I don't know what else to do

gothicangel69

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Ever since I rescued Mufasa about a year ago, I have been having constant problems with him developing infections and sores. The vet keeps prescribing a short course of steroids and antibiotics which seem to work well to get rid of it, only for him to get another one a week/month later. He just finished his meds about a week ago, and now he's developed another lump on his lip(most of them seem to be in the form of infected lumps on his lips/chin) I dont know what to do anymore. The vet said that all we could do was keep giving him steroids and antibiotics whenever one develops but i hate to keep him on antibiotics all the time. He was tested for FeLV and FIV a month ago because they thought that maybe that was causing all the problems, but he tested negative for both. He still believes that it is some form of autoimmune disease though.
Is there anything that can be done to maybe prevent them from happening in the first place? I am getting so frusterated with this issue and im sure that Mufasa doesn't enjoy getting constant abcesses and infections. I'm going to talk to the vet again tomorrow, but I would like some advice from you guys so that I'm better informed when I talk to him tomorrow.
 

stephanietx

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Do you take him to a cat-only vet? If not, you might want to get a second opinion from one. If you don't have a cat-only vet in your area, perhaps another vet for a second opinion or even a university with a veterinary program might be good. Has he been tested for Feline Herpes using the Real PCR URD test? If he has herpes, giving steroids is a big no-no as that will trigger another flare up.

Stephanie
 
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gothicangel69

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I've had him to three different vets and each one has said pretty much the same thing. I havn't had him tested for Herpes because when i asked the vet about it, he said that he didn't have any of the symptoms(runny eyes or nose, sneezing) The last vet did say that he may be allergic to the tartar on his teeth because when he gets a lump on his lip, his whole mouth gets raw and infected. I've never heard of this happening before though.
 

stephanietx

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Is it a rodent ulcer (which isn't caused by rodents)?

Herpes shows itself in many ways. URI-type symptoms are the most common but there are others. Ask for the Real PCR-URD test. BTW, herpes is an immune system type disease.
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by stephanietx

Herpes shows itself in many ways. URI-type symptoms are the most common but there are others. Ask for the Real PCR-URD test. BTW, herpes is an immune system type disease.
Pixel's flares present as sores on her face.
 
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gothicangel69

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Thank you for that info. I'll have to get him tested for the herpes virus. If that is what it is, is there any way to treat it??
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by gothicangel69

Thank you for that info. I'll have to get him tested for the herpes virus. If that is what it is, is there any way to treat it??
yup - lysine supplements.
 

auntie crazy

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And Lysine causes no harm - so you could start giving it to him right away. You can get it.... er, I guess someone else will have to help you with that and the dosage. It's been so long so I had to give it, I've forgotten.

Another thought - any chance it could be a MRSI infection? MRSI is a strain of staph bacteria that's resistant to most front-line antibiotics and when it attacks the skin, it's very often in the form of painful abscesses.

The best of luck to you; I know it's very frustrating to deal with something that just won't go away.
 

laureen227

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here's a link for lysine dosages: lysine therapy
i use lysine caps, open them, & add to the water. i also have a feliway diffuser running - flare-ups are usually triggered by stress.
 
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gothicangel69

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I do find that he does get more of these lumps whenever he is more stressed out. I'm not sure if it could be MRSI since the antibiotics and steroids seem to make them go away, they just happen again in another area of the mouth. I'm beginning to wonder though if maybe the lumps are a result of the mouth being infected and that this is the problem?
Is it actually possible to be allergic to your own tartar??
 

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If your vet doesn't know about the new herpes test, make sure you go to the IDEXX website and print off the information for him/her. From what others have said, many vets are clueless about the newer test and its accuracy.

IF your baby does test positive for herpes, absolutely NO more steroids. EVER! (Unless it's the absolute last resort, and even then, you have to decide if you want to deal with the side effects of a flare up.)

You might also want to ask the vet to culture the sores for a sensitivity test to see if there's a drug that might help with the sores to clear them up. The sores may be causing a secondary infection.

Herpes is incurable, but is manageable and your kitty can lead a very long, healthy, productive life. There's lots of treatment options out there to help manage the disease, so you'll have to research and discuss with your vet the best course of action for you and your kitty.
 

addiebee

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Poor baby! There was a lady on this site when I first joined who's cat was allergic to the tartar on his teeth - something like that.... I hope you find the answer and a way to manage the issue.

If it is herpes, can you give a cat anti-virals?
 
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gothicangel69

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you mean that he might be allergic to the type of food he's on??
 

cloud_shade

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Exactly. He could have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients. I would talk to the vet about a food trial on a low-allergen food. What is he currently eating?
 
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gothicangel69

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He is on MediCal Fiber Formula. I've tried him on Go Natural, Natures Variety and different brands of wet food, but for some reason they make him sick(vomiting). The Fiber Formula is the only thing that help at least somewhat harden up his diarrhea and doesn't make him vomit. He's had a fecal done, but it showed no parasites or excess bacteria.
What kinds of other foods would be good to try?? I hate asking the vet about it, because they all think that MediCal and other veterinary brands are the best when they really have lots of fillers in them.
 

cloud_shade

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How long has he been on the Medi-Cal, and was he having symptoms on the other foods? Normally I would suggest Natural Balance Duck and Pea, which is a limited ingredient food, but the Medi-Cal has pea fiber, so that may not be a good test. What kind of Go Natural did you feed--was it the one with duck? How about Nature's Variety? The goal is to find a food that has only one protein and one carbohydrate, and preferably ones that he's never been exposed to. That said, Medi-Cal's Hypoallergenic/Gastro formula doesn't look so bad for its purpose, and you might also look into California Natural Herring and Sweet Potato (if you can get that in your area).

Here's Medi-Cal's Hypoallergenic/Gastro formula:
Dry - HYPOallergenic/Gastro

Potato Meal, Duck Meal, Brewers Rice, Potato Protein, Natural Flavour, Beet Pulp, Rice Bran, Fish Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract, Citric Acid and Lecithin), Vegetable Oil, Yeast Culture, Flax Meal, Minerals (Potassium Chloride, Salt, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulphate, Iron Proteinate, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulphate, Copper Proteinate, Calcium Iodate and Sodium Selenite), DL-Methionine, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, Vitamin E, Niacin, Inositol, Vitamin C, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Folic Acid, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Biotin, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3), Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Taurine, Bacillus Subtilis Dried Fermentation Extract, L-Carnitine and L-Glutamine.
 

abbycats

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Originally Posted by cloud_shade

It sounds like pemphigus, which is an autoimmune disease. This site talks about the disease and treatments for boht dogs and cats.

http://marvistavet.com/html/pemphigus_foliaceus.html
My vet thinks Zoey has pemphigus because she gets a persistant dry chapped nose. We have been putting a salve on her nose that we get from the vet. It works pretty good and her nose looks better. She cleared up for quite a awhile and now has a new flare up.
 
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