Prednisone for food allergy - question...

maiseycat · Feb 22, 2010

This is kind of a 'duh' question and I feel silly calling my vet about it, but...

Maisey was prescribed Prednisone for a food allergy. She was biting off a lot of fur around her neck and upper body thus having regular (hairball) barfing spells. She's always been barfy, but lately it's increased - I feel it's a hairball + maybe a sensitive tummy problem. We have a bottle of 15 5mg tablets. We did 1 per day for the first few days, then went to every other day for a week. Now she takes a 1/2 pill every other day until.... it doesn't say (I assume till it runs out, like with any prescription). There are still about 10 1/2 pills in the bottle. Maisey is doing remarkably well, hasn't barfed in almost 2 weeks. She has spit up what looks like water and/or spit on a couple of nights, but that's very infrequent.

The vet said if she didn't improve then to return for bloodwork, but didn't say what to do if she does improve. I assume she completes the full bottle, right? It seems like a lot of pills and she's doing so well. I don't see any reason why I shouldn't continue the Prednisone, though.
There is no issue/risk with keeping her on the med until it runs out even though she's already improved? Right? She's doing so well, I hope this continues after the Pred. is long gone. Maybe it's a sort of acid reflux issue as I noticed the water spit-ups at night.

sharky · Feb 22, 2010

That IMHO is a strange med for a suspected food allergy..

DO NOT feel silly... Call and ask

maiseycat · Feb 22, 2010

It's a steroid, and it's what I've always been given for my food allergies (I've had bad skin reactions twice, hives, actually, from eating mangoes). So I didn't think it was strange. She would've been given a cortisone shot, but she has a heart murmur.

sharky · Feb 22, 2010

Originally Posted by maiseycat

It's a steroid, and it's what I've always been given for my food allergies (I've had bad skin reactions twice, hives, actually, from eating mangoes). So I didn't think it was strange. She would've been given a cortisone shot, but she has a heart murmur.

steroids IMHO are not a normal first line ... antihistamines are ... I too have food allergy's and WOULD NEVER take a steroid as a fast acting ...

violet · Feb 22, 2010

Prednisone for food allergy...... Oh yes. Absolutely. In some situations it can be a lifesaver. The thing is, among all kinds of problems, allergy causes inflammation and itching. (Inflammation will usually cause digestive problems. And the itching, well, a lot of scratching and biting of fur.) Prednisone can help with all of that. But, maiseycat, if at all possible, try to find out what Maisey is reacting to and then try to find food without that ingredient. (You might even realize that more than just one ingredient is involved.) Avoiding the allergens would be the best long-term solution.

I would urge you to ask for blood work anyway. With this kind of problem it's important to find out what the CBC and complete chem profile show. I would also urge you to ask for a B 12 test. (Very important with long-term digestive problems.)

I'd like to ask you, how old is Maisey? Also, are you free feeding or is she getting food twice a day? And just one more question. Are you making sure she is getting the prednisone with food and not on an empty stomach?

(By the way, the 1/2 pill you are giving every other day is a very safe amount for a cat.)

sharky · Feb 22, 2010

The BIG problem with pred is .. IT HIDES the true issue and likely cause rather than fix any issues ... I have had so many allergy animals I dont have the fingers enough to count

and ONLY ONCE did I use pred but ONLY after many other treatments ... the allergy in that case was grass and thus kinda unavoidable to that particular animal...

I 100% agree blood work and check out the b12 I have see the results with acupuncture and b12 shots

Yeah pred on an empty tummy can be a disaster

violet · Feb 22, 2010

Look at it this way. You find out (from test results and let's say long-term vomiting and/or skin issues) that you're dealing with allergy. (IBD will make a long-term digestive issue even more serious.) You can find yourself in a situation where it is imperative to stop vomiting for instance (I'm saying this from experience) and using a corticosteroid will let the vet do that because the medication will deal with the inflammation that is causing the vomiting. In this situation the medication has a real and very necessary healing effect. It is not given to hide the true issue.

A very severe inhalant allergy (to mold or pollen for instance) can also lead to a situation where stopping the reaction with a corticosteroid becomes absolutely necessary because the reaction is so severe there is no other choice.

I think when you know what the problem is (let's say allergy, IBD, painful arthritis, etc) then you treat with prednisone for a very good, very valid reason, not to mask the symptoms and/or hide the true issue. Sometimes diet and natural remedies can be helpful enough so treating with steroids can be avoided. But not always. There are times when in spite of everything else one is doing, using a corticosteroid as well is still necessary.

blueyedgirl5946 · Feb 23, 2010

If in doubt call your vet and ask. That is what they are for.

sharky · Feb 23, 2010

Originally Posted by Violet

Look at it this way. You find out (from test results and let's say long-term vomiting and/or skin issues) that you're dealing with allergy. (IBD will make a long-term digestive issue even more serious.) You can find yourself in a situation where it is imperative to stop vomiting for instance (I'm saying this from experience) and using a corticosteroid will let the vet do that because the medication will deal with the inflammation that is causing the vomiting. In this situation the medication has a real and very necessary healing effect. It is not given to hide the true issue.

A very severe inhalant allergy (to mold or pollen for instance) can also lead to a situation where stopping the reaction with a corticosteroid becomes absolutely necessary because the reaction is so severe there is no other choice.

I think when you know what the problem is (let's say allergy, IBD, painful arthritis, etc) then you treat with prednisone for a very good, very valid reason, not to mask the symptoms and/or hide the true issue. Sometimes diet and natural remedies can be helpful enough so treating with steroids can be avoided. But not always. There are times when in spite of everything else one is doing, using a corticosteroid as well is still necessary.

Many on here have LOTS of experience and HAVE NOT needed or desired to use the steroids ... For me I have dealt with IBD in multiple species and only used SHORT term steroids( with ONE animal) with OTHER drugs for quick control .. NOT a LONG term solution IMHO ..

Your other instances of using a steroid first ... ALL have BETTER and easier front line options

I said IT CAN and OFTEN does HIDE the REAL ISSUE... See Inflammation is a SYMPTOM, you hide the symptom and western medicine thinks problem is gone ... IT is not the case! The issue is still there just being masked ....

YES Talk to your vet that is what they are in practice to do

violet · Feb 23, 2010

Well, let's talk a little more, okay? After treating IBD for 17 years (in one cat) and spending 14 years (full time) treating it in another, the last thing I would want to do is argue about treatment methods. Most importantly because different treatment methods work for different cats and what works for one cat does not necessarily work for another. I've also noticed that treating certain conditions becomes more challenging as cats age and treatment that was easy and simple when the cat was young becomes much more difficult and complicated after the cat has reached a certain age.

Your other instances of using a steroid first ... ALL have BETTER and easier front line options

I never said anything about using a steroid first. I was talking about very serious reactions or situations that leave vets with no other choice. And this includes holistic vets. Once a very serious situation or a life-threatening emergency is under control, there is time once again to look at other, safe long-term treatment options and go over the ones that might not have been tried yet. The problem is that an emergency situation can still arise while the cat is being treated for a condition with those other safe long-term options. It's a shock when it happens and anyone who hasn't had to deal with such a devastating surprise emergency cannot possibly relate to the experience.

I said IT CAN and OFTEN does HIDE the REAL ISSUE... See Inflammation is a SYMPTOM, you hide the symptom and western medicine thinks problem is gone ... IT is not the case! The issue is still there just being masked ....

Yes, inflammation is a symptom. But what you can do about it is not always a simple matter. To think and make others believe that it is a simple matter and it should always be dealt with without the use of certain medications is not only unfair, it can endanger the patient's health, even the patient's life. So I urge caution here.

Yes, most often Western medicine focuses on treating the symptom. But let's clarify this. Conventional Western medicine does. It focuses on treating symptoms with medications. Or even surgery. It doesn't concern itself with the underlying causes of the symptoms and so, absolutely, as you say, treatment is designed to hide the symptoms. I think it's best and safest not to get into this area any further in any more detail. Anyway.....There is also holistic Western medicine, medicine that goes to the root causes of illnesses and works on treating the symptoms by dealing with the underlying causes. Holistic Western medicine has been around for a long time. Doctors here in the US started using this method of healing in the early part of the last century and by the '50s, '60s and '70s, many physicians and, even some psychiatrists, were practicing what was called in those days nutritional medicine. Maybe they still call it that. Anyway, it's the kind of medicine I wholeheartedly believe in. And from this method of healing comes holistic medicine for animals. It can accomplish wonderful things. But, there are still times when you bump into a brick wall when you try to treat a certain condition and even holistic vets are forced to turn to conventional treatment to help the patient.

The whole thing is not a simple matter and, from what I've seen, opportunities for natural healing (with nutrition, Chinese herbs, Western herbs, etc, etc, etc, all the different modalities) are far more limited for animals than they are for people. What's even worse, there are a lot of things that can be used for people and dogs, but can't be used for cats. And cats can also have unexpected bad reactions to herbs for instance that should be safe for them. I think you understand what I'm trying to say.....

sharky · Feb 23, 2010

Originally Posted by Violet

Well, let's talk a little more, okay? After treating IBD for 17 years (in one cat) and spending 14 years (full time) treating it in another, the last thing I would want to do is argue about treatment methods. Most importantly because different treatment methods work for different cats and what works for one cat does not necessarily work for another. I've also noticed that treating certain conditions becomes more challenging as cats age and treatment that was easy and simple when the cat was young becomes much more difficult and complicated after the cat has reached a certain age.

I never said anything about using a steroid first. I was talking about very serious reactions or situations that leave vets with no other choice. And this includes holistic vets. Once a very serious situation or a life-threatening emergency is under control, there is time once again to look at other, safe long-term treatment options and go over the ones that might not have been tried yet. The problem is that an emergency situation can still arise while the cat is being treated for a condition with those other safe long-term options. It's a shock when it happens and anyone who hasn't had to deal with such a devastating surprise emergency cannot possibly relate to the experience.

Yes, inflammation is a symptom. But what you can do about it is not always a simple matter. To think and make others believe that it is a simple matter and it should always be dealt with without the use of certain medications is not only unfair, it can endanger the patient's health, even the patient's life. So I urge caution here.

Yes, most often Western medicine focuses on treating the symptom. But let's clarify this. Conventional Western medicine does. It focuses on treating symptoms with medications. Or even surgery. It doesn't concern itself with the underlying causes of the symptoms and so, absolutely, as you say, treatment is designed to hide the symptoms. I think it's best and safest not to get into this area any further in any more detail. Anyway.....There is also holistic Western medicine, medicine that goes to the root causes of illnesses and works on treating the symptoms by dealing with the underlying causes. Holistic Western medicine has been around for a long time. Doctors here in the US started using this method of healing in the early part of the last century and by the '50s, '60s and '70s, many physicians and, even some psychiatrists, were practicing what was called in those days nutritional medicine. Maybe they still call it that. Anyway, it's the kind of medicine I wholeheartedly believe in. And from this method of healing comes holistic medicine for animals. It can accomplish wonderful things. But, there are still times when you bump into a brick wall when you try to treat a certain condition and even holistic vets are forced to turn to conventional treatment to help the patient.

The whole thing is not a simple matter and, from what I've seen, opportunities for natural healing (with nutrition, Chinese herbs, Western herbs, etc, etc, etc, all the different modalities) is far more limited for animals than it is for people. What's even worse, there are a lot of things that can be used for people and dogs, but can't be used for cats. And cats can also have unexpected bad reactions to herbs for instance that should be safe for them. I think you understand what I'm trying to say.....

YOUR ramblings make very little sense as they are contrary to most all of the standard modalities

.... Yes different things work for different animals.. I have two right now with the same issue yet the treatment is different, though both are being treat with ancient medicine principals of the same type ...

HOPEFULLY the OP actually talks to the VET about the cat in question...

In a anaphlaxis type allergy the first line treatment is NOT a steroid but a hormone based med and O2.. that is a LIFE threatening allergy reaction , that I have myself had and also had to deal with a animal also

violet · Feb 23, 2010

YOUR ramblings make very little sense as they are contray to any and all of the stadard modalaties....

Please, no insulting comments, okay? Most importantly, because they won't change the facts.

momofmany · Feb 23, 2010

I'm going to real this thread back to the original topic. Pred use with a food allergy. The OP didn't mention anything about IBD or some of the other topics under discussion.

If you've started the pred for her, you cannot simply stop giving them to her. The dose is high at first, then your cat needs to be weaned off them gradually. If you want to accelerate that process because she has responded well to them, then please call your vet and ask how to do that. But do not stop giving them to her cold turkey.

I have known vets that have given steroids to address severe food allergy issues, but always with recommendations on how to find the allergen and to eliminate that from their diets. I've not heard of any vet doing long term steroid treatment for food allergies, as the goal for that is to eliminate the allergen, not treat the symptoms.

AbbysMom · Feb 23, 2010

Yes, please let's all get back to the original topic.

I also have a cat with food allergies. I was only given prednisone when she had gotten to the point that she was scratching around her head so bad it was red and raw. It was very short-term and it was in conjunction with a limited ingredient diet. She now takes an antihistamine if she has flareups, not prednisone. Most prefer to avoid giving prednisone as it stays in their system for a long time.

How many more pills do you have in the bottle? As Amy stated, normally you would do a prednisone taper and would not go cold turkey off the prednisone. That can cause issues. Please call your vet to find out what they recommend.

Did your vet have any plans to determine what she is allergic to?

maiseycat · Feb 23, 2010

Ahhh, this thread really ballooned up. I was just on the phone trying to call the vet, but I guess their office closes at 5 instead of 6 like I'd thought. Pooh. I've spent the day at my doctor's and the pharmacy - found out I have ringworm of all things. I was afraid it was a reaction to going off a med I was taking for PCOS or that it meant I could be going into diabetes since pre-diabetes patients can develop a rash like this. Having PCOS, I'm obsessed with the fact that I could have diabetes too, as many if not most PCOS women have diabetes (even though the doctor believes I don't). So, I'm relieved about that and that I'm going to take some tests just to ease my mind on the blood sugar, but ringworm? Who gets ringworm, seriously? Sigh, and I know at least two of our outdoor cats have it now. Plus, I have a job interview bright and early tomorrow. Just all comes at once, doesn't it?

Anyway, I changed Maisey's food about 2 weeks prior to taking her to the vet. She improved as far as the biting off fur, and the bad spots around her neck began to heal. She was just vomiting still every few days or sometimes a couple days in a row, then she'd skip a day. I figure, though, that was just her trying to get all the fur up that she's ingested. She's always been hairball-prone, but I'd had that pretty much licked save for particularly bad times of the year like early summer. Anyway, the Blue Buffalo food is a low-grain food, so it's likely a grain that she was allergic to. It's also a chicken based food and Maise, I know, is not allergic to chicken. We will see, but the fact that she really started improving after switching foods is a good sign. I wish I could find a food that doesn't have some kind of fish as a major ingredient. They make the foods so stinky, and I would think cats would be more likely to be allergic to fish than poultry. Maise hasn't had much real fish ever so I don't know on that front.

I thought it was strange, I got no thorough instructions for what to do if she improves on the meds, but I assume it's just to keep on keeping on until the med is done. She only takes 2.5 mg every other day, so with that low of a dosage, I figure there is no planned "weaning off" method. I guess I could break those in half and pill her every other day. I'll see tomorrow.

sharky · Feb 23, 2010

Silly ?? which Blue was she eating../ only one IMHO is low grain( soon to be no grain

)

Glad you are going to ask the vet

momofmany · Feb 23, 2010

Originally Posted by maiseycat

Anyway, I changed Maisey's food about 2 weeks prior to taking her to the vet. She improved as far as the biting off fur, and the bad spots around her neck began to heal. She was just vomiting still every few days or sometimes a couple days in a row, then she'd skip a day. I figure, though, that was just her trying to get all the fur up that she's ingested. She's always been hairball-prone, but I'd had that pretty much licked save for particularly bad times of the year like early summer. Anyway, the Blue Buffalo food is a low-grain food, so it's likely a grain that she was allergic to. It's also a chicken based food and Maise, I know, is not allergic to chicken. We will see, but the fact that she really started improving after switching foods is a good sign. I wish I could find a food that doesn't have some kind of fish as a major ingredient. They make the foods so stinky, and I would think cats would be more likely to be allergic to fish than poultry. Maise hasn't had much real fish ever so I don't know on that front.

Watch her on the Blue Buffalo. It completely dried out my Muddy's coat to the point that it looked like he had frizzy split ends throughout his coat. I had to get them off of it because he got itchy from it.

Prednisone for food allergy - question...

maiseycat

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