In the midst of an allergic reaction -- help!

I unknowingly fed my cat something (a canned seafood recipe wet food) that she is allergic to. This came after my vet gave me the OK to try it out.

Her nose is extremely itchy and swollen. She seems to have a bit of a sore on it.

I only fed her about 1/3 of the can (it was Wellness CORE). That was around 1 PM on Wednesday. It is now 9 AM on Friday here.

I have no experience with a reaction like this, as her last allergic reaction was in 2005, and was the result of a long DIET filled with things she couldn't eat, resulting in a very bad attack with a long duration (and lots of vet visits) rather than one isolated thing.

Right now I have her in the cone collar, and I'm taking it off throughout the day so she can eat, be comfortable, go to the litter box, etc. She has pretty good mobility with it, but I really, really don't want this to be an extended thing.

My vet said just to watch her and call them up if she worsens.

Is there anything I can do? Any idea how long I can expect this to last?

How scary for you. I wonder why your vet didn't prescribe some sort of antihistamine?

I don't recommend anything OTC for her. I think I'd be taking my kitty to another vet for a second opinion about both treatment and how to manage her special dietary needs.

Keep us posted. What's her name?

Thanks so much for responding, Otto. Her name's Layla. She's about 11 years old.

I'm happy with my vet regarding my cat's care. The only thing I'm not really happy about is the fact that it's VERY hard to get them on the phone. It was really the vet tech that I spoke to who told me "OK" to the Wellness Core Salmon Herring Whitefish (or what ever it is) and thinking back, I feel almost as though she wasn't paying attention. That's how we got in to this whole mess. After looking for a few minutes online, I found that seafood is one of the most common allergens for cats.. why didn't the vet tech know this? Or, why didn't she double check with the vet?

I think maybe I'll call my vet back today and ask them again what I should do. I keep holding out, because in reality it's just been two days and is likely still working its way out of her. But, I imagine it feels a whole lot longer than that when you've got a cone on your head.

Since you like your vet, I recommend bringing her back in to be seen again, today. I still find it odd your vet didn't prescribe an antihistamine or shot to counteract the allergic reaction, when s/he saw Layla the first time.

11 years old is senior, and health can change rapidly. I'd be wanting to get some blood work done to check her kidneys and liver values after this bad reaction.

The clinic I use is tough with the phone system too. My vet has voice mail, and I do not rely on techs or receptionist to forward messages, I leave my questions on her voice mail and she calls me back.

But I really think Layla might need to be seen again, perhaps Layla should have some sub q fluids to help flush her system out.

Please keep us updated on your Layla.

Otto, I agree with you 100%. I understand that vets are VERY busy, but I am totally flexible as to whether they want to call me back, talk to me then, or even just relay the message to the tech. In this case, it was downright dangerous that the tech answered my question. I'm a little mad at myself for not looking in to it further and putting blind allegiance in to what she said. But, what happens happens, so now I just have to get my kitty better.

The first time she was in to see the vet was before this reaction happened - on Tuesday. It was for a UTI, which, thankfully, the antibiotics seem to be helping greatly. She had sub-q fluids on that day. She has not seen the vet since the reaction - I called Wed to ask about the food, and then updated them on Thurs when I realized that she was reacting to it. That's when they told me to basically just wait it out and call if she worsens. Didn't give me a time frame or anything.

I think I AM going to request bloodwork, too. I'm not so sure about the allergy test, as when we visited that option back in 2005, they said it really wasn't worth it (since we'd found a food that she's okay with, d/d Duck and Green Pea dry - not the greatest, but she holds it down and doesn't have any reaction to it). I was trying to add in something wet of higher quality, but it looks like we might have to try d/d's wet variety.

I'll definitely update with any new developments.

Oh I totally agree with you about allergy tests. Not worth it, IMO.

What antibiotic is Layla on for the UTI? I wonder if the reaction is from that, rather than the food, as it all happened at the same time.

Let us know once you talk to the vet.

Layla

I believe the antibiotic she's on is Baytril. The bottle looked like it said "Bautril" but I Googled that and Baytril came up. The vet said it's better for treating UTI/bladder stuff.

Good point that she could be reacting to it -- I don't think she's been on it before. Going to give the vet a call this PM, and if there's no improvement by tomorrow, I'll take her in.

Thankfully, she ate, drank water, urinated and pooped this morning. I syringed a little bit of extra water in to her mouth (maybe 5 cc's?) -- she was relatively agreeable to it and I figured it perhaps will help flush out her system. I brushed her and she seemed to appreciate immensely - probably helped with the itchies.

I have copied this over from an information sheet on Baytril

What are the possible side effects of Baytril: Stop giving the medication and seek emergency veterinary medical attention if your pet experiences an allergic reaction (difficulty breathing; closing of the throat; swelling of the lips, tongue or face; or hives). Other less serious side effects may also occur. Continue to give the medication and talk to your veterinarian if your pet experiences loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, or drowsiness. Side effects other than those listed may occur. Talk to your veterinarian about any side effect that seems unusual or bothersome to your pet.

Click to expand...

I would make sure to talk to the vet today, about this being an allergic reaction to the baytril.

The vet had me discontinue the Baytril until I speak to him again, keep her only on her dry food, and prescribed Prednisone. This was all via the telephone. He said to call in 3 or 4 days and if there's no improvement, to bring her in.

She seems a *tiny* bit less itchy today, but the nose doesn't look any better. It looks a bit raw I think that she's licking it with her tongue even with the cone collar on.

My worry now with stopping the Baytril is about the UTI - she got it for 4 out of the 10 days - should I be concerned about the infection coming back?

Thanks for the update! On Monday, call your vet and ask this question. Probably he will prescribe something else, be sure it is marked boldly in her chart that she is allergic to Baytril.

I hope the prednisone helps her be feeling much better soon.