My cat has allergies and need advice.

I have a 4 yr old cat who began licking at his back paws (one more than the other) last April. I took him to the vet because it became infected and just didn't look good. The vet said he had allergies and prescribed antibiotics and gave him a steroid shot to reduce the itching. That seemed to have worked for a few months but it started up again in August. I went through the same routine. I even tried some bitter spray on his paws to get him to stop licking but that didn't work. I tried little cat booties but he pulled them off. About 3 weeks ago, the same thing. The vet gave him another steroid shot (his 3rd in all) but his behavior changed about a week later. He seemed very depressed. He's normally a playful guy, chasing toys and terrorizing his cat mate, so to see him like that broke my heart. I looked on this web site and found many entries about steroid shots and the negative effects it can have. So.... I noticed him licking his paws again! I don't know what to do. I had my carpets cleaned, bought an ionizer air purifier thing, hoping it would reduce his allergy but it doesn't seemed to have helped. Is there something else I can do? Has anyone had luck with other topical things that would keep him from licking his paws raw? I really don't want to do the steroid thing and the antibiotics help if they get infected but my goal is to prevent him from licking them in the first place. I even tried Benedryl, on the advice of the vet, but that went horribly wrong. He became crazy and starting spitting up stuff. I thought I had just killed my cat, but he recovered a few minutes later.
Any advice would be appreciated it.
Thank you

I assume you've tried different litters already?

There are some other newer antihistamines that can be used in cats.
Maybe you should look for a feline specialist to help you with this? It doesn't sound like it's going to get any better or that your vet has offered that much assistance.

I haven't tried different litter since I've been using this brand for over 4 yrs. I can try that. Should I look for anything in particular when selecting it?
As far as a specialist, I'll look on-line to see if there are any in my area.
Thanks for the reply.

What are you using now? Brand and/or type from that brand.

Since you didn't reply back before logging off, I'll just assume you're using the typical scented clay litter like fresh step or tidy cat. That way you can have some answers and suggestions waiting for you.

Allergies take time to develop. You could wake up tomorrow and find yourself allergic to something that you weren't allergic to before. This is because one's body because allergic to something after being exposed to it. This is how pets can become allergic to a food they've eaten for years or to litter. Or how people can become allergic to their laundry detergent.

Standard scented clay litters usually have three things that can be a problem.

Perfumes. Lots of people and animals have allergies to perfumes.

Extra additives: Your moisture locking/clumping additives to make litters clump harder and oder locking "crystals). It sounds great when you're reading the box, but it can be a problem if it's yet another added chemical.

The clay itself. Some cats have problems with it.

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My suggestion is to go for the opposite. Natural non-clay type litters without additives such as Worlds Best (corn based) or Swheat Scoop (wheat based). These are scoopable litters. There are also pellet litters like feline pine (wood pellets) and yesterdays news (paper pellets). Feline pine does make a scoopable, but I don't know if it has any additives to improve clumping.



Try changing litters along with vet care and see if it makes a change and keeps your cat's feet healed.

Other things to considered. Be very careful of any products you use to clean with, detergents, surface cleaners, anything scented. Basically anything that could leave a residue that he could be getting on his feet. Rinse surfaces with a damp cloth and try allergen free formulas for any laundry that he'll be in (like bedding).

I'm currently using Fresh Step. I have 2 cats and live in a one bedroom condo. The only place I have for a litter box is in my living room, therefore, this litter was perfect. No odor what so ever. But, if it means the health of my cat, I will try one of the ones you suggested. I feel so bad. Every time I see him lick his paws, I yell or try to scare him to stop. But after a few times of that this morning and him being afraid to come near me, I don't have the heart to continue doing that. He has no idea why I'm doing it so it's probably not effective and all I did was scare him away from me.

You can make friends with him again with treats and a bit of play. And of course by loving on him. In the future, when you want him to stop all you need to do is distract him. Simply calling him to you or distracting him with a toy should work. Positive distraction, not negative.
I know you're probably just worried and instinctively trying to make him stop.

Since you mentioned that you're in a condo...Your kitty isn't declawed is he? That can cause issues with paws.


If your cat is more nervous and jumpy lately you can always use things like feliway diffusers and flower essences drops to help calm him (see the behavior section for ongoing threads). Maybe that will decrease him picking at his feet some, too.

Have you ruled out food allergies? That would probably be the first thing I'd look at. As for litter, I personally feel that the best one to use when determining whether he's allergic or not is a paper-based one (Yesterday's News). It's just newspaper and there's a lesser chance of him being allergic to paper than even the other natural litters such as corn or wheat-based.

On a last note, did you get an ionizer or an air purifier? I ask because there's a difference -- ionizers produce ozone into the environment and can be dangerous to those breathing it in.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/...-filters_x.htm

I would also change the litter... I personally like and recommend this one: http://www.preciouscat.com/precious-ultra-p-2.html
It should also be a smooth transition from Fresh Step.
BTW - IMHO Dr. Elsey's do a better job in odor control than Fresh Step, and it is hypoallergenic, and scent free. They do have a rebate form, so your first bag will be free: http://www.preciouscat.com/pdf/Free_...ll_8-17-06.pdf

If you want to go the natural one, I would recommend the newspaper one (yesterday news), as you didn't rule out food allergies yet... WBCL is made of corn, an allergen, and Swheat Scoop made if wheat...

About controlling odors: a high quality diet will practically eliminate poop odor... I wanted to move out of the house when my kitties were on Purina (didn't know any better), or even Nutro... Since going into a grain free high quality diet I don't even know when they poop, and I have 3 cats in a one br. apartment

I also second discussing with your vet the possibility of food allergies.

Contact allergies (ie: your litter) are very common. But if you've tried that route have you tried putting him on a hypoallergenic diet? Personally I've seen lots of good results with Royal Canin's hypo line. Also, you can try cutting out individual ingredients such as anything with grain, chicken, egg, etc.

Steroids are a toss up battle for me. Do you let your cat suffer from terrible allergies when you know steroids help (at least for a little bit) or risk the awful side effects? What steroid injection was given? Depo-Medrol is high on my stay away from list just because it can send a cat into congestive heart failure very quickly. Triamcinilone (brand name Vetalog) is a shorter lasting steroid (about 4-6wks for a kitty with moderate allergies) which still has some risk, but much much lower than something like depo.

If all of those things fail you may want to consider allergy testing. Meaning your vet will send off a blood sample to an outside lab which will figure out exactly what your kitty is allergic to and make a serum specifically for their allergies. It's pretty expensive, but pretty easy to do and I've seen amazing results. Basically they make a serum that exposes your cat to it's allergens in increasing doses, the goal being they build up an immunity. Google Greer Laboratories. That's which lab my vet clinic uses and I really like them.

Is there a veterinary dermatologist anywhere near you? Or a feline specialist? Or even a vet school? Any of these options may be more helpful than a general small animal vet.

Anyway, there's a few options you and your vet may want to consider! Best of luck!!!

I appreciate all the great advice I've been given. I went out and bought Swheat Scoop last night. The store didn't have quite the selection I wanted, so, after discussing it with an employee, I thought I'd try it. It isn't clay based which I was told could cause allergic reactions, it's supposed to clump and keep odors to a minimum. I can't say that my cats litter box or home smells but I'm sure the Fresh Step captured the odors. I would love to feed my cats more expensive and better quality food but they don't like it. I went through many types and they prefer the Fancy Feast Elegant Medley's canned food. I supplement that with dry food during the day but that too isn't what I would prefer they eat. If my cat is allergic to food, I'll be in big trouble since he's very picky. I just hope it's the litter that's causing him to lick between his toes, making them red and raw.
I'll also look into a feline specialist (didn't know they existed before I posted here) just in case he doesn't get better.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Thank you

IMO, the Elegant Melody's isn't too bad, though kitties don't need veggies. I'll occasionally give mine some as a treat. Cost too much for a tiny can and what it is, though. Depending on what brands you've tried, people can probably recommend you types and flavors for pickier cats.

I have a kitty who can't use clay due to the slightest bit of clay dust causing his eyes to react. They get red and he's had one swell. The vet couldn't find anything wrong and had no suggestions, so I switched to using chicken feed (cheap and works ) for litter. It stopped the problem. He also reacts to dust around the house... I do have a cat with a corn intolerance, but he's pooping in the corn -not eating it - so that isn't an issue.
Another good reason to completely ditch all clay litters - clay dust is not good for kitty (or anyone's) lungs.


I hope the litter switch helps. I'm not sure if you could try soaking or washing his paws off daily with anything to help keep them clean and heal - you'd have to ask your vet about that.

I wish I could wash his paws, as I've often thought that he might have some of the clay granules stuck between his toes, but there is no way he would allow that. He's too squirmy for me to handle.
As for the food, I hope that isn't the cause. I don't mind spending the money if I knew they'd eat the more expensive food, knowing it's better for them, but they just wouldn't eat it. I couldn't let the little guys starve.

Originally Posted by Espresso1

I wish I could wash his paws, as I've often thought that he might have some of the clay granules stuck between his toes, but there is no way he would allow that. He's too squirmy for me to handle.
As for the food, I hope that isn't the cause. I don't mind spending the money if I knew they'd eat the more expensive food, knowing it's better for them, but they just wouldn't eat it. I couldn't let the little guys starve.

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If you do the transition extremely slowly, chances are they would eat. I have a very very finicky eater here, and have successfully transitioned her from junk to a great food, one that also fit my Bugsy's allergy needs (to chicken). But I transitioned her very very very slowly, taking me well over a month (instead of 1 week-10days). It can be done

How did you do the transition? Did you initially mix the food?

Originally Posted by Espresso1

How did you do the transition? Did you initially mix the food?

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In a regular transition, you mix 25% of the new in 75% of the old food for 4-5 days, then you increase the new food to 50/50 for another 4-5 days, then you do 75% of the new, 25% of the old for another 4-5 days, then you do all new food.
For my very very finicky cat, I start adding just a few kibbles of the new food into the old food, and I do this for a few days - adding like 5-6 kibbles into the bowl. Then instead of doing 1/4 increments, like the regular transition, I do 1/8 increments - 1/8 of a cup of the new food, into 7/8 of the old... and go from there.
There is no exact science on this, and you need to observe your cat closely. If your cat stops eating, go back one step on the transition, and spend a few more days in it before moving on.
The hardest one is the first, when you add a few kibbles into the food. If you add 6-7 kibbles, and she doesn't eat, remove a couple. Once she gets used to the smell/taste, it gets easier to increase.
It takes me a LONG time to transition Lucky, but I never failed to do so - remember, cats will always like the junk food better - it tastes better, simple as that
But it can be done, and I have done quite a few times.

I think I'll give it a try. I need to research which is the best brand for them and then begin. They prefer canned food versus dry food but I don't give them alot of it. I leave the dry food out and they have some throughout the day. Once I transition the canned, then I'll work on the dry food. Perhaps that, along with the new litter, will help my cats paw issues.
Thank you

Originally Posted by Espresso1

I think I'll give it a try. I need to research which is the best brand for them and then begin. They prefer canned food versus dry food but I don't give them alot of it. I leave the dry food out and they have some throughout the day. Once I transition the canned, then I'll work on the dry food. Perhaps that, along with the new litter, will help my cats paw issues.
Thank you

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That transition is for dry... For wet you don't really need to transition - it is more a hit or miss thing.
The best thing to do is to get a bunch of different foods and try to see if she eats.
Stay away from grains, by-products (especially meat by-products), and soy.
Is he doing any better with the new litter?

Today is only the second day with the new litter. I'm mixing it initially with the Fresh Step to make sure they get used to it. He's still licking and it makes me so upset to see it. Since his paws are mostly white, I can see pink in the middle of toes (I'm not sure they're called toes on cats) which means they're getting raw. I tried spraying some bitter spray on them but it didn't deter him. Does anyone have any suggestions of something I could put on his paws that will prevent him from licking them? Obviously nothing harmful just in case he continues licking.

you can put an e-collar on him, to stop him from licking his paws....

Hmmmm, I'll have to think hard about that. It'll prevent him from all licking and he'd be miserable. I tried putting little booties on his paw but he managed to pull them off (I tried a couple of different versions). Besides, he wouldn't be able to use the litter box as it's enclosed and he wouldn't fit.