Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone. It's been a while since posting on here, and I'm glad to see everyone is doing well. I'm posting this in the holistic vet forum too. I have one cat Topaz that has severe skin allergies (to what I'm unsure) where she completely chews her legs, and belly to where they bleed and scratches her ears and face raw. I've tried antihistimines, topical creams, diet change (but she won't eat any of the food I've tried, she is so little and skinny even eating the food she is on now (Science Diet indoor cat). She improved slightly on Wellness cat food but then decided she wouldnt eat it. Shes had bloodwork and UA, and all was well. She's recently been on Depo-medrol steroid injections ever 8-12 weeks which cures her for the time, but intervals between itching has become about 6 weeks, and I don't want to keep giving them to her since they can cause diabetes. I'm interested in starting raw diet for her (she LOVES raw chicken necks and eats them better than any other food ever) to see if it might help her allergies. I know it helps for food allergies if they are having GI problems, but ahs anyone heard of helping skin allergies? My other cat Gulliver is also very thin and vomits regularly in addition to having Chronic respiratory problems, so I want to try him on it as well. Does anyone here feed raw? what is your experience with it? I've been reading up on it a lot, but if it doesn't help her, I don't know if it's worth investing in. Any help is appreciated.

Also, an update on my newest cat Kengee. She had her ears amputated last spring to get rid of her squamous cell carcinoma and is doign great. no more cancer. no more painful ears, and she is the biggest ham ever. I've never met a more friendly cat. Soon hopefully, she may go start visiting folks in the nursing home by my house! Here's a pic of her

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2.3 Wonderful kitties "KIMBA, TOPAZ, KENGEE, GULLIVER AND TANTOR"
0.1 WTF "Pepe"
1.1 Firebelly toads "Bif & Kaboom"
0.0.1 Painted (chubby) frog "Millhouse"
0.1 Normal Cornsnake "Skoda"
1.1 Bettas

Hi Samster,

I don't feed my cats a raw diet, so I can't really help you, but I will pass on something that I learned recently when my cat, Voodoo, was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy. I learned that this used to be a common disease until commercial food was supplemented with taurine. Now it is rare (my cat does not have a taurine deficiency, so why she has this disease is not clear). The veterinary cardiologist told me that he hardly ever sees this disease in cats any more except those that are fed a raw diet.

My point is that you should consider taurine supplementation if you feed raw. Hopefully some of the people with experience in raw diets will have some suggestions regarding this issue.

Good luck,
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ellen
gracie, voodoo, Puss 'n Boots.... & Willow!

She's recently been on Depo-medrol steroid injections ever 8-12 weeks which cures her for the time, but intervals between itching has become about 6 weeks, and I don't want to keep giving them to her since they can cause diabetes.

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I can't talk about allergies, bit I can share a little about Steroids. Stanley has been on Prednisolone for about 10 months now for inflamation/swelling on his brain. I understand Pred is also given for allergies... He was on pretty high Pred at first and after a couple months, his sugar levels were dangerously high (diabetes levels) and his liver levels were also dangerously high. To the point where the high levels were as dangerous as the brain swelling the pills controlled.

We "played" with the dosage to find a level that controlled his brain swelling long-term (with no symptoms) and also dropped his sugar/liver levels. For the past few months, he's been perfectly "normal" on steroids -- both brain swelling controlled and his other levels "normal" range.

The point is, if you just keep an eye on the levels with regular vet visits, there probably won't be any problems. He was able to go from danger zone to normal levels almost overnight by finding the right dose with the vet. Just keep an eye on it and steroids can be used long term. Of course, if diet change will help, get rid of the steroids if you can. Just don't be too afraid of them if you are keeping an eye on them w/regular blood work with the vet... You'll catch changes in time to correct, most likely...

Just don't do a high dose for very long. In Stanley's case, he can maintain about 2MG once a day safely. He had problems when he had 2MG twice a day. The pills come in 5MG size and I cut them down to 1/3 tablet for each daily dose.
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy
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So how does this exactly affect the heart? Romeo died of degenerative cardiomyopathy, but we knew of if from the first time we went to the vet at about 4 months of age. She said it was a result of his general poor condition the first few months of his life. Does the term dilated refer to the heart swelling inward?

Elizabeth

>>diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy
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>>
>>So how does this exactly affect the heart? Romeo died of degenerative cardiomyopathy, but we knew of if from the first time we went to the vet at about 4 months of age. She said it was a result of his general poor condition the first few months of his life. Does the term dilated refer to the heart swelling inward?
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>>Elizabeth

So sorry, Elizabeth, about Romeo.

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ellen
gracie, voodoo, Puss 'n Boots.... & Willow!

iN Romeo's case, periodic x-rays showed the heart enlarging (even I could tell) over the years but when he was examined after death, it turned out the heart muscle had expanded inward, closing off the blood flow. I guess that would make it HCM.

I am grateful that he had a good life up until the last month. His actual death was a bit of a surprise. We saw the vet on Thursday and were scheduled for another visit on Monday to pull bloodwork. He died that Saturday, Valentine's Day 2004. What a rotten day for a beloved cat named Romeo to leave!

Allergies apparently became a problem in our house in the last year. Through mostly trial and error, we discovered that Stink is allergic to chicken (or maybe corn) both which are in almost all commerical foods, even the fish flavors. She now gets certain Fancy Feast flavors only since I haven't found a dry food with out both of these ingredients. She is currently more than fine after previously wasting away to a rack of bones.

Although our upsets centered on vomiting, I've a friend whose cat had skin problems and vomit problems that disappeared when she removed fish from her cat's diet. So you might want to test foods by removing one ingredient at a time.

Not sure how much it applies to cats, but as a human with many allergies I can attest that it's the casual environment contacts that can create the worst havoc at times. Certain cleaners, heavy scents from candles, perfumes, some laundry soaps, etc. can leave me red and inflamed. Could there be something in your environment? Pesticides? Insecticides? Lysol? (good for dogs, bad for cats..)Take a look around your house....

Hope this clears up for kitty soon! Best of luck

Purrs,
Elizabeth

I couldn't find science diet indoor cat food but I found plan ol' science diet. The second ingredient is corn. Usually cats are not allergic to corn like dogs are but you may have an exception.
Wellness doesn't have any corn products. Also you may want to try
1) California Natural Venison & Rice (it only has ten ingredients so may be easy to figure out if she is allergy to any of them. There is no chicken or corn.
2) California Natural Herring & Sweet Potato this one doesn't have any chicken or corn and only 12 ingredients.

3) Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul(TM) Cat Formula (this is what I feed my cats, but we are thinking about switching my mom's older cat off of it. We think it may be to much meat protein for his kidneys.

I am assuming that your cat probably is allergic to corn, since she did ok on Wellness just didn't like it.
All of the ones below have no corn. But do have chicken.

4)Felidae Cat & Kitten Dry Formula
5) Evolve® Maintenance Dry Cat Food
6)Holistic Blend® All Life Stages Chicken Feline Formuala
7)Lick Your Chops Kitten & Cat Dry Growth & Maintenance Formula
8)Life's Abundance Premium Health Food for Cats
9) Natural Balance Ultra-Premium Dry Cat Food
10) Nature's Variety Chicken Meal & Brown Rice (48 ingredients I would skip this one)
11)
Pinnacle Feline High Protein/Low Carbs Chicken & Ocean Fish Dry Formula

I used the comparision wizard at the below link. I only looked at the dry food. I did look at all the dry food and the above are the only ones without corn in them. Best of luck! Let us know how it is going.
Comparision Wizard

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Jaime owned by
Mya the dog
and the cats:Crash, Gabby and Tucker

3) Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul(TM) Cat Formula (this is what I feed my cats, but we are thinking about switching my mom's older cat off of it. We think it may be to much meat protein for his kidneys.

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Jaime -- Do think hard on it. The higher protein foods are very harsh on older cat kidneys. I started my boys on lower protein commercial Premium foods since about age 11 or so. I found Nutro Natural Choice for Seniors had lower protein than most... Watch your Senior foods, like Purina -- they acually have even higher protein than regular cat food. Kidney disease is a top killer in older cats. When Stanly started showing early signs of it about a year ago at age 14, vet switched the boys to Science Diet KD (Kidney Disease formula). It has kept his values steady at the low end of the disease for a solid year. Really slows the progression. Could be a year or more until he has symptoms. Pookey is benefitting by eating it, too, I suspect. Don't switch to it if there isn't a problem, but start now with a lower protein food if you have an older cat. Protein and I think it is Phosphorus (no longer have my notes) are what I read up on as lowering for senior cats. The Nutro Natural Choice Senior (Pepto Bismol colored bag) had lower of both without going to prescription KD levels... Definitely get off the high protein foods if you can...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Jaime -- Another "grocery" brand that impressed me for protein level, etc., after looking at all of them was Purnia Cat Chow Green Bag -- Indoor Formula (not their new Natural line). They have blue bag Cat Chow and green bag (indoor) Cat Chow. If I recall, it has decent protein/phosphorous levels... Magnesium wasn't too high -- I've always kept magnesium low for my boys for years not to help w/UTIs... They have had very good urinary/kidney health for many, many years. We will be able to control Stanley's early Kidney Failure for quite a while to come, as well, per the vet... That may be a moot point if his brain swelling causes him problems, but so far, amazingly good on that, as well...
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Tammy
Stanley and Pookey

Jaime -- Another "grocery" brand that impressed me for protein level, etc., after looking at all of them was Purnia Cat Chow Green Bag -- Indoor Formula (not their new Natural line). They have blue bag Cat Chow and green bag (indoor) Cat Chow. If I recall, it has decent protein/phosphorous levels... Magnesium wasn't too high --
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Lizzycat is a cheap cat food monger - and she loves this stuff! we went to it this year. She is down a pound and doing well on it. She is 8 now and I have to starve her into eating wet food. Raw food - fudgittit!

And the Nutro Senior Tammy mentioned - Romes did well on it.