Eosinophilic Granuloma

Has anyone found a solution?

My poor girl has come down Collagen Lip again. It's been about 5 months since the last flare up. Before that about 3 months. Then two weeks between incidents. Her bowls have been changed from ceramic to stainless steel, her food from various run of the mill stuff to very expensive hypo-allergenic stuff, there don't seem to be any observable environmental or stress triggers...but the lip is slowly swelling up again. I noticed it on Monday. It just looked like a little pimple under her bottom lip, but I knew what that was going to lead to so started her back on the anti-biotics I still had left from her spaying two weeks ago (same type as the vet has given me for the other Eosinophilic flare ups). When I've taken her in for this in the past the vet has given her a steroid shot and then it's two weeks of anti-biotics twice a day. So far just the anitbiotics haven't seemed to have had any impact as the bump is still growing larger. I'm really worried about the long term effects of giving her not just antibiotics so regularly, but, also, the steroid shots. To compound the problem this time, our vet is out of town til Monday and I'll have to take her in to see a vet who isn't familiar with her condition. If anyone has any advice about this condition, I'd really appreciate hearing it. Thank you.

my female kitten also was diagnosed with eosinophilic granduloma and we've had a few bouts with swollen bottom lip and sores on bottoms of paws that ulcerated. She also has had shots and has been on antibiotics which usually takes care of it for a few months. The vet has now suggested to switch her to a completely hypoallergenic diet. He suggested Hill's Green Pea & Venision or Green Pea & Rabbit,which is prescription and very expensive, but I found a cheaper, healthier diet, that you can buy at your local pet store. I give her both wet & dry Dick Van Patten's Green Pea & Venison. She seems to really like it and she has been on it for a few weeks now. I'm even feeding her sister the same food. It's just easier to feed them the same diet. I'm hoping this will be the end of her outbreaks, but I was told we have to wait a few months to really tell. I understand the main culprit in this disorder is an insect bite, mainly fleas. Second is food allergy and then anything airborne. I know it is very frustrating, but hang in there. Have you tried switching to a hypoallergenic food for a few months? Also, once they are completely switched, they cannot eat any other food. Good Luck!

I'm rather confused about why your cats have been given antibiotics to treat an allergy reaction. Were the rodent ulcers open, so secondary bacterial infections were feared?
The usual course of treatment is steroids, with shots given at one or two week intervals. Apart from hypoallergenic food, you could try fish oil (for the Omega fatty acids). Pierce one 500 mg. gel capsule a day, and squeeze the oil over the cat's food. That can be done for up to six weeks during an acute outbreak; afterwards the dose is one capsule a week for maintenance.

My sister's cats have this, and when I read up on it, it seems pretty common to give antibiotics with the steriods. I would imagine it is more common in cats who regularly get infections with it (my sister's 2 have to have the antibiotics with the steriods to make their's heal- they also get it in their toes, which is -from what I've read- a symptom of a more severe case of it ). The older my sister's cats get, the less problems they have with it- however, I can't remember at the moment if this is common or not.

Most eosinophilic granulomas resolve with one injection but some are refractory and will not resolve until antibiotics are used.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/eosi...granuloma.html

Click to expand...

Hmm. 2 UK vet sites I looked up actually treat this condition with flea control and antibiotics first, then use the steriods...