Skin Problem in 8 month old kitten

Yeh I've already done that. Last night I put him straight back on the food he was on before. It's Royal Canin Digestive Health. I was mixing bits on with Applaws kitten and also applaws kitten wet food. I'm not sure if maybe the high protein is the cause.

I will discuss the biopsy with the vet. Sounds expensive. She will hopefully be able to do a skin scrape there in the surgery to check for bacteria and fungus. Last vet I spoke to didnt seem keen to do a biopsy because of the swelling it would cause etc.

Sorry just upset and fed up.

I understand.  I had a horse with pemphigus.  I remember lots of hair pulling while waiting for results, once he was stable enough to even biopsy.  I say "stable enough", what I mean is he suffered a more pressing condition (sinking founder) and laying his 1400 lb body down to get the biopsy could have cost him his life.  That's a horse thing, so don't fret about "stable enough" thing.  Just saying I understand trying to do the right thing while juggling and figuring out what the right thing is. 

So he was on RC Digestive Health before, what for?  And why the Applaws?  Just trying to get a clearer picture and so we can best help you.

Thank you for the kind words. Really am so down. I'm meant to be going on holiday on 6 weeks but I can't take him to a cattery like this so worrying about all that too.

I got him the RC because when I adopted him he had diarrhea. He still occasionally gets it and needs an antibiotic to shift it. I waned to put him on applaws on recommendation of it being better for him being 80% chicken and no cereals. The only other thing that's changed is he's gone on Advocate spot on with a health plan at the vets. Can that cause allergic reactions? Not heard of that before.

My fella has just gone to Hoover for me as I'm in a bit of an edgy state

I'd try the RC for a while and if it doesn't help, then on to try something else. 

Could it be Advocate?  Possibly.  I think the only way you're going to know is to narrow down one thing at a time, unless you do a biopsy.  And if it is an allergy, a biopsy probably won't tell you much. 

Did you know that staph glows under a woods lamp!! One day at a time!! Can your vet do a tooth brush fungal culture for ringworm? It was only 25$ here in the states. Much cheaper than a biopsy. Goodluck!!

Has he been given any steroids? Steroids makes ringworm worse. FYI just in case it is ringworm.

Hi,

The best option would be to find a dermatologist. Sometimes we can't do "the best" options and we have to do what we can do. I would start with a fungal DTM. They are not expensive and you will know for sure if it is ringworm or not. The Woods light is not a diagnostic test for ringworm. The fungal DTM is. It should only take a few days  to start growing if it is positive. Also have a skin scraping done, using the scotch tape method and the regular blade mineral oil way. They need to look for scabies which is very itchy and usually confined to the head and face. It is an easy fix if it is scabies. They can also look for other various mites All of the tests I just mentioned should not cost much because they are all done in house with no real cost to the vet clinic other than a few minutes time.

Has any blood work been done on your cat at all? If so do you know what the eosinophil count was?

It could be a food allergy. Usually it will manifest more on the neck and head but it could be. Your cat is kind of young for that but it could be. The thing with food allergy is that you have to use a novel protein source and nothing else for 3 months before you know if it is going to work or not. If he has one treat or anything with another protein source (provided of course he has an allergy to a protein source and not corn or rice) you have to start over. If there is no improvement in that time then you have to find another novel protein source and start all over again. Food allergy is not an easy thing to get under control.

Are you putting anything topical on the lesions? I would not right now if I was you. You have probably already started using stainless steel dishes right? Have you taken away any plastic toys? Do you have a toy called the cat dancer? It is a wire with bamboo pieces on the end of it. If you do put it away also.

I would assume you have treated for fleas. If he was my cat I would put a dose of revolution on him centering the application spot at the little bone on the back of the head where the neck starts. Although with the current medications he has been on I would check with the vet first to make sure there wouldn't be a problem. I would still research myself also to make sure if there needs to be a wash out time.

Anyway that is what I would do starting with the fungal DTM and Revolution if okay. I would not be doing a biopsy just yet if it was my cat. One thing the vet can do is an impression smear from the lesion where they just press the slide against a lesion, fix the slide and stain it and look for fungal hyphae and bacteria and yeast. Also sometimes eosinophil can show up on the slide leading to a presumed assumption of ECG.

Hi all thank you so much for all the information. I will hopefully have covered all the questions below.

He's not been given any steroids at all. Not in injection or cream form. The only topical lotion and cream used was Surolan and Daktarin.

He has been treated for fleas and gets a spot on every 4 weeks.he's on advocate. He is am indoor cat at the moment as I live on a building site and too many heavy goods vehicles are about. Also been wormed. He's not incredibly itchy so I doubt it's scabies. He doesn't itch the lesions other than when scabs form. I was using anti fungal cream but it worsened the irritation so I stopped it.

All the vet has done is a woods lamp glow test and that glowed green only in two spots but not excessively. I will ask her to do a culture and skin scrape. I am reluctant to do a biopsy given he will have to be put under anaesthetic as it is on his face. I will have to google staph as not sure what this is? Does it show as it is doing on his face?

He's not had blood tests and I think the vet may want to run one. It costs around £90 uk pounds. The specialist is a no go at the moment. I would have to travel over an hour for that and an appointment alone is £160 without the treatment etc. if it came to it then yes of course it would be an option but thinking I of car journey time and stress levels for him.

He does have a cat dancer but it's locked away and we haven't used it for over 3 months so before this even occurred. Yes he has stainless steel bowls.

I did have a water fountain for him before and thought it may have caused the bits on his whiskers? I noticed after the patch got sore he started titling his head the other way and them developed a hot spot on that side too. It was called a drinkwell mini. It was taken off him a week ago and back to bowls.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I am praying its nothing. The rescue centre have offered me help with him too which is nice of them. If needed they will take him when I go away in September and treat him for me too.

I can't cope with the insane cleaning regime. I work long hours and currently spend 2 hours every evening cleaning which is exhausting me. It's very demoralising

If your vet will give it to you, try the Bactroban twice a day on the spots. Staph is a bacteria called staphylococcus. Bactroban treats Staph infections. Good luck!!! I think you are doing a great job. I know how stressful and exhausting it can be when you don't know what you are dealing with.

Thank you so much. I hope I am! I'm so stressed out.

I saw a different vet tonight. Second opinion. She still suspects fungal. However we have taken a skin scrape and a swab for the lab so they can so culture and bacterial test first. If anything shows up it's a start on what I'm dealing with. The patch under his eye glowed a tiny fleck of apple green but I thought it would as looked sore and flaky. The other bits didn't this time so perhaps the itraconazole is working more than I first thought.

I'm not to out anything on the patches until the results come in. She said bacterial can take 2-3 days to come back and fungal as we know take up to 14 days. Sooo at least the tests are on the way! She also said I don't need to keep the kittens separate. My other baby is being treated also with the itraconazole and if I can steam the carpets etc hopefully the spores will eventually die out if treating the cats as well. I use bleach where I can on surfaces and Hoover all toys and beds. Wash bedding every other day.

Stress levels at a max. Haha. I will ask about the bactroban when the results come in. Both kittens are due in next Wednesday for a re-check. The younger one will need weighing for the meds dosing as at 5 month is still growing loads. The vet explained that she probably developed it initially as a result of being weaned. Her mother died when she was 7 days old so she didn't get the vitamins from the milk that she should normally have.

I feel a bit better about it. If it's fungal I guess it's not the end of the world. I can treat it and I will beat it if it kills me!! Ha

I'm sure some people are going to tell me that I'm wrong for this, but in all honesty, you've probably done enough "scrubbing" of the house.  Ringworm is in the environment, period.  I mean, unless you're dealing with a true infestation, like we should call the directors of "Hoarders" to pay you a visit or something.  I'd be more concerned if you and everyone else in the house had it too.

At least keep cleaning until you have the results back. Ringworm can live on surfaces for up to two years. Yes ringworm is in the environment but most people don't have it in their homes and on their pets. The problem is reinfection. I would hate for you to get it resolved just to get it back again because your cats got into it again from your home. This is why I suggested keeping the cats in one area so you don't have to be cleaning your house over and over. Just the area that the cats are in. I know it is tiring. And maybe you don't have an infestation now but that is because you have done a great job keeping up with it.

I tell you what they should give me a job cleaning haha. I have kept up with it. I try every day but if not every other for definite. The 'cat rooms' I.e. Kitchen and small box room get blitzed daily regardless. I vacuum, steam the vynil floor in kitchen, bleach down and damp dust all the surfaces they walk on every day. All appliances get bleached too. Carpets gets steamed once a week. The Hoover container is cleaned out with bleach/hot water twice a week. Vacuum every day or alternate days. Toys bleached too if can. Food dishes washed twice a day in hot soapy water. Including water bowls.

So far myself and my partner show no signs of it. I have a verruca I can't shake off but that about all. I do apply cream on my hands before bed though and if anything at all shoes up red on me (tends to be heat rash) that's blitzed too!

Soooo I am pretty much covered. More than that I can't manage. I like to think it's working! So far (touching wood) the small kitten is ok. I check her daily and if on doubt cream her! She loves me! But as I say she's on the itraconazole too as a precaution.

I hope tests come back soon so can kick whatever it is in the butt!

I should also add technically this started in may. So I think for me and my partner or no other visitor to not have it is a miracle! We do use gloves to treat them though and also wash hands after every stroke and between cats. Handling them less too. Their bedding gets washed every other day also. Only 40 degree wash but they would shrink if did 90 as some sites recommend. To compensate I put the dryer on for two hours to kill any spores!

Oooh and I do empty the Hoover and throw the contents right outside in the black waste bin!

When my indoor-only Grey (RIP) got ringworm, it was due to being immune-compromised.  We later found out she had diabetes.  In any case I didn't change a thing about daily cleaning, I just cleaned the house as best as I could and all that and it was resolved in time.  I didn't have a steamer or access to a carpet shampooer, so that was not done in a house full of carpet.  My cloth couch and recliner were not washed.  I wiped down surfaces and vacuumed and vacuumed and vacuumed.  Obviously I washed blankets and such, but nothing to the point of destruction.  And I didn't do it daily after the first big clean.  Instead of blanket being washed once a week after that, I moved it to twice a week.

I think putting on gloves is a great idea as well as handwashing. 

That makes me feel a bit more reassured. You managed to get rid of it then? Without re-infection?

I am trying not to develop OCD. Just because it's not healthy for me then! I'm just hoovering daily although vet said wouldn't help much - makes me feel better haha!

All I can do is what I can do. I can't clean more than normal or I will just never have a life! It's ringworm I guess it will just take time. Besides nothing confirmed in stone yet. I'm just keeping on top of hinges in case it is.

Does anyone know of a carpet cleaner that is antifungal? Also safe for the cats? Only stuff I can find is from America and I'm not clear if it's safe for pets or not

She never had another case of ringworm after that.  I don't know what's safe for cats and what isn't, as far as anti-fungal carpet cleaners.  I know the spores need moisture to germinate of whatever, so I'm not sure if that's the way to go.  Especially since we pick the spores up on our shoes and walk in with them.  Seriously, it's in the environment.  I agree with the vet tech. 

If it's in the environment i.e. Air I'm screwed. I can't do anything do stop it! short of bleaching my shoes I don't know what else to do. Arghhhhh!!

I keep checking Phoebe for any lesions. It's her that started this lol. So far can't find anything but she's the silent carrier. Has spores in her fur and it's very long!! Feel like shaving her lol. This is her....

Yes, it's in the environment.    You know, shaving isn't a bad idea...lion cuts are all the rage for long haired cats this time of year.

I may as well give up lol. I can't win against air!! Unless I burn the house down and that ain't going to happen!!

Oh dear haha well we shall see how she fairs next week. She's in for a check up with Frankie on Weds. Last time I asked the vet she didn't think it necessary to shave her. Just to brush regularly and bleach the brush afterwards.