Two years of dealing apparent food allergies

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
Its time to wrap this mess up. Here are the facts for my 2 year old male
1)Was found with black debris in his ears. Always has this issue come back in his right ear. Last year was told it was not ear mite related. Four times a year it gets bad enough I have to use Epi Optical liquid and flush it out for two weeks.
2)Licks his paws and scratches around his face seconds after eating at low-medium level
3) Grooms himself alot but he is a single cat I have seen that before, no hair loss or bleeding skin.
4)His stool is perfectly fine, he seems in good health
5) Have tried two years of elimination diets that has the least issue with Natural Balance Limited. But even with Venison these issues exist.
6) Have relocated him for 1 week trials outside my apartment, no change. Besides the fact no one sees anything wrong with my apartment.

Is it just an annoyance for him? Is there any pain? Without signs from the litter box I have hard time believing he is in any real pain. I have done two vets, that is my limit for this area and wasting money with no results. Vet science in this area just seems like guessing anyway, there is no real conclusive tests.
That leaves me with three options:
1) Let it be knowing he is on one of the best foods
2)Give in to vet commercialism and give him a junk Science Hill ZD diet at ten times the cost of the one now
3) Eliminate the wet food and try limited ingredients dry food only. Which only leaves the Salmon one for non poultry. My first cat was on dry only, everyone I know does dry only. Its only me trying to give my cat what the internet calls the best diet that is having these cat issues, which makes me ponder.
 

carlysmom

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 13, 2010
Messages
425
Purraise
1
Gosh if you figure this out please let me know. Right now I'm struggling with something very similar with my cat. She has a constant black brown mess in her ears no matter how much I clean it or what type of ear mite treatment I use. I don't think it's ear mites. She has diarrhea in episodes. Sometimes she's fine and then it just hits her and she will have quite a few diarrhea episodes before firming up again. She is on a totally dry diet and because she was pregnant I had her on kitten food (Blue Buffalo) and she had the worst stools imaginable on that stuff. She's been wormed, I don't think it's worms although she will need to be rewormed with the kittens. I switched her to sensitive stomach Authority cat food and that seemed to do the trick for about a week and now we are back to diarrhea episodes again! I'm worried it's a parasite and that she's going to pass this to the 5 kittens she has but with the ear crap that's been bugging her, it might still be dietary issues. I will be taking her and the litter to the vet next week for a check-up and worming. I guess we will need to discuss what options I need to take.
 

mizmelzy

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2010
Messages
239
Purraise
4
Location
Wisconsin
Smokie has been having some of the dark stuff in his ears too. Not too much but I have been noticing it more now too. When I brought him in for the scabs he was getting, I was told that any dark stuff in their ears like that is a sign of an allergy. I also have one cat who is pulling her fur out. She has one or two patches now that she's still pulling fur out in. I find tuffs of fur on the floor from her. I've been trying food after food and it's still happening.

I just switched to a dry food which is supposed to be a grain free diet. The vet said that a lot of cats are allergic to the grains in the diet. But they can have allergies to unusual ingredients too.

But with the scratching of the face and your other symptoms he most definitely has an allergy of some kind to the food.

I know how hard it is to try and find one food that the cat's like and are not allergic to.
 

mews2much

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
13,424
Purraise
27
Location
Central Valley,California
My Coco has that ear thing also and she is 18 now.
Not even Uc Davis could figure it out.
She has had it since she was a kitten.
Like your cat she is allergic but she also ha asthma.
My Wrinkles is very allergic also so she is on N/B Duck.
It is the only food that works for her so far.
 

jenwales

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Oct 25, 2007
Messages
357
Purraise
11
Location
Maryland
Jack has had the black crud in his ears for 12 years. Way back when I first got him, the vet said that it was a histamine reaction, but he did not say to what and I haven't worried about it. Jack doesn't seem to be bothered by it and he doesn't scratch or rub his ears. I clean his ears once a week. Jack is on a grain free wet diet.

I'm pretty sure there's an allergy going on in my 8 month old, Boo. She is the most aggressive groomer I have ever seen and she scratches a lot. There are no skin issues I can see and she isn't missing any hair. I need to start playing around with her food to see if it helps. Boo won't touch wet food and is currently eating a mixture of dry (Evo Salmon and Herring/Acana Grasslands/Kirklands).
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
OK, I'm biased since Hills C/D seems to be working great for my cat, who was diagnosed with struvite crystals in September. Urine is perfectly normal now, and his senior panel, done last week, came back with great numbers. Sure, to me, as a lay person, the ingredients don't look great - but the results surely are.

Prescription food is formulated to address certain health issues, and is prescribed by a doctor. I honestly don't think any vet is making a mint from carrying various prescription lines at their offices (and can you imagine how everyone would complain if you had to mail order it, with a prescription?).d,

And, I know this sounds snarky - but the internet is not a substitute for a qualified vet. And no one on the internet, even assuming they have any sort of real qualifications, has actually examined your cat. There really is no one 'best' food, IMO - it makes no difference whether it's Friskies or the most holistic, highest priced, super duper premium food - if your particular cat is not thriving on it, it's not the best food for him.

You could ask a referral to a feline dermatolgist, or check with local vet schools. Or you could give the prescription food a try and see if it makes a difference.

I know there's a ton of information available these days on the net, and all of us want only the best for our babies - and any sort of immune/eating issue can be hell to diagnose, whether it's human or animal.

PS - My Hills CD doesn't really seem to cost me more than any of at mid-priced premium foods out there - CD, at least, is very calorie dense so you don't feed that much.

Carly, is your cat still nursing? When I was switching over to CD, my boy seemed to have mushy stools from the wet CD (the fish version). I stopped feeding the fish version, and the vet prescribed Talan (sp?) powder, a mild antibiotic often used to treat bowel disorders. Something worked - his stools firmed up nicely.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
Last time I inquired about Science Hill Z/D a 10lb bag was $50 and that is forcing my cat that always had wet food to dry. 24/5.5oz Cans was $75!
$50 dry bag from $20
$36 NB wet food case to $75
For someone on MS with limited budget this stuff would have to be most amazing food in the universe.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Sho had this for years... in only one ear. No earmites, no bacteria, no yeast. It went way on NB.

Sherman is unfortunately starting to show some of this now. He's on C/D so there's not really any options for his food.
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
At my vet in Glen Ellyn, IL, I pay 50.03 for a case of wet CD, and $34.09 for a 10 pound bag of dry. I've no idea if the various prescription lines would run differently. We've got a ton of vets in the western suburbs, so maybe there's a competition factor....and, as I said, at least with CD portion sizes are small - takes a long time to go through. That's why I don't get the larger boxes, which are somewhat cheaper per pound.

That said, if you wanted to try the prescription food I might start with a small bag and a few cans, asking the vet how long it would take to see a difference one way or the other. In the meantime, contact Hills and see if there is any sort of discount for people in your situation (sort of like what some of the drug companies do for certain patients). Also call other vets and see what they charge - does Dr. Foster sell this by mail order with a prescription? Did both vets suggest ZD?

If the stuff works, it is a miracle food - believe me, even if the CD were more costly than it is, it's cheaper than running a sick cat in for surgery for crystals, assuming I caught it in time. But that's my experience.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Originally Posted by darlili

I pay 50.03 for a case of wet CD
For a flat of 24 5.5oz or are you getting more for that cost? I pay ~$27 for a case of 24 cans.
 

addiebee

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 30, 2007
Messages
7,724
Purraise
17
Location
Michigan
I would agree that you should contact Hill's and see if they will help you out. Also - sometimes you can get the scrip food cheaper online and some online stores run free shipping specials which is what kills the cost!!

Maybe your vet would work with you re: price? Never hurts to ask. Seems like the z/d is kinda costly from a quick Internet search.

ETA: So the Royal Canin LID foods didn't work??
 

carlysmom

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Apr 13, 2010
Messages
425
Purraise
1
When you are feeding NB to your cats with allergies are you feeding only wet or a combination of wet and dry? I love NB food, our dogs are on it and they do wonderfully on it but because the kitten formula (Carly is nursing) has barley or wheat as a top ingredient, I skipped it. I have considered the duck food but wasn't sure how the peas would fit in.
 

darlili

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,310
Purraise
14
Location
Illinois
strange wings, good catch - I went back to the itemized receipt, and that $50 price was a flat of wet and a 10 pound bag of dry - all CD, though.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
He is wet food only, he couldn't stop gorging as kitten so I took control of the four feeding times with wet food. Now that he is two maybe he could control not eating to vomit with dry now. He is shaking his ear all the time and will not let me into his ear properly today to clean it. My sister is trying convince me to drive 35 miles to this other vet tomorrow. Considering it.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
^Is your sister nearer that vet? If so, maybe the three of you (you, your sister, and kitty) could meet up and make the 35 mile trip a little less tedious.

If you really need to look at a cats ear the "towel burrito" trick works. You wrap the cat up tightly in a towel, making sure all four feet are contained, with only the cat's head sticking out. It's a bit stressful for a cat, but if you need to check the ear a little stress can be dealt with. (a vet visit is even more stressful, but kitties get over it)

Originally Posted by darlili

strange wings, good catch - I went back to the itemized receipt, and that $50 price was a flat of wet and a 10 pound bag of dry - all CD, though.
I thought it sounded a bit much for just a 24 flat!
That's pretty good for it all together, though.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #17

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
I will have to give that towel trick a try! His right ear is red, I not sure I should mess with it anymore since the only debris has to be deep in the canal. They can look at it tomorrow.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
They gave my little one Depo Medrol Injection and mometamax drops. Vet could not see into his ear far enough to see debris or drum. Thinks its too inflamed.Culture came back with yeast and bacteria. Scheduled cleaning tomorrow in hopes his pain and inflammation are now. I hope the vet can check his ear quick before the tech goes to town to confirm we are doing the right thing upsetting the ear again. He didnt think it was food allergy since only one ear.
 

katgoddess

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
397
Purraise
1
Location
BC, Canada
Originally Posted by madara

They gave my little one Depo Medrol Injection and mometamax drops. Vet could not see into his ear far enough to see debris or drum. Thinks its too inflamed.Culture came back with yeast and bacteria. Scheduled cleaning tomorrow in hopes his pain and inflammation are now. I hope the vet can check his ear quick before the tech goes to town to confirm we are doing the right thing upsetting the ear again. He didnt think it was food allergy since only one ear.
If it's food allergies, it doesn't necessarily have to be in both ears. I have dealt with food allergic pets that kept on getting recurrent infections in only one ear.

Originally Posted by Carlysmom

When you are feeding NB to your cats with allergies are you feeding only wet or a combination of wet and dry? I love NB food, our dogs are on it and they do wonderfully on it but because the kitten formula (Carly is nursing) has barley or wheat as a top ingredient, I skipped it. I have considered the duck food but wasn't sure how the peas would fit in.
With my food allergic cat, when I was feeding NB, he reacted to the wet and was fine with the dry. I don't know if I remember correctly, but I think the dry has fewer ingredients than the wet, which helped in our case, because my cat reacts to fish oil. Nowadays, his allergies have gotten so bad that the only thing that works is a home-made diet. He is doing well on it and I like that I can control all the ingredients and it can be easily tweaked if I suspect he's reacting to something. Food allergies can be very frustrating to deal with.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

madara

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Jul 22, 2008
Messages
192
Purraise
1
Cleaning was canceled, still to inflamed and I will not let them dose him unless I know more about eardrum and crude confirmation as just touching his ear turns it pure red. They are closed tomorrow so I have all the way to Thursday morning, trying not freak out.
At least he is not nonstop twitching, half the day the drops seem to ease some pain. I wonder if I am getting them into his canal as well as doctor though, he shakes so fast before I can massage, gooey all over. Being steroids in there I dont want to second guess either and give him too much. I hate this, just the way he lays and his eyes conveys he is in discomfort, how much though is question.
 
Top