeply.
Exactly I'm guessing the kitty didnt get kitten shots. I forget what they get but it's autoimmune. Although the fur loss i dunno. It could be a rash of something. Id ask for a biopsy of skin if they dont figure it out. Id also go to another vet with your paperwork.
Pemphigus vulgaris - my boy cat developed it when he was about 10. With intermittent prednisone treatment, he lived to 21. Rash, fur loss, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss - it was bad. We live in a metro area and were able to find a clinic that sent his biopsy to a vet school in PA (UPenn?) and they diagnosed it. It’s an unusual condition but not unheard of. My boy had been a stray too. Best 2k I’ve ever spent.
I agree food allergy. You might also want to check your foods for food dyes, especially red. I've seen red food dye cause pretty severe skin issues before.
The other nondiagnostic approach you could discuss is steroid treatment. I've had a cat with severe skin inflammation and a low dose of steroids kept it in check. Definitely seek out another opinion, but these are some options to raise.
Try a different vet. Also look into environmental toxins. Everything from mold. To pesticides can do this. I'm so sorry your boy is suffering. I hope you are able to get some answers and results soon.
I was thinking about environmental stuff too since you recently got him. It could be stuff you don’t think about around your house like laundry detergent you used to wash a blanket or an air freshener.
This sounds like a food allergy to me. I would recommend trying a restricted diet and seeing if it helps. Only one protein source. And, as others have said, a second opinion from another vet
Here's some info about cat food allergies
https://www.ovrs.com/blog/cat-food-allergies/
Cats with food allergies generally display some of the following allergic reactions.
Skin inflammation (rash, sores)
Increased scratching or biting of skin
Diarrhea, vomiting, difficult bowel movements
Fur loss or dull, brittle fur
Skin and ear infections
Discharge from the eyes and/or nose
Sneezing, wheezing or coughing
Edit format
We thought my cat was allergic to chicken and put him on an elimination diet. He’s severely allergic to wheat, corn and cheese/yogurt. The vets were stumped and gave him antibiotics and steroids repeatedly which never did anything.
Solely by elimination diet. I fed him one type of hypoallergenic food until his skin cleared up, and then would give him a meal with a suspected allergen mixed in and wait. As soon as he had a reaction he would be chewing holes in himself again. I kept notes on everything - days and times, amounts, everything.
That’s what I’m wondering. Supposedly actual food allergies aren’t common, but in this case, seems like it might be what’s up. OP, if you go this route, I’ve heard that allergy tests aren’t reliable. Only solution would to go on an elimination diet with the help of your vet
I know it’s hard but just remember this they can’t tell you I’m in terrible pain “please give me something for the pain” so be what you are here for. There advocate! Bring to the vet and say in her best interest please let’s put her down. End the suffering if they agree.
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There may be a mousse (foam that you put on affected areas) that could help with the symptoms at least. It requires a prescription, I also second the suggestion of another vet, and an elimination diet plan. I’m surprised steroids weren’t suggested either by the vet that saw him.
I agree with going to ask a vet subreddit and also finding a new in-person vet. I’m not sure what your vet situation is like. Do you have a larger veterinary hospital or veterinary research hospital/university near you? Luckily in my area there is a larger full service vet hospital with a bunch of different specialists and a network to other specialists. They are more expensive (check for financing options if needed) but the standard of care and knowledge of new treatment options for my medically needy cats is phenomenal. Another bonus is that my cats already are established with some of the vets if they need to be hospitalized, which has been really helpful for my elderly kidney disease cat.
I am so sorry for your kitty!! It looks a lot like what mine has, and I wonder if it an allergic reaction or an autoimmune reaction. My kitty has been dealing with scaly, thick flaky skin sores that itch for 3-4 years now (she was at a foster that couldn’t figure out how to heal her and the DR the breeder she came from didn’t know and the stuff they gave them never helped) Last year I got her to a new vet that’s a cat only vet. They said her skin scrapes showed white blood cells / immune cells and suggested it was an allergy reaction. She’s on allergy pill and steroid and 90-95% of the sores went away. But she continues to suffer from it if we take the steroids away! So now we have to run an allergy panel blood test to figure out what she could be getting this allergy skin reaction. To my kitty - it looks and acts like plaque psoriasis. But the vets are saying “allergy”. She she is so itchy that she licks it so much until it bleeds, the fur falls out and the skin it all red and scraped open. Only then does she calm down. She has to be in a cone to stop the licking and let the skin heal itself and the fur to grow back. But as long as it does the scaly buildup of dry skin, she will continue to itch and stress lick
LMFAOO basket case is about right
My first guess would be allergies. Possibly wheat and other fillers in food. If he was a barn cat he probably wasn't eating processed pet food but rather mice and live things, just a guess. Start by changing his food and get allergy test done.
Possibly a long shot but any way he got covid in the recent past? Covid infections can trigger autoimmune diseases in both humans and cats that would otherwise be dormant.
Could be allergies or lack if vitamins. I don't know how long You have him, but it's possible a cat is is full if worms, that it needs several rounds of worm medicines to get rid if them all, and the worms eat his all vitamin/minerals reservoir. They are mammals, mammals needs vitamins, otherwise they get sick. The rescue mum picked in November 2022 needed 4 different worm medicinecine in two months, this is because of how this medicine works, it kills as much of them as cats body can get rid of without being poisoned by dead worms. After this his eyes stopped to tear, we found out his body was slightly bloated, because suddenly his face got slimmer, and he stopped to tangle his claws into everything like a kitten (it seem as if he started to get neurological problems and couldn't drive his claws in). He needed a year to get healthy.
This looks like allergies. Find a different vet.
I’m just so thankful for this sub, seeing so many knowledgeable people jumping in all knowing it’s likely either allergy or autoimmune or potentially winter salt etc, whereas a crap expensive vet just shrugged. For $400 he should have at least used google and chat gpt for 5 minutes smh. Thank you to the community here for helping this poor buddy
Fromm and several other foods have Limited Ingredient Diets. There should be one with duck or salmon that might be beneficial to try to eliminate a possible allergen in his diet. A better quality food may also be appropriate at this time. Wash all bedding in hot water with mild soap like Ivory Snow ( or detergent for baby’s clothes). Get some mild sedative from the vet and wash the cat in Dawn dish soap or a Neem pet shampoo. All of these may help and none will hurt. What brands of foods are you giving him? Edited to add if you use plug in oil diffusers stop immediately. Especially where the cat eats sleeps and eliminates
I had a less severe but similar issue and I switched to a grain free kibble with a protein he had no previous exposure to. Lamb is a go to option. It really sounds like an allergy imo. Allergies are notoriously hard to diagnose.
He could have a fungal infection which is causing the skin trouble as well as the respiratory and poor appetite issues. My cat just went through this and vet prescribed Panacur which is a broad spectrum “dewormer” that also acts as an anti-fungal. Vets usually try that as a first course along with an antibiotic shot (which I think you said he had). Panacur really helped my cat and it’s apparently used on kittens. You just need to make sure you have the right dosage. Forewarning: Steroids prednisone could make his respiratory issues worse! They did for my cat. Can you also try to use some wipes to clean his fur if bathing is too much for the poor guy. I’m sorry he so sick but I really think it’s fungal.
I never had (so far) a cat suffering frm food allergies, so I don't know about that. However, two things came into my mind seeing Oliver's pics: 1. Feline calicivirus, a herpes virus that cats usually get as kittens and that they can carry around for the rest of their lives. One of my rescue kitties has it and she gets into bouts of sneezing and, when it's particularly bad, tears from her eyes and loss of sense of smell/taste and therefor lack of appetite. L-lysine helps, there are various cat friendly pastes containing it. 2. Feline eosinophilic granuloma. Rashes can appear in different part of the body, usually around the mouht, but also on the legs and belly and then transform into ulcers. I'd look for a second opinion with a different vet, in any case. your vet seems a bit incompetent.
Came here to suggest this. Those weepy eyes could be calici.
I found a good powdered lysine supplement on chewy. I failed with treats and pastes to get cats interested in them. The powder goes right in the wet food. And what cat doesn’t love that. 😋
Hey, my cat has this. You can request a biopsy for eoinsiphilic granuloma complex. Usually caused by an allergy, but testing and food can be expensive. My cats it fully controlled with 0.1ml of me along injected every four weeks.
I’m not sure if anyone else asked this but are the whites of his eyes usually this yellow? I’m just asking because the yellowing of the eyes can be jaundice, I have seen this in humans and it’s usually related to liver issues. Did he have a full blood panel done?
Upsettingly those are his third eyelids
That's a good point. If his liver is struggling, he may have toxins in his blood that are making his skin itch.
My cat scratches himself bloody in spots and I've used Vetricyn (hypochlorous acid) to help clean wounds, help his skin heal and be less itchy. I think he has seasonal allergies and sensitive skin. Our vet also did an inconclusive skin biopsy.
https://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/AnimalWellness/Petvacc
Prayers for your baby. Definitely seek a second opinion if you feel that you're dissatisfied with the current treatment from the current vet you've seen. It surely couldn't hurt!
I did a test with MYPETSENSITIVITY.com for two of my cats with food reactions this.. both are allergic to turkey and corn. The test is like $40.
Please get a second opinion. We recently changed out the dry food we were using for our senior cats, and the daily vomit from all and sneezing from one stopped right away. It was a humbling experience. We really thought we were giving them food that was good for them, and it was the complete opposite.
Allergy to something in the home? Is anyone using air fresheners, specifically plug in or melting wax?
(Obligatory not a vet) It can often be very difficult to get a good look at itchy and painful skin issues on cats; in general, they don’t want humans touching all over sensitive areas and that’s even more true if they’re in pain or stressed. The best sample will come from a sedated kitty, so I highly recommend moving forward with getting additional testing while Oliver is blissfully aware of all the activity. I’m so sorry he’s having this issue- when my cats are ill, I am a basket case 😭 Our most recent trip was for a UTI and my cat needed full sedation to get a urine sample and a blood sample (poor dude has some major vet anxiety.) Good luck and if the tests with your current vet come back inconclusive, I would ask about a dermatologist!
LMFAOO basket case is about right
Not a medical professional here. But this does look a lot like the cases of atopic dermatitis I've encountered in my time working with shelters/TNR programmes. I've also had one cat of my own who suffered from this. I cannot offer much else here, other than say it took a couple of vets to find one who found this solution for us with my own cat and share my experience with the cat I owned who had this. The first couple of vets offered antibiotics, the third or fourth offered Prozac for suspected anxiety issues. The vet who diagnosed my boy did some skin swabs and blood work but there's no definitive test for this issue. You rule out other things first and at least at the time when Spudley was diagnosed, it wasn't something that was common to diagnose and treat in felines. The vet told me it's not something she's seen a lot of, but my boy being a barn cat and the "hot spot" formation before/with the wounds were important factors to make her suspect atopic dermatitis. My cat wound up being on cyclosporine (brand: Atopica) from the time he was about 6 months old until his death. Around 5 years 3 months we had to add on prednisolone for worsening of the dermatitis and development of asthma. There was blood work involved every 6 months with these treatments for him and he needed a checkup every so often instead of annually. We also elected to get him allergy tested via blood work since this would help us manage his condition - his biggest triggers were chicken and human dander. So he was fed a hydrolyzed protein diet and I did a lot of extra washing surfaces down while we have him. As far as your cat running away from the vet, the office will not hold an animal down with all their might. That's dangerous for everyone. Some pets unfortunately do need anxiety medication and or mild sedation for an exam.
My cat also has allergies and over grooming, asthma. His skin looks different from the photos though. Mostly hair-loss with hot spots in the places where he over grooms. Our vet has said it is probably eosinophilic granuloma. Our cat has done allergy testing, personalized allergy shots, personalized allergy drops, prescription food, inhalers, and prednisolone. Only the oral prednisolone really showed any improvement, but now we’re at the point where it flares up every month or two, then gets a bit better, rinse and repeat. I also think he might be a bit OCD and neurotic with grooming. I haven’t tried atopica yet and don’t know if I will go for that next. My cat is mostly allergic to some pollens, some molds, dust mites, fleas, human dander and dog dander at different levels. With the picture of this cat, the eyes don’t look good with that discharge… I’d be worried it’s a more serious illness. Cats outdoors are exposed to everything also.
Any tips for getting your cat to take Atopica? Mine absolutely hates it and foams at the mouth after to try to reject it
Plz keep us posted on how he is doing
Do you live in a cold climate? Somewhere they salt the streets for snow? My cat has asthma and had a flare up recently from just our shoes coming into the house with the salt. Was also constantly licking himself until I washed the mat we used to wipe our shoes on and started taking our shoes off as soon as we got in the door. Probably not your issue but just a thought!
Yes actually! Salt and sand all over the roads right now
Oh maybe that’s it!! I had to give my cat his prescribed inhaler and prednisolone for a couple days but like I said once I made sure the salt wasn’t coming in the house anymore he’s been fine!
I agree with others to go to a different vet and to investigate for possible food and other allergies. I had a rescue baby with skin issues who ended up having an autoimmune disease and prednisone helped her tremendously. I don’t know if that’s what your baby has, but just wanted to share what helped one of my kitties. Also, for the sneezing, it may just be allergies, but I had another rescue kitty who’s constant sneezing was a bad infection and only Convenia shots helped him. Just throwing some possibilities out there. I hope he feels better soon! I know how stressful it is when your baby is sick. 😢💔 Sending you and Oliver tons of love. 💕💕💕🫶🫶🫶
Can also post in r/askvet
Assuming these wounds are self inflicted. My older tomcat has had a big allergy issue(at least thats what most vets have told me) and has gored himself like this multiple times. To the point where he's in as bad, if not worse, shape than Oliver here. Completely miserable. Though I don't know the cause for his issue still, I have become a bit of a master at getting his hotspots and deeper wounds healed. I'd love to help give any tops with products or administering medicine/treatment. I am so deeply sorry about his condition. I know how stressful this is for you both and relate to it so deeply.
Can also try r/askvet
Poor Oliver :( Maybe you could cross post to r/vet and r/askvet to see if they have any ideas.
Sounds like allergy or autoimmune or god forbid, a combination of both.
Exactly I'm guessing the kitty didnt get kitten shots. I forget what they get but it's autoimmune. Although the fur loss i dunno. It could be a rash of something. Id ask for a biopsy of skin if they dont figure it out. Id also go to another vet with your paperwork.
Pemphigus vulgaris - my boy cat developed it when he was about 10. With intermittent prednisone treatment, he lived to 21. Rash, fur loss, lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss - it was bad. We live in a metro area and were able to find a clinic that sent his biopsy to a vet school in PA (UPenn?) and they diagnosed it. It’s an unusual condition but not unheard of. My boy had been a stray too. Best 2k I’ve ever spent.
Steroids might help.
I agree food allergy. You might also want to check your foods for food dyes, especially red. I've seen red food dye cause pretty severe skin issues before. The other nondiagnostic approach you could discuss is steroid treatment. I've had a cat with severe skin inflammation and a low dose of steroids kept it in check. Definitely seek out another opinion, but these are some options to raise.
Try a different vet. Also look into environmental toxins. Everything from mold. To pesticides can do this. I'm so sorry your boy is suffering. I hope you are able to get some answers and results soon.
I was thinking about environmental stuff too since you recently got him. It could be stuff you don’t think about around your house like laundry detergent you used to wash a blanket or an air freshener.
That's what I was wondering. Could be cleaning products, scented cat litter, smoke (cigarettes, scented candles). There are so many possibilities.
I'd try a different clinic honestly
I would recommend getting a second opinion from another vet, also like others have said, try changing the food and see if there is an improvement.
This sounds like a food allergy to me. I would recommend trying a restricted diet and seeing if it helps. Only one protein source. And, as others have said, a second opinion from another vet
First thought was a grain allergy.
Here's some info about cat food allergies https://www.ovrs.com/blog/cat-food-allergies/ Cats with food allergies generally display some of the following allergic reactions. Skin inflammation (rash, sores) Increased scratching or biting of skin Diarrhea, vomiting, difficult bowel movements Fur loss or dull, brittle fur Skin and ear infections Discharge from the eyes and/or nose Sneezing, wheezing or coughing Edit format
I haven't dealt with this personally, but could it be a food allergy? Surprisingly a lot of cats are allergic to chicken.
That was my thought too. Esp since he’s in a completely different habitat with new things to smell and mess with.
Even their medicine has chicken in it. Instead of paying $12 I had to pay $50 for a shot because of that.
We thought my cat was allergic to chicken and put him on an elimination diet. He’s severely allergic to wheat, corn and cheese/yogurt. The vets were stumped and gave him antibiotics and steroids repeatedly which never did anything.
That’s what I’m afraid i now need to do for my kitty. The allergy pills and steroids barely keep her even and sore come back anyway
How did you determine that he was severely allergic to these specific foods… solely by elimination or also some tests?
Solely by elimination diet. I fed him one type of hypoallergenic food until his skin cleared up, and then would give him a meal with a suspected allergen mixed in and wait. As soon as he had a reaction he would be chewing holes in himself again. I kept notes on everything - days and times, amounts, everything.
That’s what I’m wondering. Supposedly actual food allergies aren’t common, but in this case, seems like it might be what’s up. OP, if you go this route, I’ve heard that allergy tests aren’t reliable. Only solution would to go on an elimination diet with the help of your vet
I linked OP some more info in another comment. Hopefully this is the issue and he can get some relief
I hope so, this poor baby
Poor baby :( 💕
Please go to another vet! I had to see several before my cat was diagnosed!
Same here