Rupert Update

Well the good news is that Rupert's wounds are nearly 100% healed. There are no open sores/redness etc.

The bad news is that he is still itchy. I don't know if the scabs are just itchy, of if it's the underlying condition. I take his cone off for approx. an hour a day and follow him around, watching him like a hawk. He really needs some time to groom himself and eat without the burden of the cone. During these times he's still scratching the spot beside his nose and licking his paw. I stop him so he doesn't do any damage but I can see the urge is there. He hasn't tried any fur-pulling during these times though at least.

He's getting salmon oil each day and is eating Natural Balance Duck & Pea. He really doesn't seem to like it though and doesn't chow down like usual, so I may try to push the wet food at this point. Maybe it will seem better in comparison to a kibble he doesn't really like :shrug:

His coat is looking good but we noticed the bottom of his feet and his nails were really dry when we clipped them the other day. I'm hoping the salmon oil will continue to help that.

Anyway, I will continue to update. The main thing at this point is I can tell he's comfortable and a much happier kitty now that there aren't any open sores on him.

:fingerscr for continued progress....

Great update :cat: :goodvibes: for continued progress

where's the update pic? :rolleyes: :D

Glad to hear Rupert is doing so much better. :highfive:

Now that the sores are healed have you tried dabbing some apple cider vinegar on them? That stuff is great for the itchies. :thumbs up

Chaser just curious did Ruperts feet look like they were dry, chapped, cracked and almost like caloused looking?

:highfive: that he's been improving! :grouphug: Could the itching just be residual from the healing process? :fingerscr We always have the worst problem when the scabs get itchy till about three days after they fall off. Then the itching finally seems to stop. I hope that's true with Rupert, too, that he just needs a little more healing time!

Chaser just curious did Ruperts feet look like they were dry, chapped, cracked and almost like caloused looking?

No, not cracked or calloused. The paw pads look healthy, but the nails are dry, as well as a little in between his toes. It's only on his front paws as well. I may try a little pure vitamin E ointment on the dry spots.

The reason I asked is because when my Moms cat Brady was diagnosed with ECG that was one of his symptoms as well...along with the sores around the mouth and nose it makes me wonder if its part of the underlying condition. I am pretty sure there is lots to read out there about it. Brady received a shot and he was good for approx 5 months the first time around. Since then he is on strictly canned food and only eating Venison & Duck. This seems to have helped a great deal.

yay Rupert ! :cat:

here is one link I found to a previous post...some symtoms sound similiar?

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=42431

Cindy

Great news for Rupert though. I am sure he is soooo happy to be cone-free!

here is one link I found to a previous post...some symtoms sound similiar?

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=42431

Cindy

Sounds possible....I will do more research on it tomorrow as I have a family dinner today. I don't love the thought of using steroids so I'm glad I'm trying a food change first, but if he stays itchy I wonder if it's a dust allergy in general. I can't really control that so will have to keep :fingerscr that just one or two shots will do the trick.

I'm just glad that now I know he's generally comfortable so I have some time to look into this and go to the vet well-informed.

I'm so glad he's doing better. Hopefully he'll continue to improve. :pray::pray::pray:

Any news? hows Rupert doing now?

Any news? hows Rupert doing now?

Weird...I was just about to start a new update thread tonight!

His paw was almost completely healed....until he learned to scratch it on the edge of the cone and ripped the scab right off!!! It's under control again but we basically had to start from scratch.

He HATES the Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck food and has lost some weight as a result (going to get a refund for that tomorrow). Despite his anti-kibble hunger strike he would only eat teeny amounts of wet food as well. I've started feeding him Orijen Regional Fish temporarily (I know fish formulas aren't good for cats). But he has to eat something for now and I'm working on the assumption of chicken being the most likely food culprit.

Regardless, he'd been off chicken and fish for a month with no improvement to the uncontrollable itchies so I think it's environmental.

We have an appt. this Friday A.M. at a kitty clinic to get it all figured out....though I will NOT buy any food if they try to sell me on that crap! But he clearly needs steroids (unfortunately) and I think he has developed a URI as well so that needs treating.

Will update after the vet visit! The clinic works only with cats and has specialists on staff if needed....though I'm hoping that getting this remedied will be fairly straightforward.

Oh, I was hoping he was 100% now! :(

:goodvibes: for the visit to the new vet! I hope they can get him back on the right track! :grouphug:

I hope you can find out what his allergies are :goodvibes:

I wonder if they have an equivalent of Vanectyl for cats ?

I hope you can find out what his allergies are :goodvibes:

Me too!

I wonder if they have an equivalent of Vanectyl for cats ?

I have no idea what that is :confused:

Unlike the cat, both dogs have always been in perfect health so I don't know dog meds *knock on wood*

Oh, I was hoping he was 100% now! :(

:goodvibes: for the visit to the new vet! I hope they can get him back on the right track! :grouphug:

Thanks Hazel :fingerscr

I chose a cat clinic because I figure their specialization certainly can't hurt....plus they won't pressure me to bring the dogs there like a regular vet clinic would! Even though he's over an hour away our vet is awesome....I'm just not willing to take Rupert there because that car trip is just not fair to a cat or pleasant for us!

I chose a cat clinic because I figure their specialization certainly can't hurt....plus they won't pressure me to bring the dogs there like a regular vet clinic would! Even though he's over an hour away our vet is awesome....I'm just not willing to take Rupert there because that car trip is just not fair to a cat or pleasant for us!

Good choice on the cat clinic but was wondering if Rupert doesn't travel well? Have you tried putting a towel over his carrier while in the car? With all of the cats I have taken to TO and back to get fixed I can count on one hand the ones that were not happy in the car.

You mentioned you thought maybe Rupert was suffering from a dust allergy in an earlier post. Have you tried an air cleaner? I have this one in my living room. I use it regularily. Uses very little power and seems to help my stepsons' allergies. And..... it's on sale!!

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-04383-Allergen-Reducing-Cleaner/dp/B000R2WEJQ/ref=pd_sim_k_4

Good choice on the cat clinic but was wondering if Rupert doesn't travel well? Have you tried putting a towel over his carrier while in the car? With all of the cats I have taken to TO and back to get fixed I can count on one hand the ones that were not happy in the car.

You mentioned you thought maybe Rupert was suffering from a dust allergy in an earlier post. Have you tried an air cleaner? I have this one in my living room. I use it regularily. Uses very little power and seems to help my stepsons' allergies. And..... it's on sale!!

http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-04383-Allergen-Reducing-Cleaner/dp/B000R2WEJQ/ref=pd_sim_k_4

He's yowls for the first part of the trip and then goes so silent you would think he died in his carrier. It's not a terrible thing but really, as much as we like our vet it just is not worth more than an hour in the car now I've discovered a specialized cat clinic is just 10 minutes away. :)

We already have an ionic air purifier about twice the size of that one....runs constantly and takes a tonne of junk out of the air. Thinking about getting a second one of them....it helps us, but apparently not Rupert.

The switch from radiant heat to forced air just has not been good to him :shrug:

I just hope we'll have some luck at the vet.....he wants to chew his paw off and will scratch his ears until he draws blood if we let him :( Thought he was improving a little but apparently not.

The switch from radiant heat to forced air just has not been good to him :shrug:


Do you use those air filters that remove 99% of the allergens? :)

Good luck at the new vet ....I hope he/she can help Rupert. :fingerscr :goodvibes:

Oy, poor Rupert. I really hope the new vet can figure out what's going on.

I know what it's like, going through that with my Boston terrier. Never did figure out the allergies. Wysong makes a pure duck can food for dogs/cats (same can). I mixed it with my Go Duck for my dog. Remember they now say 12 weeks on one food, which seems like forever to eliminate the allergy. P.S. My dog had a reaction to salmon oil.

I know what it's like, going through that with my Boston terrier. Never did figure out the allergies. Wysong makes a pure duck can food for dogs/cats (same can). I mixed it with my Go Duck for my dog. Remember they now say 12 weeks on one food, which seems like forever to eliminate the allergy. P.S. My dog had a reaction to salmon oil.

Thanks for the encouragement :)

I'm finding there are a lot more foods available to accomodate dog allergies than cats :frustrated:

I can't even find treats that Rupert can have, and he loves his treats! Comes running into the kitchen every time he knows the dogs are getting something :laughing: I ended up buying him a bag of dog treats - Wellness Pure Bites in Venison - and breaking them up into teensy pieces for him. Those and some 100% pure dried duck tenders (also for dogs!) are the only treats I can find that he can have!

I'm so frustrated! And wet food would solve the problem but he just won't eat it. He has been insanely hungry for weeks but will only eat about a tablespoon a day of any wet food I try (Nature's Variety Venison, Rabbit AND Duck, plus Natural Balance Venison and Duck formulas). He's an 18 lb. cat.....one Tbs. just is not going to cut it!

:wall: :wall: :wall:

This vet had better be a frickin' miracle worker. I've done all I possibly can for him at this point and unfortunately nothing has worked :(

Do you use those air filters that remove 99% of the allergens? :)

Yep....and a brand new furnace was installed about three months before we moved in too.

I can't even find treats that Rupert can have, and he loves his treats! Comes running into the kitchen every time he knows the dogs are getting something :laughing: I ended up buying him a bag of dog treats - Wellness Pure Bites in Venison - and breaking them up into teensy pieces for him. Those and some 100% pure dried duck tenders (also for dogs!) are the only treats I can find that he can have!


You could make your own treats for Rupert. Here's one with ground beef but I would leave out the brewers yeast as that is known to cause allergies ....

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/1231/Moist-Kitty-Morsels93978.shtml

If you google homemade cat treat recipes you'll find lots more.

Good luck at the vet today. :goodvibes:

You could make your own treats for Rupert. Here's one with ground beef but I would leave out the brewers yeast as that is known to cause allergies ....

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/1231/Moist-Kitty-Morsels93978.shtml

Thanks rainbow :) But on sugarcatmom's advice I'm avoiding beef too! My options are lamb, venison, duck and rabbit. Stupid Acana even puts chicken in their lamb-based cat food!

I don't mind breaking up the venison Pure Bites for him though....he really does love them :D It's just annoying that the market is so limited!

Off to the vet - will update later!