Autoimmune

My 13 old Persian X was diagnosed with Lupus, is there any effective natural treatment?

Please share

Thank you

I had no idea that cats got lupus, I had to look it up! Which form of lupus does the cat have? What were the signs/symptoms? How was it diagnosed?

I'm not familiar with any natural treatment for Lupus in cats. There is another member, Momto4kitties that has a kitty with discoid lupus, her Lucas. He is successfully being treated with steroids. His situation was complicated by the development of food allergies and demodex; the demodex (if not the food allergies?) was likely due to the long term suppression of his immune system with the pred. But it's a balancing act. You can read about their journey here: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/244155/photo-update-of-lucas

Tammy (Momto4kitties) did start Lucas on TransferFactor, and is seeing improvement in Lucas' condition. So that is something to consider.

Many vibes for you and your kitty.

The only thing I can think of off the top of my head is omega 3 from fish oil (anti-inflammatory). It helps with my SLE too.

I am a dietitian - for people, of course - but one of the things I recommend with autoimmune illness is eliminating gluten from the diet, or, if the patient is really committed, trying an autoimmune protocol - eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, nuts and seeds, and nightshades. Oftentimes there is significant improvement and people have various sensitivities and can sometimes reintroduce certain categories of foods. Gluten is a big one though. I have no idea how this applies to felines, but I would imagine that feeding the most species-appropriate diet possible would be a start...assuming kitty is amenable to changes. Like with people, it might take awhile.

What do you feed your cat right now?

Thank you all for responses
He is on hypoalligenic canned food , but stopped eating today
he gets omega and vitamin c

Hopefully the omegas he's getting is from fish and not flax seed so he can better utilize it. Again I'm not aware of any effective and safe natural treatments for lupus.

What food is he on, and is it wet or dry? Did any new symptoms come about before going off of his food? New sores in his mouth, perhaps?

I have done lots of reserch by now , he was getting hypoalergenic wet formula ,fish oil , vitamins A E C , minerals and I increased water intake
Unfortunately new sore on eyelid and stopped eating his food and does not want to move much
I baked organic turkey he ate a bit , does not go to bathroom so I took him twice
I still hope he may fight it
Thank you for asking ) Any new inf o will be greately appritiated!!!

I have SLE. It's poorly understood in humans, so I can't imagine that there is a lot of info on cats. I will mention, however, that just because the food says hypoallergenic that doesn't mean that there isn't something in the food bothering him. If he has an allergy to chicken for example, feeding hypoallergenic chicken won't help. What's the additional vitamin A for?

It sounds like you need to consult with a specialist. And get him eating something soon before fatty liver starts.

I'm also wondering why your kitty isn't on prednisone? Has that already been tried?

LDG said:

I'm also wondering why your kitty isn't on prednisone? Has that already been tried?

Click to expand...

I was wondering the same thing.  I usually don't bring it up first because I know a lot of people are very much against it's long term use.  I know there are possible side effects but there are possible side effects to any medication.  I know it has made all the difference for my IBD kitty.

Steroids can be a lifesaver with lupus. I know it made a difference with me during flare ups.

I'm sorry about your cat being diagnosed with Lupus.   Although, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I can understand Discoid Lupus, since that is more of a skin condition. Lately, IMO, it seems Lupus and Fibromyalgia are too quickly being diagnosed when the doctors don't know what's going on (for humans). I'm not questioning the expertise of your vet, but if it were my cat, I'd be open to other opinions.

Anyway, anti-inflammatories are important for Lupus, so I'll echo the suggestion for Omega-3s. Stay away from immunostimulants, such as echinacea (there are others).

And yes, during bad flare-ups, steroids can help keep things at bay.

Thank you all for sharing info
My vet never suggested prednisone , all she wanted to do was to clean teeth , get biopsy done , and then supress immune.
I did not feel good about all of the above , he was in so much pain and also side effects scared me ( he is not a yang cat )
Steroids never were mentioned.
My friend GP suggested prednisone and in two hours Ben got up an had some food and felt much better.
Its been 3 days now skin started to clear a bit some of the soars look much better
CANT BELIVE SOME VETS ONLY THINK MONEY
Thank you all for your support and tips )
Will keep you posted

Prednisolone in a large dose does suppress the immune system.  In lower doses it is an anti-inflammatory.

I can understand all those things that the vet wanted to do. Bacteria in tartar can travel systemically and end up in the heart. A biopsy would give a better diagnosis and possibly secondary infections. Suppressing the immune system is all you've got during a really bad flare up. Prednisone and prednisilone ARE steriods, and can really help the cat if this truly is lupus.

you are right , we are going to get second opinion tomorrow and get it done

Thank you

Good luck and let us know how it goes. A biopsy really needs to be done in a case like this, including cultures for any secondary infections.