Help! My Story

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
Hello!

First I want to say this site is a great asset! I have read numerous threads but have never posted. I am going through a bit of a mystery with my cat Guido lately and I wanted to pass it by the experts on this forum before I go and spend more money on fixing his condition. So, here goes!

It all began about 3 years ago. Guido had a really bad case of belly itchyness, so bad to the point he would lick bald spots into his fur. I took him to the vet and she gave him some depomedrol. The sores vanished immediately and he was fine.

Move ahead 3 years to last October. Guido had showed no signs of the previous itch problem so I figured it had vanished for good. I did notice that he had a rather large sore on his face and chalked it up to wrestling with our other cat stan.

Turns out it wasn't stan at all it was actually Guido scratching violently at his own face. Over the next week or so he wouldn't leave the sore alone and it grew in size. I took him to the vet and he was given a mild stereoid that did nothing to help him. Took him back a few weeks later as his condition worsened and they gave him another depo shot. That didn't help either.

So we then thought it might just be the scabbing that is driving him to scratch like mad. So we put a colar on him and gave him some antihistimines. The colar was doing a good job but turned out it was to small and he could still reach his face. I got him a larger colar and now he can't itch but he is fairly miserable I want to get this cone off of him ASAP.

I have experimented with the cone/colar and pretty much as soon as I take it off he itches his almost healed face bringing us back to point 0 (sore bloody face).

So that brings me to you, I have no idea what this could be and the vet suggested a biopsey but the cost to do this is very high. Wanted to come here first before doing so and see if anyone else has similar problems.

I have tried the following:
- hypoalgergenic food
- no plastic blowls
- stereiods
- antihistamines
- lots of love and scratches


The sore has never got infected (vet gave me antibiotics) and I always clean it for him when he does open it up.

Any help would be fantastic!! Here is a picture I took of his face today... its healed up but still not totally right. His lips on that side seem a little swollen and pink (should be brown).

THANK YOU!

 

mom of 4

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2006
Messages
1,282
Purraise
12
Location
BajaOklahoma, should be 200 miles north
FWIW, I have a Golden Retriever with severe allergies.
The injection does nothing for him for more than 12 hours. The vet couldn't believe it until we took him back in, but he now a notation on his file not to give the injection. Apparently he metabolizes it very fast.
However, oral prednisone does work well for him. I worry about the effects of longterm prednisone on my dog, so he gets Benadryl as a first step and the prednisone if really needed.
And it is cheaper this way too.
 

kittenkiya

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 30, 2004
Messages
2,196
Purraise
2
Location
Tucson, AZ
I am going to be really stupid here, but is that ringworm, do you think? I know you said you went to the vets and I am sure they would have told you, but.....oh well, I guess I am just being stupid. Just talked to a co-worker.....he thinks it is either allergy or something got stuck in there and he is trying to pull it out??
 

lsulover

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
5,057
Purraise
1
Location
Columbia, Ms.
My dog Sambo had severe allergies, he was allergic to fleas, and we gave him Benadryl on a daily basis to help with his itching. He also wore clothes to help keep him from making sores on him.

In my signature you can see him with his clothes on.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by KittenKiya

Just talked to a co-worker.....he thinks it is either allergy or something got stuck in there and he is trying to pull it out??
stuck in where? His whisker area seems quite swollen and firm. He actually somehow managed to get his cone off and immediately started scratching in the whisker area.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #7

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by LSULOVER

My dog Sambo had severe allergies, he was allergic to fleas, and we gave him Benadryl on a daily basis to help with his itching. He also wore clothes to help keep him from making sores on him.

In my signature you can see him with his clothes on.
Guido doesn't seem to scratch anywhere else on his body besides his face (other than normal). I do occiasionally see his skin twitch down his back but I have seen this in numerous other healthy cats.

If he had allergies would it only effect one small portion of his body?
 

xocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
20,608
Purraise
16
If it were me, and I trusted my vet's expertise,
I would get the biopsy.
It may save you money in the long run because that may be the only way to get a definitive diagnosis.

Another option would be a referral to a specialist.
Remember...this is just my opinion.

Your kitty is adorable...
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
thank you. Yes I do trust my vet, but I thought if I could gather some more information it might help.

anyone else have ideas?
 

xocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
20,608
Purraise
16
Hang in there...
this is a holiday weekend so a lot of members are busy elsewhere.
If your thread sinks to far down before Tuesday...
just add new questions....
other member will certainly have feedback for you.


If you feel like it...
post some pictures in the pictures forum.

Guido is really a handsome boy.
 

sharky

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jan 30, 2005
Messages
27,231
Purraise
38
I would also do a biopsy... but first has the vet done a through blood work up??
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #12

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
Originally Posted by sharky

I would also do a biopsy... but first has the vet done a through blood work up??
no they haven't done blood work.

is this possibly an ingrown whisker gone wrong? He seems to be scratching exclusively at his whisker pad. (just behind the whiskers not directly on the whiskers).
 

xocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
20,608
Purraise
16
The reality is that we could guess what it might be but that will not give you a definitive diagnosis.
That is probably why your vet needs to have a biopsy done on Guido.
I know that it is frustrating but what options to you have....
none that I can see.

Please keep us updated.
 

fifi1puss

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 2, 2007
Messages
2,150
Purraise
13
cloud_shade gave some great website links, you should really check it out. Seriously. The first site was a wealth of info! My cat Fiona has a bald spot on her cheek and recently develpoed one on her other side. She itches alot. I got her from a shelter dec. 1st and they had her on revolution (she had a serious flea infestation) but i am thinking now she needs to go again. I leanred that revolution helps protect against ringworm and all sorts of other things. This is probably why my poor girl is acting how she is.

Hope you find out what is going on before it turns serious.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

guido

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
6
Purraise
0
hi there,

he's doing ok, thanks for asking! He went for his biopsy 2 weeks ago and we got the results last week. Turns out there is nothing abnormal going on around his face. The Vet said that it's a behavioural thing that he will have to overcome himself.

Although, hearing that I am skeptical. He has this body twitches that are quite pronounced and they definitely seem to bother him. Those twitches tend to get him scratching at his face and licking himself. He also has a lump under his whiskers that is odd, but very well could be trauma do to him scratching that area to much.

I do notice that if I touch the area on his face, his paw will automatically come up and start kicking, all I have to do is rub it a little and he wants to scratch. no idea what that is all about.

The Vet recommended anti-depressants to help him get over the OCD. I haven't picked them up yet, not sure what to do!

He is still wearing the colar until I can take it off confident that he won't attack his face again.

thanks for any help or suggestions!!
 

xocats

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
20,608
Purraise
16
Your vet thinks that Guido has OCD?
I wish that I had a solution for you.

I know that money is an issue but I wonder....
do you have a specialist or vet school near by that you could take Guido to for a 2nd opinion?
You could take all of the lab work and biopsy with you.

I am sending Guido calming vibes ... poor little sweetie.
I am sure that this has not been easy for you either.


Please update this thread occasionally,
maybe a member who has not seen it before will have an idea about what you can do.
 
Top