Cat with allergies- antihistamines &/or desensitization shots?

The short of it... has anyone had success using antihistamines &/or desensitization shots for a cat with environmental allergies?

For those who have time/desire to read the long full story...
Our now 10 month old cat, George, has been having skin issues since 6 months old...we were aware of things prior to adopting him. He has been on flea preventative all along, and a strict food trial since February with Royal Canin PR. Neither offered him any relief (and the food trial now has him underweight, too). So three weeks ago we opted for skin biopsy and allergy testing via blood sample, to try to get a better sense of what we're dealing with.

As we were expecting, the biopsy did confirm classic allergic reaction. So, this much we know without doubt.

The allergy test results finally came in yesterday. I do know that allergy testing cats is not a precise science. For the most part, negatives tend to be true. But false positives can be a problem. Aware of this, his results do strongly indicate his issues are likely environmental...lots of positives in those panels.

Quite a few were pollens (trees/grass/weeds). I am not convinced those are the root of his issues, and expect at least some are false positives. We had a long, hard winter here in the midwest, and his symptoms first appeared in late December and have persisted. Spring having appeared here only a couple weeks ago. The timing for these items, while not impossible, seems very unlikely.

However, he also tested positive for house dust and 2 common molds. Now we might be on to something. Dust is obviously a year-round constant. And while mold growth flourishes in warmer weather, the spores are still present in the environment year-round, both indoors & out. I think these are the items most likely to be the culprit(s).

We're obviously going to do what we can to clean up his environment. My husband & I both suffer from seasonal hayfever, and ironically, after a particularly bad start to this spring for both of us, it was recently suggested we upgrade our furnace/AC filters and consider a TrueHEPA air cleaner. We're going to do both, as it'll obviously benefit everyone. We're going to remove the cardboard scratchers, as paper & cardboard are notorious mold magnets. I'm already vacuuming twice a week but I can find the time to add another round. And I definitely need to improve my dusting skills.   I also have a couple houseplants that I have no attachment to, so since mold can live in the soil, I can happily remove those too. Any other suggestions? Obviously, completely eliminating environmental allergens is impossible, but I want to do whatever I'm capable of doing, to reduce exposure.

The results were emailed to me, and I'm expecting a call from the vet later today or tomorrow, to discuss our options going forward.

Given George's very young age, I'm not interested in regular steroid usage, or Atopica at this point. If he were a much older cat, those might be on the table, but I'm not looking to subscribe him to a life long usage of either type of medication if it can be avoided. Down the road, if problems persist, perhaps...

So, I'm wondering if anyone has had success using antihistamines &/or desensitization shots for a cat with environmental allergies? Would you mind sharing your experience with me, if you've been down this road, or a similar one?

I'm leaning towards doing what we can around the house, while waiting for the first early signs of his skin reaction returning (he currently has steroid in his system, we've probably got a couple weeks), and then try an antihistamine to see what, if any, affect it has. I have read a couple articles that state Chlorpheniramine in particular, has been helpful for some cats experiencing skin issues due to environmental causes.

And if that fails... get him started on desensitization shots formulated according to his allergy test results.

Of course I'll see what George's vet's perspective is, but we've preemptively discussed some of this at prior appointments.

We're definitely going to get him on a good fatty acid/omega 3 supplement, and get him off the nasty Royal Canin PR. (I plan to start a thread regarding food in the nutrition forum, in a few minutes.)

Other suggestions and input are warmly welcome. It's likely we're far from the end of this journey, so all ideas are helpful.

And if you've read all the way down to the end (gosh this is a lot longer than I expected!), thank you.

The hardest thing about doing a food trial with a kitten is the weight issue, isnt it? But good job trying - because if it was a food allergy you would have found it and solved the issue right there.  Even for guys with atopic dermatitis (classic allergy), food still plays and important part in helping their skin resist the inflammation, so good for you for looking further into that.

I've had partial response to antihistamines, and partial responses to allergy serum shots. Their success has always been greatest when i've combined it with topical barrier therapy. Barrier therapy (things you literally massage into the skin or apply) is just coming into it's own...sometimes the skin biopsy gives you some insight if it's worth a try (tonnes of immune system cells, descriptions of disrupted skin). Something to look into as well...

Even if the allergy shots appear to be not working, keep up with them - because that's when you can find out if the true value of the allergy shot is to be "drug sparing". Meaning that, sometimes it's the combination that counts - allergy shots allow you to use way less oral meds to keep them looking good. Make sure there are no skin infections on this little guy (they frequently have staph overgrowth that causes them to itch/lick/bite/chew be red and miserable etc.) before judging if things are working or not...

hope that helps

k

Your input is fantastic, thank you so much!  We did get a call from George's vet earlier this afternoon, and your comments fall in line with much of what we discussed. 

He had a shot of methylprednisolone (sp?) immediately following the biopsy & blood draw, three weeks ago. So we are going to use this time while his skin is still quiet to focus on getting him off the prescription food and happily onto a more nutritious diet & fatty acid supplementation (via krill oil, and sardines if he'll eat them)....and a break from the vet visits, which he doesn't enjoy. There is still a glimmer of hope that as his immune system continues to mature things will spontaneously resolve, and his diet is going to play a big role in that department I'm sure, if there's a chance for him to be one of the "lucky" ones.

His vet pretty much concurred with my initial thoughts. If his skin goes angry again (we'll likely know before George does...in the past the physical changes have started before he's felt the itch), we'll try the antihistamine immediately. And if that fails, we'll start the desensitization protocol. We talked at length about the various combinations of things that might be George's golden ticket, as it were.  He has also seen the best results in his practice when a combination of things is being used, opposed to a single cure-all.  I do know that once we start the shots it will be a years-long thing, and retests and reformulations along the way might be beneficial, etc. We're very open to doing whatever it takes, with the least negative impact on George for the long-term in mind.

I am going to look further into the topical barrier aspect. It was something I read about early in all of this, but had since forgotten. Something about fatty acids & ceramides (I believe?) applied onto the cat so it can be taken up directly by the skin. Thank you for bringing this back to the forefront for me. Sometimes it feels like I've been put in front of a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box for reference.   The answer is there, but I've got little to go on to put it all together.

Sometimes it feels like I've been put in front of a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box for reference.

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I could not have described it better myself. That is what if feels like to have someone with allergies in the family!

k

I treat my kitties' seasonal allergies with Claritin.  I get the generic brand, Loratidine and give 1/4 to 1/2 of a 10mg tablet ONCE daily.  I crush and add to wet food.  It seems to help decrease the sneezes, watery eyes, and eye itchiness.  One other thing to consider is what's going on in your home when these flare ups happen?  Sometimes stress can contribute to lots of different problems.  Could it be that this happens during times of stress?

stephanietx said:

 
I treat my kitties' seasonal allergies with Claritin.  I get the generic brand, Loratidine and give 1/4 to 1/2 of a 10mg tablet ONCE daily.  I crush and add to wet food.  It seems to help decrease the sneezes, watery eyes, and eye itchiness.  One other thing to consider is what's going on in your home when these flare ups happen?  Sometimes stress can contribute to lots of different problems.  Could it be that this happens during times of stress?

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Those are very valid points you've brought up!  We have given some thought to his stress levels, and haven't been able to pinpoint anything.

George's backstory....  He was found at 6 weeks old, and was at the same cage-free rescue until we adopted him at almost 7 months old. He was extremely well adjusted there, and it was the only home he knew during all that time.  His skin first erupted (at both his neck, and linear tracks on his rear legs) while still in rescue, at 6 months of age.  Steroids calm it down, but when the med leaves his system the issues return (always at the neck first, the rear legs have been slower to react these days). There's been no pattern of flare-ups, no periods of non-medicated remission. Here at our home, it's just my husband and I...and Dory, who is one of his friends from the rescue, adopted by us at the same time. She's one month younger than him, but they were brought into the rescue within days of each other (Dory, was 2 weeks old), and they've been together ever since. Our home is pretty quiet, we've not had any projects going on, haven't moved furniture, have a somewhat static schedule, and George and Dory are still getting along fine, etc. And here with us, he's the same laid back cat he was in rescue, nothing seems to phase him much (that we are aware of, at least!).

I have 2 cats on Zyrtec (1/2 tablet once daily) and it seems to be helping.  One of the biggest things I did for my dog who has horrid seasonal allergies is switch her to a raw diet.  She has both food and seasonal allergies and was constantly licking and scratching etc.   I don't know why it helps but from what I have researched a lot of ingredients in the foods make the body react with inflammation which is what allergies are.  Zoey was horrid before I switched her.  I switched her almost 4 years ago, and she still gets antihistamines and baths every few weeks with a lavender essential oil rinse after (don't use on cats), and she does great, isn't constantly itchy etc.  I have also noticed with my psychogenic alopecia kitty since switching off kibble she isn't chewing on her stomach/legs till they are raw anymore either.  She is on raw now too.  While raw isn't the solution for everything, I would definitely look into a better diet for your cat, grain free canned or raw is ideal.  Cats have a hard time digesting grains and even though the Royal Canin is a limited ingredient diet, it still isn't ideal for cats and it has a lot of sodium in it which over time can damage kidneys. 

cprcheetah said:

 
  Cats have a hard time digesting grains and even though the Royal Canin is a limited ingredient diet, it still isn't ideal for cats and it has a lot of sodium in it which over time can damage kidneys. 

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The Royal Canin diet is temporary, and within a few days it should be a thing of the past. We used it for a food trial for the last 10 weeks, as prescribed by George's vet.  I've always been a big advocate of grain-free, low-carb, wet food diets. I had a really hard time with the idea of using Royal Canin PR for the food trial, as I think it's complete junk. I came very close to not doing it. We didn't have a good experience with it, but even so I don't regret doing it because the food trial had to be done and now I can say it's a thing of the past.

George came to us as a hard-core kibble addict, but within the first month of having him with us we'd gotten him to 50/50 wet & dry....with the intent of reaching 100% wet. Prior to the food trial, his kibble portion was Wellness CORE original, and his canned was a combo of Wellness Core & grain-free, Tiki, Weruva, and Nature's Variety Instinct.... all poultry based varieties, no fish.

I've been carefully researching what to move him to now as there are still some restrictions, and have a thread going on the nutrition forum.  http://www.thecatsite.com/t/276651/kibble-suggestions-no-duck-rice-egg-and-more   My immediate goal is to get him off the Royal Canin now that I have the green-light to do so. And then we'll start working towards transitioning him to 100% wet, again (we've back-slid a bit these last 10 weeks, because he despises the RC PR canned). I'm thrilled to be able to use bribery again.

I am so glad I found this thread!

We have a rescue - Riley - we adopted him from a pet rescue facility when he was about 8 months old. The rescue facility informed us that he had just recovered from a bout of diarrhea - we didn't think much of it - and we took him home.

He was fine from November until we went on vacation in April and had a friend house sit and take care of Riley and our calico, Lois.

Lois has always been very dependent on me and stresses when I leave, even if she has company and a new brother -- but I started to notice patches of fur missing from Riley's flanks. His eyes were runny, he was sneezy, we could hear him breathing. The loss of fur grew worse and stayed on his flanks, tail, and back legs - we also noticed some red sores. We took him to the vet who suggested it might be a food allergy. We have had him on a strict all-natural "duck and pea" diet for quite some time now with no change. We also have given him flea baths and are very strict about monthly flea treatment.

He's not getting better and we keep a cone on him most of the time to keep him from grooming the affected areas but it's no way for him to live.

The Zyrtec seems to help a little with the sneezing and the eyes - but not the itching that obviously happens.

We know we need to take him to an allergist but we're afraid of what we've read about enormously expensive tests that really won't tell us anything exact.

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated....

Based on my experience with George, there are a few more easy things you can try....

First, which monthly flea preventative are you using?  Some types are becoming less effective in certain regions. I would suggest switching brands to one with a different active ingredient. Flea allergy is reportedly the #1 allergen in cats, and the most common reaction site is the rear of the cat, on the lower back near the tail, but flanks and legs too. It doesn't take an infestation or visual signs...one little bite is enough to do it. I would stop the flea baths if you are using preventative.  Don't ever use Hartz and other bottom-shelf products....use Advantage II, or Frontline, etc.  No chemical is without it's side effects, but the cheaper brands are notoriously dangerous. 

Second, have his stool tested at the vet. It's not common, but allergic skin reactions are sometimes seen when there are internal parasites, and it's an easy thing to rule out &  fix.  When we adopted George, he had both roundworms and giardia...and zero symptoms. It ended up not being the cause of his issues, but something we needed to address regardless.

Third, are you positive that Riley is eating only the duck & pea based food? No treats, no crumbs from the kitchen, not sneaking a different food you might be giving your other cat, or if he goes outside he's surely ingesting things out there?  The food trial has to be extremely strict to be an effective diagnostic tool...just the one food and nothing else. Not even a crumb.  If you've been strict about it, you might want to do an about-face with the food... pick one that has no duck and no peas...while not as prevalent, cats can definitely be allergic to either of those items, so a second strict food trial eliminating those two ingredients would be beneficial if that's the case.

Fourth, ask your vet to do skin scrapings &/or a tiny skin biopsy to check for non-allergy related things (mites, ringworm, various types of infection, etc).

Fifth, as one of the posters above mentioned, sometimes it can be entirely stress related. Trying a Feliway plug-in diffuser, in the area of the house where Riley spends most of his time might be worth a shot. Pay close attention to his behavior, his relationship with Lois, his reactions to things you & your family are doing around the house, etc.  It could be coincidence that this started around the time you were out of town, but one stressful event, or a continuing stressor, can do it.

Our regular vet was able to run George's allergy testing (blood, sent to VARL labs). We did the most comprehensive set, which was expensive (several hundred dollars). If you leave off the food panels (which are the most notorious for inaccuracies), the price goes down. But unless you are planning to use desensitization shots to try to bring things under control, the allergy testing is probably not worthwhile. Most of the things they test for (other than food) are impossible to completely remove from the environment (pollens, molds, dust, etc). The testing is needed to formulate the serum used for desensitization, to your cat's specific needs....there isn't a blanket serum you can use unfortunately, it's personalized.

Has your vet tried a steroid for Riley? Sometimes just one or two rounds will calm things down and the skin problems won't return! It's not something you'd want to use constantly if you don't have to, but in an otherwise healthy cat, infrequent steroid use is rarely a problem. When used very judiciously, the side effects are minimal in cats (in comparison to what you'd see in dogs, or humans, that is). I think in Riley's case, this would definitely be worth one or two tries.

I just scooped the litter boxes, and it reminded me of one more thing....

You can try changing the type of litter you use. Not just the brand, but the actual ingredient it is made from. We were using clay litter (Dr Elsey's Precious Cat), and switched to walnut (Blue Buffalo scoopable multi-cat). There are also litters made from corn (World's Best), wheat (Schweat Scoop), Pine (Feline Pine), Minerals (Breeze System), and crystals.

We opted for walnut, because things like corn, wheat, trees, etc are all potential allergens. Walnut could be too, but we thought it the least likely. We weren't unhappy with the litter we were previously using, but found that we like the walnut quite a bit....much less dusty than the clay (but still a tiny bit).

If you do opt to try a litter change, be aware that some cats don't take to it quickly. So leave a box with their old litter available to them, until you are certain both cats are starting to use the new type with frequency. Then you can remove the old type completely.

I also have a kitten with skin allergies, he is 11 months old and started to show symptoms of these allergies in December 2013. He was given a round of steroids for 2 months at an every other day dose which took the issue away. But soon after the treatment stopped, the issue returned. Once again he is on steroids. I have tried changing the diet to grain free first to rule out grain as the issue, I am using worlds best corn based litter (not sure if this is a good choice) his lesions cleared up when I tried swheet scoop and the grain free diet, but I did not like the smell of that litter brand so I switched to the worlds best. A few days after I got that brand I did notice that he started to get the tiny welts again. Maybe I am onto something.   He is on Revolution as well but that did not help at all.

I also would rather give the kitten something other than steroids, but at the end of the day I just want him to be comfortable.

I am reading this with great interest. Gizzy has had allergy breakouts since he was 9 months old. We did all the testing, skin scrapes, etc.

The allergen shots did not help him. We have done everything suggested in these posts. He is now almost 7 and every 2 months has to have a depo-medrol shot. It began with a shot every 5 months and has gone down. We have been advised of the very real possibility that we're shortening his life, but we're also keeping his distress down.

If we catch it as soon as the breakout begins, then it doesn't become infected and antibiotic isn't needed. We also tried atopica but that did not work either. I have just begun reading about the use of antihistamine's to fight this. We have had him on Hills CD dry with a small amount of wet for a couple of years due to crystals but are now beginning to transition to grain free, fish free canned.

We live in an area where we don't have winter so allergy season is all year. They are both totally indoor cats but pollutants come in whenever we open a door as well as bringing them in with us.

I will continue to read with interest.

There's a company called Heska that formulates immunotherapy drops that are placed under the cats tongue. They claim to be effective even when the allergy shots are not. Of course it may not help all animals but it's something to try. Most of the research has been with dogs but it can be prescribed to cats too and there's a very low risk of side effects.

JDollPrincess said:

There's a company called Heska that formulates immunotherapy drops that are placed under the cats tongue. They claim to be effective even when the allergy shots are not. Of course it may not help all animals but it's something to try. Most of the research has been with dogs but it can be prescribed to cats too and there's a very low risk of side effects.

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I will talk to my vet about this. Everything is worth trying and thank you

I'm sorry to read that others are having similar issues with their cats, but at the same time I'm glad to have this community where we can share what has/hasn't worked and bounce ideas off each other.

Larsan - has your vet tried oral steroids? I may be mistaken, but I think those might be a bit less harsh on a cat's body long-term, than the frequent depo shots. You might be able to dial it down to where an extremely low dosage, given several days apart, might be enough to keep things at bay. I'm sorry that the things you've tried have thus far been ineffective. Is there a veterinary dermatologist, or veterinary school, in your area that you can consult? I wish I had other ideas for you, but I don't...if anything comes to mind I will be certain to share. It is hard to see a cat uncomfortable!

JDollPrincess - I'd not heard of the immunotherapy drops before, so thank you for sharing that info. I'm going to file it away with the list of things to consider down the road if George's problems persist.

A bit of an update regarding George...

Today is day 35, since his last steroid shot. His skin is still calm, which is a record for him! After previous shots, at day 20 we have felt bumps on his skin again, and by day 40 he's scratched himself raw & bloody. I don't know what has given him the extra time, this go-round... I wish I did! I'll take it, whatever it is. Needless to say, I've become obsessed with checking his skin multiple times per day, expecting to find something. At least he doesn't mind, he thinks rubdowns are awesome, thankfully!

Only a few things have changed...

We did get the HEPA air cleaner (Winix brand) for our main living space, it's been running for about 10 days now. I have noticed it has helped my seasonal allergies, but I think it's too soon to claim a victory there as far as George is concerned. I am thinking about getting a smaller model for our bedroom, as I can tell the difference between how I feel when I wake up in the morning vs. how I feel after I've been up & about the house for a couple hours. It's definitely noticeable. I haven't changed my cleaning frequency...still vacuuming twice per week, dusting only when needed, washing cat beds weekly, etc.

George is completely off the prescription Royal Canin PR.  He really enjoys what we are feeding him now. (By Nature 95% chicken & chicken liver canned, and Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken kibble - new formulation) While on the prescription food, he refused the canned most of the time and was eating primarily kibble. But he took to the new food immediately, and after 10 days he's already eating 1 can per day (2/3 of his daily need) all by himself without any bribery on my part. Later this week we are going to try to push him a bit and see if we can't get him eating 100% canned food. The ingredient list on the By Nature 95% chicken & chicken liver is very short, which is a very good thing. I've ordered the 95% turkey & turkey liver of the same brand, and Dave's 95% chicken, and hope to add those into his diet soon as well. (I don't like feeding just one brand...in case of recalls or a cat suddenly snubbing a particular food).  I'm also giving him 1 drop from a krill oil capsule each day...starting slowly with that.

His personality has pepped up quite a bit since getting him off the yucky Royal Canin PR. He has a lot more spring in his step and is spending more of each day playing. He is also slowly putting on weight again, which is a very good thing for him. I'm happy we did the food trial, but am so glad to have it behind us.

I have my fingers crossed that my next update will be as good as this one. But I feel like I'm moving through borrowed time at this point. Should his skin flare again, our plan is still to try an antihistamine first, and then move on to the desensitization shots from there, if needed.

I found your story so interesting because it is almost identical to mine. I volunteer at my local shelter, and adopted a 6 mo mid-hair tux.  He had been there for months and no one would adopt him because of the longer hair, so of course I took him.  He is my third cat.  That was October 2013, about 21/2 months later I become aware of hair loss on his legs.  Upon closer examination I found hair gone on the belly and the start of open sores.  My first trip to the vet was a steroid shot and a shot for the infection.  That worked for a couple of weeks and then the hair pulliing/biting started again.  He was then prescribed Buspirone (which I think is for anxiety), and Royal Canin HP.  This was a 30 day trial with the pill which didn't work.  Most of this time he is wearing the cone collar to prevent him from mutilating himself.  The shelter manager where I volunteer suggested changing the litter to something totally natural (dust free and no chemicals).  I was using Fresh Step Mutli Cat Clumping which is clay  .  I now have gone to Feline Pine which both the cats and I hate.  As you know it takes 4-6 weeks to see any results.

I switched vets after the 30 day Buspirone trial. I needed a second opinion.  He is back on steroids again, first week a pill every day, and then every other day.  We have a few days left.  He is still biting himself but less..I am pretty convinced that this is not the answer.  You mentioned that you live in the midwest, I did also at one time and now am in south Florida.  I am mentioning this because I am now thinking this might be pollen, grass something from the outside.  All though my cats don't go outside, they have a cat door to a screened in lanai.  Ever since I brought him home I have had my doors to the outside open.  I live on a golf course and there are guys out here mowing, blowing, spraying etc.  A few days ago, I closed the doors, turned on the AC, got an expensive filter (grasping at straws).  I'm staying on the Royal Canin one more bag(Hate that stuff also).

Well that's my story, somewhat similiar to yours!  As you can tell I have not found a solution.  I call my kitty Rufe Doodles.  I have googled this subject to death.  I would like to try an antihistamine but need to finish the steroids first.  I found a couple of articles on Clor-Trimeton, there is an article on Veterinary Partner.com.  You can get it through DrFosterSmith.com, not very expensive.

Also if you are looking for a new cat food you might consider Hills  ideal balance indoor chicken and turkey, its has lots of fish oil for the skin.  It was recommended to me by a knowledgable cat person.  Good luck to you and keep me up to date on your progess.

dee

Burkey, yes, we have also done the oral steroids with no results. We have done so many things that I often forget until it's mention and I think " oh yes, we did that". We went to a feline dermatologist who did all the tests to see where we're at and to formulate the allergen shots. He was on them for over a year without hitting the mark either, at which time we were told to stop since they were not effective at all.

We will talk to our vet tomorrow regarding antihistamines. We have done a round of Atopica for cats and he broke out while on that, so another one that did nothing. Didn't prolong the breakout at all.

startover33928 said:

I found your story so interesting because it is almost identical to mine. I volunteer at my local shelter, and adopted a 6 mo mid-hair tux.  He had been there for months and no one would adopt him because of the longer hair, so of course I took him.  He is my third cat.  That was October 2013, about 21/2 months later I become aware of hair loss on his legs.  Upon closer examination I found hair gone on the belly and the start of open sores.  My first trip to the vet was a steroid shot and a shot for the infection.  That worked for a couple of weeks and then the hair pulliing/biting started again.  He was then prescribed Buspirone (which I think is for anxiety), and Royal Canin HP.  This was a 30 day trial with the pill which didn't work.  Most of this time he is wearing the cone collar to prevent him from mutilating himself.  The shelter manager where I volunteer suggested changing the litter to something totally natural (dust free and no chemicals).  I was using Fresh Step Mutli Cat Clumping which is clay  .  I now have gone to Feline Pine which both the cats and I hate.  As you know it takes 4-6 weeks to see any results.

I switched vets after the 30 day Buspirone trial. I needed a second opinion.  He is back on steroids again, first week a pill every day, and then every other day.  We have a few days left.  He is still biting himself but less..I am pretty convinced that this is not the answer.  You mentioned that you live in the midwest, I did also at one time and now am in south Florida.  I am mentioning this because I am now thinking this might be pollen, grass something from the outside.  All though my cats don't go outside, they have a cat door to a screened in lanai.  Ever since I brought him home I have had my doors to the outside open.  I live on a golf course and there are guys out here mowing, blowing, spraying etc.  A few days ago, I closed the doors, turned on the AC, got an expensive filter (grasping at straws).  I'm staying on the Royal Canin one more bag(Hate that stuff also).

Well that's my story, somewhat similiar to yours!  As you can tell I have not found a solution.  I call my kitty Rufe Doodles.  I have googled this subject to death.  I would like to try an antihistamine but need to finish the steroids first.  I found a couple of articles on Clor-Trimeton, there is an article on Veterinary Partner.com.  You can get it through DrFosterSmith.com, not very expensive.

Also if you are looking for a new cat food you might consider Hills  ideal balance indoor chicken and turkey, its has lots of fish oil for the skin.  It was recommended to me by a knowledgable cat person.  Good luck to you and keep me up to date on your progess.

dee

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I want to jump in here and say this is so similar to Gizmo. We live in Deep South Texas which is dry and nothing dies in the winter to clear things out. Allergy season is all year.

Since the skin lesions began on the inside of his legs, we thought litter. At the time we were using all natural, organic corn based. We changed and tried several different ones until we were confident that was not the issue. We had already sought out vet assist as soon as we saw the awful red lesions on our 9 month old.

We did a lot of testing and switching of things until our vet suggested a feline dermatologist and the possibility of cat allergies. During this time we tried different oral medications, shouts, food, litter. We ruled out mites, fleas, etc.

After finding out the results from the dermatologist, we began shots for desensitization along with an oral steroid if needed. We went back to our vet to give him a progress report and he told us that it wasn't working and to stop the shots....this was after a year of trial. We were feeding ZD by Hills until he developed his crystals and then went to CD. I do think that when we switched from ZD for allergies to CD for urinary tract, the breakouts started to come more frequently. I am not, nor have I ever been convinced it's a food allergy - at least not fully.

So we are currently giving depo shots about every 2 months -- when I feel the tiniest pimple which means a full out breakout is going to be here by the next day. By getting a shot quickly we can almost always avoid infection setting in and then needing the antibiotic in addition. We are now going to go with grain free wet food and discuss antihistamines with our vet tomorrow

startover33928 - I'm sorry you're going through this with your Gizmo, too. Have you tried using flea control to see if that helps? Flea bite is the reported #1 allergen in cats, and it doesn't take an infestation. One random bite from a single flea can set sensitive cats on fire, so it's worth trying if that's something you have not, yet. It was the very first thing we tried, in George's case...but wasn't the culprit for him.  I hear you about closing up the house... we've had some beautiful spring days, and yet I've kept the house closed up tight. It's supposed to hit 80 today (not normal this time of year), and I intend to use the AC if needed...much earlier in the season than I would ever consider turning it on.  Thanks for the recommendation on the food, it has a lot of ingredients we have to avoid for George though...peas, rice, egg, etc.  The shorter the ingredient list for him (or any allergy-prone cat really), the better.

Larsen - you probably already know, but allergy testing in cats (both blood, and skin) is known to be notoriously inaccurate. Add to it, that the list of things they are able to test for is short in comparison to humans. We did it for the general knowledge, wanting to know if he had a lot of antibodies for the environmental stuff because the food trial was a miserable failure. That we can use the results for the allergy shots, is just a bonus. Obviously, whatever is your Gizzy's allergen hasn't been isolated with the testing, and that is a fear I have should we start the desensitization shots with George...that we'll be missing the key ingredient, so to speak. It sounds like you and Gizzy have been down just about every road a veterinarian can offer. I'm sorry that after everything, you've still been unable to solve the puzzle. Your frustration must have gone through the roof long ago.

Like startover33928, the reports I've read about the antihistamine helping cats with allergy induced skin reactions were about Chlor-Trimeton specifically. The generic name for the medication is Chlorpheniramine (sp?). That is the one we are going to try with George when/if it comes down to it.  I've yet to come across any formal studies done using things such as Zyrtec, etc.