eosinophilic granuloma complex-LONG

[Kodster]

Hi everyone, I'm new here and have been searching high and low for someone that has any ideas that may help. We have a 2yr old Silver Marble Bengal boy with eosinophilic granuloma complex. We have done allergy testing, gotten the results and everything he is allergic to. Long list of allergies food and otherwise. This company gave us a list of foods that did not have the foods that he was allergic to in them. We've switched him to that. Actually he's done quite well with the food and intestinal problems have ceased to be an issue. Our problem is that he has "horrible hot spots", on his elbow/shoulder and one started on his tummy. He's been given depo medrol 4 times since November 07 and his last shot was May 08. We're in the process of desensitizing him with allergy shots. He's on his second bottle with only 2 injections left of that one and then on to the third which is his maintenance dose once per month. We have him on chlorpheniramine 2mg twice a day which seemed to stop his skin from crawling. We've got hepa air purifiers in just about every room of the house. I'm simply at my wits end. It's so hard to watch him be so miserable and outside of giving him depo medrol injections every 3 months I'm not sure what to do. I know the side affects of this and that too is scary and he's so young. He's a really sweet, sweet boy. He's a big boy, 24lbs of muscle....We've considered taking him to a dermatologist, it would be a long trip for him and for us and other than that we've done just about everything there is to do for him. Any other suggestions/ideas? Anyone else had the agony of living with a kitty that has this? I'm about as stressed as I can be worrying about this guy. I now worry about infection setting in on his newest spot. It's about the size of half dollar or bigger. We're calling the vet tomorrow to see if we need to get him in for another Depo Medrol. If anyone out there has had some experience with this I'd be open to suggestions. We are desperately looking for something to work on this boy. Thanks in advance!!!

[sugarcatmom]

Hi, welcome to the board. Sorry about the issues your having with your sweet boy. The first thing I'm going to ask about is the food. What does he eat now, and what did he eat before (canned? dry?). What foods were implicated in the allergy testing?

And you're right to be concerned about the Depo shots. For one, they don't do anything to solve the source of the issue, they just suppress the symptoms. Do you have a holistic vet in your area that you could consult? Personally, I would go that route rather than a dermatologist. What you're describing indicates an imbalance in your cats immune system and I think a holistic vet would be better able to look at your WHOLE cat, rather than just the skin issues.

[Kodster]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Hi, welcome to the board. Sorry about the issues your having with your sweet boy. The first thing I'm going to ask about is the food. What does he eat now, and what did he eat before (canned? dry?). What foods were implicated in the allergy testing?

He has been on both dry and canned. He now eats California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato. There are only 2 dry foods listed on the allergy report that he can eat. He would not eat the Hill's Z/D (the only other dry food listed) although we may see about doing that again. He eats wet Science Diet Chicken in pouch, another food recommended on allergy report. His food allergy list is as follows. corn, green pea, peanut, lamb, flaxseed meal, flax, pork and white potato.

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

And you're right to be concerned about the Depo shots. For one, they don't do anything to solve the source of the issue, they just suppress the symptoms. Do you have a holistic vet in your area that you could consult? Personally, I would go that route rather than a dermatologist. What you're describing indicates an imbalance in your cats immune system and I think a holistic vet would be better able to look at your WHOLE cat, rather than just the skin issues.

No we don't have a holistic vet anywhere close that I can find unless I'm not looking in the right place. Would rather take him to someone like that as I myself would usually rather see holistic people doc than MD. This is just so frustrating. My vet has expressed the same concerns about solving the source of this problem rather than masking it. Just don't know what to do....

[Love4himies]

Hi kodster, sorry to hear you are having some issues with your bengal boy . There is nothing I will be able to contribute to you for assistance, but would like to comment on sugarcatmom's knowledge on cats is second to none. Growler is another one of our cat gurus.

I sure would love to see a pic of your big boy, we are kinds pic addicts on this forum.

[Kodster]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

Hi kodster, sorry to hear you are having some issues with your bengal boy . There is nothing I will be able to contribute to you for assistance, but would like to comment on sugarcatmom's knowledge on cats is second to none. Growler is another one of our cat gurus.

Thanks for the warm welcome. We're so worried about him. Just found a spot starting on his left rear paw pad. To the vet tomorrow....

Originally Posted by Love4himies

I sure would love to see a pic of your big boy, we are kinds pic addicts on this forum.

Here he is on his second birthday. He's such a handsome boy. We love all our cats so much. They are pretty much our life.....

[chico2]

Kodster,he is a beauty for sure,I can sense your frustration and heartbreak,I hope you find a viable solution for your boy,hopefully a homeopathic vet

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Kodster

He has been on both dry and canned. He now eats California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato. There are only 2 dry foods listed on the allergy report that he can eat. He would not eat the Hill's Z/D (the only other dry food listed) although we may see about doing that again. He eats wet Science Diet Chicken in pouch, another food recommended on allergy report. His food allergy list is as follows. corn, green pea, peanut, lamb, flaxseed meal, flax, pork and white potato.

First of all, I wouldn't feed any dry food whatsoever. Especially not the Hill's Z/D. Very poor quality ingredients. I'd also stay away from anything Science Diet for the same reason (Hill's and Science Diet are the same company - owned by Proctor & Gamble). Here are the ingredients for Science Diet Tender Chunks in Gravy Chicken (not sure if that's the one you're feeding):

Ingredients
Water, Chicken, Liver, Wheat Flour, Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Starch, Wheat Fiber, Chicken Liver Flavor, Sunflower Oil (preserved with BHA), Beef Plasma Protein, Soy Fiber, Titanium Dioxide, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Glucose, Choline Chloride, Guar Gum, Glycine, DL-Methionine, Caramel Color, ...

"Liver" is too ambiguous (could be from any animal, and should never be so high in the ingredient list), there are plenty of grain products that cats should not be eating, not to mention potentially carcinogenic preservatives like BHA, and that "Caramel Color" and "Titanium Dioxide" isn't there for any benefit to the cat. Glucose? Why the heck do they put glucose in there when cats don't even have taste buds to detect sweetness? I would stop feeding this ASAP, despite whatever recommendation the "allergy report" made.

The absolute best would be a home made raw diet, if you can. That gives you the ultimate control over the ingredients. Here is some info on that, if you're interested:
http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php
http://www.catinfo.org/

Next best would be a prepackaged raw that you buy from a pet food store (not a big-box store like Petco, but one of the independent mom-n-pop stores). Something with a novel protein source like rabbit or venison or duck would be ideal. I was going to recommend Nature's Variety, except it contains flax seed (although I also don't put a lot of weight in food allergy testing for cats as it tends to be unreliable).

If you can't, for whatever reason, feed raw, a quality canned food is next on the list. My recommendations would be one of the Innova Evo 95% meat flavours. If that isn't available in your area, you should be able to find By Nature at the nearest PetSmart. Both have simple ingredients, and are grain-free.

I firmly believe that diet is the cornerstone of health for cats, and nothing sold out of a vet clinic is going to properly meet the needs of any feline. For one, cats shouldn't be eating kibble at all as it's not appropriate on so many levels (see links above for reasons why). As well, vets are not the best source of nutritional info because they really don't get a substantial amount of training in school, and what they do get is often influenced by the Big Pet Food companies like Hill's or Royal Canin or Purina. Plus, they sell the crap in their clinics, so that right there is a conflict of interest.
http://catnutrition.wordpress.com/20...food-and-vets/
http://naturalcathealth.blogspot.com...ty-of-pet.html

Originally Posted by Kodster

No we don't have a holistic vet anywhere close that I can find unless I'm not looking in the right place.

Maybe this link will help, depending on where you live: http://www.holisticvetlist.com/ Or perhaps your vet can recommend someone?

[Kodster]

Thank you so much for all of your advice. I will discontinue the dry food. Should all my cats go off dry? Is that what you're saying? Actually if we don't feed to one we don't feed to another. We have a local pet store that started out for dogs and found there was a special need for cats that may carry the 95% EVO. I know they carry EVO as that's what he was on when he came to us from California. With 3 other cats being all stages of life I'm not sure raw is something we could do right now....
We have to take him to the vet tomorrow. His "hot spot" has gotten huge and we've noticed that he's got spots developing on his left hind toes. These sores are now weeping so they are leaving little sanguinous paw prints all over the house.
I have never felt so helpless as I'm feeling dealing with this. I've had cats all my life. Some that had horrible problems but were able to help them have a good quality life. I feel so bad for the little big man. Such a love......right now we've not been able to even pet him as he itches so bad. He's got fur that's as soft as butter. I just want him to get better and have and will do anything it takes. Thanks again sugarcatmom. I'll start looking for a holistic vet....

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Kodster

Should all my cats go off dry? Is that what you're saying?

Yup, that would be best. It shouldn't be a problem if your cats are already accustomed to some wet food (there are cats that don't recognized canned as food, so that can be a bit of a challenge). Still, if you need some tips for transitioning, this link has some good ones: http://www.catinfo.org/#Transitionin...o_Canned_Food_

Originally Posted by Kodster

I know they carry EVO as that's what he was on when he came to us from California.

They should be able to order it for you if they don't have any in stock. If not, there is a store locator here.

Originally Posted by Kodster

With 3 other cats being all stages of life I'm not sure raw is something we could do right now....

I understand, and making your own raw isn't something to dive into without a bit of research first (unlike dogs, cats have very specific nutritional requirements that make it too risky to be cavalier about). I would just like to point out that the whole concept of "life stages" feeding is something perpetrated by the pet food companies and does not exist in nature. For cats "in the wild" it's all about calorie consumption (younger cats requiring more). There is no such thing as a mouse specifically for kittens, or a bird "for adult cats aged 1-8", or a lizard designed to meet the needs of "seniors". Pure marketing propaganda.

Originally Posted by Kodster

We have to take him to the vet tomorrow. His "hot spot" has gotten huge and we've noticed that he's got spots developing on his left hind toes. These sores are now weeping so they are leaving little sanguinous paw prints all over the house.

Aww, poor guy. There is something you might want to consider supplementing his diet with that can help balance his immune system. Transfer Factor is derived from colostrum and can be useful in suppressing an over-active immune response to ordinary things. It certainly won't hurt, except that it can be rather expensive. Here's some more info: http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/tf/s/pets.htm

One other thing to consider, if you haven't already, is stopping all further vaccinations. Over-vaccinating has been implicated in many allergy responses in both cats and dogs. http://www.blakkatz.com/vaccination.html

[pbpatti]

Wow, I just finished reading your thread and what your poor kitty has gone through. I am so happy for you and him that he appears to be on the road to recovery. Have a happy life Kody.

[Love4himies]

Awwww, I am so happy to hear Kodster is doing so much better.

[lorneparker]

My one year old Bengal cat had terrible lick wounds on the back of both legs, diagnosed as feline granuloma and we tried everything the vet suggested (steroids, ointments, blood tests, special foods, etc.) plus things recommended online such as a raw diet and herbal treatments. Nothing seemed to help, however. After months of worsening symptoms, we wondered if we could continue putting him through the terrible discomfort he was in---obviously itchy but prevented from licking and scratching because of the e-collar, he became so different, no longer playful or happy. He wore the horrible stiff plastic e-collar (we tried baby jumpers, socks and inner tubes but he managed to get around them all!) for over 4 months before we finally got in to see a veterinary dermatologist. He didn't know what would work for certain but one thing he sent us home with was the Hill's Z/D canned food (which others on this forum have dismissed). We started him on the new food with no great hopes. Within 2 days, however, we noticed he didn't seem as itchy and was suddenly full of energy and playfulness. We couldn't believe the change within a week and when we started to allow him some supervised time without the e-collar, he just licked normally. Now, after a month on the Z/D food, he is fully back to normal----such a relief after going through so much!! I only wish we tried this food sooner---I am not in any way promoting this food as an answer to all cat granulomas but it has been like a miracle for us---it was clearly a food allergy and perhaps we will try other food down the road but we will certainly stay on it for now and recommend that others try this food along with other suggestions. Good luck to all with this very frustrating problem.

[Love4himies]

lorneparker, I am so glad you have found something that is helping your cat. My daughter's cat is also on that food for EGC and is the only food that relieves Ginger from the sores that form on her lips. Her cats get a mixture of kibble and canned versions. I would prefer canned only, but she can't afford it.

Our of curiosity, what cat food did you feed your cat before the sores appeared on his legs?

BTW, beautiful boy you have.