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- Feb 17, 2014
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Hi everyone, I am hoping to get some advice on this cat I know, an adult male named Silas. His picture is below:
I volunteer at my local SPCA, but unfortunately, it's not a very good one. The vet is very overworked and doesn't spend much time with the animals, other than neutering them. A fellow volunteer and I are concerned about Silas and have sort of taken our own initiative to get him feeling better.
As you can see above, Silas came to the shelter with chapped, hairless skin beneath his eyes. His eyes were very runny (clear, no blood or infection, just constant tears), and his fur was coarse and thin. He was a good weight and didn't seem to have any other health issues; his stools are normal and he has been cleared of FIV and FeLeuk.
We complained numerous times about his runny eyes, to no avail. Finally, my friend suggested we try him on Blue Buffalo dry food, instead of that nasty cheap stuff the shelter serves, and see if he has a gluten intolerance. I have done some research on this, but it seems like the symptoms for gluten intolerance are mostly digestion and stool issues, and he doesn't have those.
However, we did switch him to Blue Buffalo, and it has really helped cleared up his eyes. His fur has gotten softer and thicker, and he even seems to be perkier--he is the friendliest little boy you'll ever meet. Before you could tell he just felt down in the dumps. I have been amazed at how much healthier he seems to feel.
I have been trying to research what Silas' underlying problem could be, with the excessively runny eyes. Gluten intolerance just doesn't seem to fit, but I can't deny the better food helped a lot. I am considering adopting him; it's very preliminary and would depend on how my two tortieshells got along with him, but I am pondering it and am trying to do some research. It would also depend on what the health issue might be, and whether he needs to continue eating Blue Buffalo. He is still at the animal shelter, but my friend and I take turns bringing in bags of Blue Buffalo for him.
I was hoping maybe someone here had seen a cat with a similar issue and knew what the problem could be? I appreciate any advice!
I volunteer at my local SPCA, but unfortunately, it's not a very good one. The vet is very overworked and doesn't spend much time with the animals, other than neutering them. A fellow volunteer and I are concerned about Silas and have sort of taken our own initiative to get him feeling better.
As you can see above, Silas came to the shelter with chapped, hairless skin beneath his eyes. His eyes were very runny (clear, no blood or infection, just constant tears), and his fur was coarse and thin. He was a good weight and didn't seem to have any other health issues; his stools are normal and he has been cleared of FIV and FeLeuk.
We complained numerous times about his runny eyes, to no avail. Finally, my friend suggested we try him on Blue Buffalo dry food, instead of that nasty cheap stuff the shelter serves, and see if he has a gluten intolerance. I have done some research on this, but it seems like the symptoms for gluten intolerance are mostly digestion and stool issues, and he doesn't have those.
However, we did switch him to Blue Buffalo, and it has really helped cleared up his eyes. His fur has gotten softer and thicker, and he even seems to be perkier--he is the friendliest little boy you'll ever meet. Before you could tell he just felt down in the dumps. I have been amazed at how much healthier he seems to feel.
I have been trying to research what Silas' underlying problem could be, with the excessively runny eyes. Gluten intolerance just doesn't seem to fit, but I can't deny the better food helped a lot. I am considering adopting him; it's very preliminary and would depend on how my two tortieshells got along with him, but I am pondering it and am trying to do some research. It would also depend on what the health issue might be, and whether he needs to continue eating Blue Buffalo. He is still at the animal shelter, but my friend and I take turns bringing in bags of Blue Buffalo for him.
I was hoping maybe someone here had seen a cat with a similar issue and knew what the problem could be? I appreciate any advice!
