Need to rant...and maybe cry a little.

[Chaser]

Today while DH was sleeping after a night shift Rupert got his cone off! He chewed his paw (which was healing SO well) and pulled out a tonne of fur.....including a big clump over his left eye!?!? He has a BALD eyelid!!! And then he barfed. Perfect.



I am doing EVERYTHING I can possibly be doing for him but it takes time to work and at this rate he'll have chewed his paw off within the next week!

At least he likes the taste of the salmon oil on his food. But the ONLY dry food I can find that doesn't contain chicken is Orijen 6 Fish for Cats and my store had to order some more...I pick it up on Thursday. Even Nature Variety Instinct's Rabbit Formula has chicken in it! And we are having enough problems right now that I'm just not willing to fight with him to get him on wet food only. So he'll eat the 6 Fish food for now and when he improves I'll get him onto a selection of novel protein canned food.

I'm sorry if everyone is tired of hearing about my demented cat But I'm already stressed with work and the holidays and I can't stand watching him cause so much harm to himself any more!!!! I feel so helpless.

[14+kitties]

I am so sorry you are going through this. It is so hard seeing our babies suffer. I feel you pain.
Do you deal with Global Pet Food at all? They are really good normally about ordering in whatever food you want. Can you find Natural Balance Duck and Pea Formula dry food? Also, I know you don't want to fight with him to get him on canned right now but I remember Toonces feeding him Friskies. I know it isn't the best canned but maybe he would eat some of the Fancy Feast pate varieties? There are some that don't have chicken in them. You could try that.
I will look some more for chicken free foods. So far the Natural Balance is the only one I've found.
http://www.naturalbalanceinc.com/cat...s/DuckCat.html

[14+kitties]

Some more they can maybe order in for you:

http://www.naturesvariety.com/prairie_cat_kibble_lamb

http://www.petcurean.com/index.php?page_id=163

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/...lt.asp?id=1338

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_w...th_salmon.html

I think the Wellness one may be carried at PetValu

[ancientgirl]

Poor Rupert! I don't know if this may help, but I used to feed Vlad and Oksana seafood several times a week and had to stop because they were beginning to have problems with severe itching.

[Love4himies]

Yes, please eliminate any fish in their diets and any grains. His issue is probably allergy related. Nature's Variety makes some flavours that don't have any chicken in it. They have Venison, Lamb, Duck or Rabbit.

[Chaser]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

Some more they can maybe order in for you:

http://www.naturesvariety.com/prairie_cat_kibble_lamb

http://www.petcurean.com/index.php?page_id=163

http://www.californianaturalpet.com/...lt.asp?id=1338

http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/cat_w...th_salmon.html

I think the Wellness one may be carried at PetValu

I will look for both the Natural Balance and the Now! tomorrow......Unfortunately all the others have grains, which I also need to stay away from. Thank you for the suggestions....I hadn't considered Now! and just assumed it had chicken. Also didn't think Natural Balance came in a dry formula.

I don't want to do the Friskie's because who knows what is in that that could also cause a reaction. He'll lick/eat tiny bits of Nature's Variety Instinct wet so I've picked up some rabbit ones for him.

(btw, I shop at Ryan's/Global Pet Foods - they ARE good....when I was in the manager wasn't there though and the part-timer didn't seem to know much)

[Chaser]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

Poor Rupert! I don't know if this may help, but I used to feed Vlad and Oksana seafood several times a week and had to stop because they were beginning to have problems with severe itching.

Originally Posted by Love4himies

Yes, please eliminate any fish in their diets and any grains. His issue is probably allergy related. Nature's Variety makes some flavours that don't have any chicken in it. They have Venison, Lamb, Duck or Rabbit.

He doesn't get fish or grains currently....his diet is grain-free and chicken and turkey based.

Nature's Variety Instinct makes rabbit formula in dry but chicken is the second or third ingredient.....so that's out. I know of the canned varieties but he'll barely eat wet food and I'm just not willing to fight that battle too right now.

I was only considering the Orijen 6 Fish as a short term solution because I know it isn't ideal but needed to try eliminating chicken. I'm going to try and find Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato instead, since it's also grain-free.

[Macomom]

I am so sorry you have to go through this with your kitty.
Don't you wish you could reason with them and explain the situation?
Good luck with the allergies, perhaps a homeopathic vet could help?

[ancientgirl]

When the gangs Evo Venison doesn't come in, I get them the Instinct venison and they love it. You can always buy a can and see if Rupert will go for it.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Chaser

He doesn't get fish or grains currently....his diet is grain-free and chicken and turkey based.

You'd be surprised where fish shows up. I think you mentioned that you were feeding Horizon Legacy dry, which does contain salmon, as does all of the Go! Natural canned foods.

Not saying that Rupert has a fish allergy, but it does tend to be one of the most common ones.

While eventually it would be a good idea to rule out the possibility of a food allergy, I'm wondering if maybe he has atopy (inhalant allergies). That might explain a correlation with the heat coming on, as more dust (and dust mites) get blown around. Allergy skin testing might be the only way to know for sure. Do you have a true Hepa air filter you can use in a room that Rupert spends the most time in?

If he's so itchy that he's mutilating his feet, it might be time for some pharmaceutical intervention. I don't usually advocate drugs, and they would only be a stop-gap until you can get a handle on other aspects of his environment, but perhaps an anti-histamine is needed, or (gasp!) even some short-term oral corticosteroids.

Another possibility to consider is something called Pemphigus Foliaceus. Skin biopsy is needed to diagnose that though. Better to start with an allergy elimination diet and go from there.

ETA- Macomom's suggestion of a homeopathic (or holistic) vet is excellent. Not sure what's available in your area, but if you could find someone with a more integrative approach, I highly recommend looking into that. Can be expensive though, but in the long-run, better for Rupert.

[Chaser]

I want to cut out all fish and chicken....so I'm going to pursue the Natural Balance grain-free Duck and Pea food. He may even go for the canned version eventually....I know Winston's kitties like it.

Only problem is I got salmon oil to help the dry skin....which is fish. I don't even know what to do!!!! Any ideas??? He's really dry....he needs something.

An inhalant allergy would not surprise me and we are trying to reach our landlords to get the furnace filter changed. We always run two HEPA air purifers, and we only have the main floor, so they work pretty well. We also don't have any carpets. The tenant in the basement has been smoking indoors since it got cold and I am wondering if that could be a contributing factor as well....we are trying to get him removed, since despite several warnings he keeps doing it.

Honestly, this week a vet is out of the question. I have (- $2.00) in my account, thank you Christmas. If this doesn't clear up with the food change I will have to take him in January. I have heard of a good homeopathic vet in the area.

We have Benadryl and dosing instructions from our regular vet....used it a couple times before giving up and getting him the cone. I don't like to use the meds but we have it if he seems to be feeling particularly bad.

[hazelrunpack]

I'm sorry you and Rupert are still having so many problems, Chaser

I hope you can find some solutions that work soon!

[Chaser]

SCM - Do I need to avoid turkey as well do you think?

(& thank you Hazel )

[krdahmer]

I can relate... Fagan chewed his belly raw in cycles (he was only ok for a month or so at a time after he had a shot of depo medrol) for three years, and we still can't figure out why he does it. We tried creams, cones and different allergy meds, treatment for fleas for over 2 years even though none of them ever set paw outside just in case it was a flea allergy...and I did find after much research how hard it is to find the higher quality foods that have single source protein that were not chicken, turkey, fish or beef. After eliminating venison because of finicky eaters, I ended up feeding Fromm Duck a la Veg. You really have to read the labels, poultry and fish really do crop up in almost all packaged cat food! And an alternative I tried to the salmon oil ( because it was fish) was coconut oil, my guys love it. Like I said though we still haven't found a cause, but we have settled on a workable solution, not ideal, but he has a much better quality of life not constantly licking himself raw...he's on a low dose of steroid in pill form he takes 3 times a week....that was the lowest dose that seems to be just enough to stop him from chewing.

I really hope you can find a solution! I know how stressful it is to watch them hurt themselves and not be able to ask them whats wrong and get an answer so you can just fix it. Get better soon Rupert!

[Winston]

Chaser I am so sorry your going through this with Rupert! I hear ya on the low funds. If you can manage I think a shot would help. It really helped my moms kitty Brady when he had the ECG really bad. He was almost chewing his feet. It was almost instant relief from his appearance. Although it is not the best avenue you likely need some medical intervention. My kitties havent been affected by smoke but you never know.

They were really hard with going to canned but they accepted the Nature Balance by DVP Duck and G Pee and the Venison and G Pea. Now they are eating more flavors but it took a really long time. I am not sure your gonna see the relief in Rupert as quick with the food change...sometimes it takes a good while for their bodies to adjust to the food?? Just something to think about.

Smooches for rupert please!

Cindy

[Chaser]

Originally Posted by krdahmer

I can relate...

Thank you!

I will keep the Fromm in mind if I can't find the Natural Balance

I'm REALLY hoping to avoid steroids but we'll see how this is after the holidays....even though he's unhappy with the cone right now at least he's not abusing himself, so I'll give it a week or so and let my bank account replenish. Then we'll have to see a vet if there's no improvement.

Coconut oil is a fantastic idea! Where do you buy it????

(Of course this is after I spend $20 I can't actually afford on a bottle of salmon oil Glad Thursday is payday.)

[Chaser]

Originally Posted by Winston

Smooches for rupert please!

Done Well, as much as he'll let me....the most cuddly cat in the world doesn't even want to be near his mommy right now :sad: He's SO mad at me!

[Dee-O-Gee]

My SIL feeds her dogs Natural Balance, Limited Ingredient Diet formula (LID). Her 1 dog had a severe allergen and near chewed his paw off before switching over to the L.I.D. formula. After switching his diet, the paw chewing stopped.

L.I.D. (Green Pea & Duck) sounds like it may help poor Rupert. I'm sure PetValu could special order in the dry cat as they do for the L.I.D. dry dog food.

[Frenchy]

Originally Posted by Chaser

I'm sorry if everyone is tired of hearing about my demented cat But I'm already stressed with work and the holidays and I can't stand watching him cause so much harm to himself any more!!!! I feel so helpless.

awwww we totally understand ! I never had to put a cone on a cat and I never want to experience that

don't worry , it might take longer but you can do this

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by Chaser

Only problem is I got salmon oil to help the dry skin....which is fish. I don't even know what to do!!!! Any ideas??? He's really dry....he needs something.

Allergies develop towards proteins, rarely fat, so salmon oil is most likely going to be okay. If Rupert likes it, I would continue to give it to him.

Originally Posted by Chaser

Honestly, this week a vet is out of the question. I have (- $2.00) in my account, thank you Christmas. If this doesn't clear up with the food change I will have to take him in January. I have heard of a good homeopathic vet in the area.

Totally understandable. Since a diet change is usually the place to start, maybe you can try that first once life has returned to post-Christmas normalcy. If you need some tips for making the switch, let me know. Picking up the dry except for a few minutes twice a day and leaving canned food down the rest of the time was what helped me get my kibble-addict converted.

If you have any aloe vera gel around your house, maybe try dabbing some on Rupert's raw spots to help sooth and heal them while he has the cone on.

Originally Posted by Chaser

SCM - Do I need to avoid turkey as well do you think?

Hard to say. Allergies develop after repeat exposure to a protein, which is why chicken is a common one: it's in so many commercial foods, as you've noticed! Perhaps some cats can become so overly sensitive that their reactions are generalized to all forms of poultry. Another scenario is the cat that is only allergic to the highly processed chicken found in pet food, but does fine with fresh raw chicken (especially after a "rest period" from all poultry). Does Rupert like any real meat at all?

[krdahmer]

I got the coconut oil at one of the health food stores, I've seen it from $8 to $20...the one I get is $12 and with 6 cats lasted at least a few weeks, I only gave them about 1/4 tsp per day each and they just lick it off the spoon, I found it harder to give the salmon oil, my guys wouldn't touch it...weirdos I know... and I also put the coconut oil right on his hot spots too, seemed to help sooth them. (works great on my elbows too!) Aloe is a good one too, but I'm allergic so that wasn't an option to try here, thus the coconut.

[krdahmer]

Oh and another possibility is that it's all stress related, I know Fagan seemed to always be more aggressive with his licking if I happened to be busy,angry or stressed out....if it's an allergy this may not work, but I found that by relaxing myself and always being positive when around the cats and not arguing with hubby in front of them did make a slight difference, and plus that's something you can try for free right! I know when Fagan was bad, I was willing to try anything!

[ancientgirl]

Kr beat me to the coconut oil. You can buy it in most health food stores and I've also seen it sold at Whole Foods.

Here are a couple of sites that you can order from:

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/vi...conut_oil2.htm

http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals....oconut-oil.php

[echoica]

i am late coming in on this because i am a new member...

but has a contact allergy been considered?? if it is just the paws i would think that would be more likely than food allergy.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by echoica

but has a contact allergy been considered?? if it is just the paws i would think that would be more likely than food allergy.

Not just the paw. Here is Chaser's original post on Rupert and his fur-pulling: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....ghlight=rupert

[echoica]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Not just the paw. Here is Chaser's original post on Rupert and his fur-pulling: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....ghlight=rupert

thanks!

[echoica]

chaser, can you confirm if this is localized to the paws or not? i did not see where you posted that it was not localized in the previous thread?

if it is localized to the paws i would be much more convinced of it being atopy rather than a food allergy. if an allergy at all...

what about the beginnings of mange? some forms can be localized, some are not. you also said the dogs have been scratching quite a bit too. dogs could have brought the mange inside. if it is mange that is highly contagious even to humans (scabies) and something you definitely need to clean house for right away! but only a vet is going to be able to diagnose that.

or some fungus?

just throwing some other ideas out there. i think it would be a bad idea to concentrate on only one possibility like we are - food allergy.

honestly, looking at those pictures i would be rushing the poor kitty to the vet. if you don't trust your vet to diagnose, as you said, you should take the cat elsewhere...i would hate to see it turn into something worse!!! or be zoonotic.

i'll keep my fingers crossed for you that you figure this out soon!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by echoica

chaser, can you confirm if this is localized to the paws or not? i did not see where you posted that it was not localized in the previous thread?

From another thread: http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread....ert#post862172

now has a skunk-like bald patch running down his back.

Originally Posted by echoica

i think it would be a bad idea to concentrate on only one possibility like we are - food allergy.

We haven't been focusing ONLY on the food allergy possibility (lots of other theories have been brought up in this and other threads), but here's the thing: food is one of the easier variables to control. After fleas, it's also one of the most common causes of itching in pets, whether it's the feet or the face or the back or the belly. So if you can change the diet and the itching either gets better or it doesn't, then you've at least narrowed down the possibilities. Yes, a vet visit would be a good idea eventually, but you might have missed the part about Chaser being super-broke right now. So in the meantime........

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by Chaser

He doesn't get fish or grains currently....his diet is grain-free and chicken and turkey based.

Nature's Variety Instinct makes rabbit formula in dry but chicken is the second or third ingredient.....so that's out. I know of the canned varieties but he'll barely eat wet food and I'm just not willing to fight that battle too right now.

I was only considering the Orijen 6 Fish as a short term solution because I know it isn't ideal but needed to try eliminating chicken. I'm going to try and find Natural Balance Duck and Sweet Potato instead, since it's also grain-free.

I am not sure about the canned Rabbit as my cats won't eat it, but I know the Lamb and Venison don't have chicken.

[Love4himies]

From the link:

http://www.crvetcenter.com/foodallergy.htm


What are the most common food allergens?

Clinical tests of IgE allergies in 313 cats and dogs at CRVC revealed the top food allergens to be: corn, wheat, soy, yeast, potato and beet. These common allergens are foods these patients should avoid during a 90-day food elimination trial. We suspect that food additives, colorings, and artificial preservatives also cause hypersensitivity.

If you are only feeding dry, check for potatoes in grain free varieties.