seasonal allergies or something else?

Hi everyone,

My 10 year old boy, Robin (aka 'Nub'), has been showing a whole bunch of symptoms recently. We moved to the Netherlands from the US two years ago, and since then he has shown symptoms that seem to be seasonal allergies every year from around October/November to around February/March (he never had allergies before). It was unclear initially what was going on but I'm fairly certain at this point that this is the cause.

Some of the symptoms include: Sudden and excessive grooming, shaking his head, and becoming more aggressive towards his sister. I have also noticed that he licks our exposed brick wall sometimes, and that he seems to have some gas issues (I can hear his stomach gurgling from time to time, which I don't normally). 

Recently these symptoms returned, but suddenly I am now noticing a few other symptoms. The first is that he has been vomiting about once a day nearly every day for the last 2 weeks or so. I have given him hairball treatment thinking that was the culprit (especially due to the over-grooming), but I haven't seen any hair in the vomit at all. His poop has otherwise been normal. The other symtpom is that I have seen him hiding under the bed for no apparent reason a couple of times, so presumably he's either feeling unwell or stressed.

His behavior is otherwise normal (normal appetite/eating, pooping, drinking, urinating, and sleeping). His activity level seems normal and his general behavior patterns have mostly remained the same, with the exception of hiding a few times. The only other thing of note is that one of the times he vomited I did find a piece of string or yarn, which unfortunately isn't too uncommon for him as he tends to eat everything he can fit into his mouth (I wasn't unable to even find what exactly he ate this time). 

My questions are as follows: 

1. My first concern is with regards to the string. Is it possible that he would have eaten some and not exhibited any symptoms besides those mentioned (vomiting spit once a day and stomach gurgling sounds)? I have tried touching his stomach and haven't noticed any discomfort. I want to know whether I need to pursue that further, which I'm sure would mean ultrasounds which are both expensive and stressful.

2. Could symptoms such as vomiting spit, stomach gurgling, and hiding potentially be related to seasonal allergies? 

3. Assuming that all of the symptoms are seasonal allergy related, what can I actually do about this? I've been with him to the vet on several occasions over the last couple of years for this but they haven't had effective recommendations. He is eating a hypoallergenic food and I've tried some skin treatments but they didn't seem to change anything. He had a steroid injection once that did seem to help but I don't want to use that as a regular treatment. Are there risks associated with antihistamines? Any suggestions on treatments that I can ask the doctor about would be helpful. I hate to see my little guy stressed and unhappy.

He has been to the vet many, many times before so I am just trying to become better informed before carting him off there again. If he's stressed, I don't want to increase that stress unless necessary.

Thanks very much and sorry for such a long post! 

Update: I will be taking Nub to the vet tomorrow to address the string issue, just in case. So I guess to summarize, the most important questions here are: 

1. Has anyone ever seen vomiting as a symptom of seasonal allergies? 

2. What are the best courses of action for treating seasonal allergies?

Thanks again.

Quick replies to your summary questions:

1)  I, personally, have never heard of vomiting as a symptom of seasonal allergies

2)  normally seasonal allergies are handled same as with humans, with allergy meds like Zyrtec. 

From what you are describing, doesn't sound like season allergies to me.  Season allergies are something I have, and they cause sneezing, congestion, coughing...that sort of thing.  It IS curious that it always happens at a certain time of the year, but still doesn't sound like allergies. 

And the occasional licking of the bricks is of major concern to me, because that is sometimes a sign of Anemia.  The stomach gurgling and vomiting spit could be signs of over acidity and might be resolved with some Pepcid A/C (1/4 tablet twice a day), but the real question here is WHY is he having the issue, so a Vet visit is definitely in order. 

Hi Mayadot. It seems like a few conditions could be going on.

First, it's quite possible that Nub has IBD, which can cause vomiting, stomach gurgling and gas, among other issues. It's possible that Nub has a blockage in his stomach, which can cause vomiting. However, that's not very likely. In my case, my girls had a furball obstructing her stomach, which caused her to get very sick and frequently vomit. My vet vet told me that does not happen very often. We did an ultrasound because my vet suspected a blockage after examining her. She could tell by a physical examination that an obstruction was likely. The ultrasound showed the blockage. During surgery, my vet noticed that her stomach tissue was fragile and she recommended a biopsy to rule out cancer. Fortunately, my girl did not have cancer. That was scary though! My vet diagnosed my girl with IBD (my boy was later diagnosed with IBD as well). They get Pepcid twice a day. In some cases, steroids may be necessary.

A good vet can give you options for diagnosing and help you decide what's really necessary. Try not to stress too much over the costs. Also, every cat is different and finding a good food for your cat is very important. What bothers one cat may not bother another. My cats are on prescription food. I may change foods though because my boy seems to be having food allergies. It sounds like Nub may be reacting to his food even though it's labeled hypoallergenic. Different cats may have sensitivities to different ingredients. Finding out what does not bother Nub will involve trial and error. Also, non-prescription foods might not be hypoallergenic because they are cooked and/or mixed in the same containers as other foods. Some food manufacturers are better than others if you can't afford prescription food. I order food online since it saves me money.

Nub could also have allergies to his food in addition to seasonal allergies.. There are a lot of great threads in the nutrition forum regarding IBD and food allergies. My boy seems to be having food allergies. For a while, he got really aggressive and started attacking his sister and lashing out at me. my vet told me that allergies can cause aggression in cats. Also, pain or discomfort could cause aggression. At my vet's recommendation, I started him on Zyrtec, which you can buy over the counter in the US. He gets 5 mg (up to 10) a day. This has helped tremendously. He's back to his sweet, gentle self. It has not completely resolved his itching, biting (himself), scratching and over grooming, but he's doing a lot better. He has also stopped the head shaking, acting crazy and running around while loudly meowing. I'm currently contemplating switching his food. He's on the Royal Canin Duck and Pea. In any event, it's very likely Nub's food may be bothering him on an IBD and/or allergy basis.

The string might be balled up fur (unless you have reason to think he ate string). I recently found something that looked like a string in the litter box. Upon closer examination, it pulled apart--I could tell it was actually fur. If Nub has long or thick hair, I would highly recommend a FURminator. Keeping their fur trimmed and frequent brushing helps me alleviate furball problems.

You should definitely take him to the vet. If you're concerned about costs, talk to your vet about prioritizing what's really necessary. Hiding is a bad sign, which worries me. That's not good. I have no idea about licking bricks. I hope this helps. Good luck at your vet visit! Let us know how it goes. There are lots of people here who have extensive knowledge on the food issues. Maybe they can help give you some additional advice.

Thanks to both of you. I took Nub to the vet a couple of days ago and just wanted to give an update:

mrsgreenjeens said:

 
Quick replies to your summary questions:

1)  I, personally, have never heard of vomiting as a symptom of seasonal allergies

2)  normally seasonal allergies are handled same as with humans, with allergy meds like Zyrtec. 

From what you are describing, doesn't sound like season allergies to me.  Season allergies are something I have, and they cause sneezing, congestion, coughing...that sort of thing.  It IS curious that it always happens at a certain time of the year, but still doesn't sound like allergies. 

And the occasional licking of the bricks is of major concern to me, because that is sometimes a sign of Anemia.  The stomach gurgling and vomiting spit could be signs of over acidity and might be resolved with some Pepcid A/C (1/4 tablet twice a day), but the real question here is WHY is he having the issue, so a Vet visit is definitely in order. 

Click to expand...

1. It seems to me that the vomiting might be a secondary symptom of the seasonal allergies, either due to excessive stress or perhaps from licking himself too much. I am pretty certain that what's he's experiencing is a seasonal allergy. It only started when we moved to a new country and this is the 3rd year it has recurred at exactly the same time of year. From what I've read, most of his symptoms also can be related to seasonal allergies (licking, head shaking, and skin twitching). I think that the agitation, wal licking, etc. is all as a result of the skin discomfort. 

2. The vet suggested that she doesn't recommend allergy medicines, as they reduce the immune system. 

3. I did have the vet run a comprehensive blood test. I haven't seen the results in person yet but the vet said that it showed symptoms that would be synonymous with allergies (I guess cells that react to inflammation?) and everything else looked normal. The wall licking has come and gone a few times over the years now and his blood tests have always been normal, the vet said that sometimes pica is a sign of something but it can often be behavioral. 

ForrestMeows said:

Hi Mayadot. It seems like a few conditions could be going on.

First, it's quite possible that Nub has IBD, which can cause vomiting, stomach gurgling and gas, among other issues. It's possible that Nub has a blockage in his stomach, which can cause vomiting. However, that's not very likely. In my case, my girls had a furball obstructing her stomach, which caused her to get very sick and frequently vomit. My vet vet told me that does not happen very often. We did an ultrasound because my vet suspected a blockage after examining her. She could tell by a physical examination that an obstruction was likely. The ultrasound showed the blockage. During surgery, my vet noticed that her stomach tissue was fragile and she recommended a biopsy to rule out cancer. Fortunately, my girl did not have cancer. That was scary though! My vet diagnosed my girl with IBD (my boy was later diagnosed with IBD as well). They get Pepcid twice a day. In some cases, steroids may be necessary.

A good vet can give you options for diagnosing and help you decide what's really necessary. Try not to stress too much over the costs. Also, every cat is different and finding a good food for your cat is very important. What bothers one cat may not bother another. My cats are on prescription food. I may change foods though because my boy seems to be having food allergies. It sounds like Nub may be reacting to his food even though it's labeled hypoallergenic. Different cats may have sensitivities to different ingredients. Finding out what does not bother Nub will involve trial and error. Also, non-prescription foods might not be hypoallergenic because they are cooked and/or mixed in the same containers as other foods. Some food manufacturers are better than others if you can't afford prescription food. I order food online since it saves me money.

Nub could also have allergies to his food in addition to seasonal allergies.. There are a lot of great threads in the nutrition forum regarding IBD and food allergies. My boy seems to be having food allergies. For a while, he got really aggressive and started attacking his sister and lashing out at me. my vet told me that allergies can cause aggression in cats. Also, pain or discomfort could cause aggression. At my vet's recommendation, I started him on Zyrtec, which you can buy over the counter in the US. He gets 5 mg (up to 10) a day. This has helped tremendously. He's back to his sweet, gentle self. It has not completely resolved his itching, biting (himself), scratching and over grooming, but he's doing a lot better. He has also stopped the head shaking, acting crazy and running around while loudly meowing. I'm currently contemplating switching his food. He's on the Royal Canin Duck and Pea. In any event, it's very likely Nub's food may be bothering him on an IBD and/or allergy basis.

The string might be balled up fur (unless you have reason to think he ate string). I recently found something that looked like a string in the litter box. Upon closer examination, it pulled apart--I could tell it was actually fur. If Nub has long or thick hair, I would highly recommend a FURminator. Keeping their fur trimmed and frequent brushing helps me alleviate furball problems.

You should definitely take him to the vet. If you're concerned about costs, talk to your vet about prioritizing what's really necessary. Hiding is a bad sign, which worries me. That's not good. I have no idea about licking bricks. I hope this helps. Good luck at your vet visit! Let us know how it goes. There are lots of people here who have extensive knowledge on the food issues. Maybe they can help give you some additional advice.

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The vet felt his stomach, intestines, and everything and said that she didn't feel a blockage and there wasn't any poop so she wasn't too concerned about the string. Nub is on allergy prescription food already so I don't think that's the issue.

Overall: 

The vet gave nub a steroid injection and it has seemed to help quite a bit. I still saw him being aggressive towards his sister yesterday and a bit of licking, but he is definitely licking less and far more relaxed. He has actually been napping comfortably quite a bit for the last 2 days which is a relief, as it seemed like even his sleep wasn't great recently. He didn't vomit yesterday or today (yet at least), and the vet said that the steroids can help with that too. If he keeps vomiting, she's going to give him something for his stomach to see if maybe it just got aggravated. I also got some skin stuff and omega 3s to help with the allergies, but unfortunately steroids are a very short term solution. The vet said that they're quite safe for cats so I hope I don't need to be too worried, but yeah, I wonder what to do long term. We will most likely move in a few months which might help, so I wonder if I should continue with the steroids until then? 

Does anyone have experience with steroids and their safety? 

Thanks again. 

mayadot said:

Does anyone have experience with steroids and their safety? 

Thanks again. 

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You may want to search or start a new thread about steroids specifically. You will find that a lot of people have used them, and some people use them as a long term medication to help their cats.

I'm glad Nub is feeling better now and getting sleep. Poor guy, it's hard to see them in discomfort like that and with allergies it can be so tough to find the exact trigger.

I recommend asking about the steroids (in a separate thread).  They definitely have pros and cons.  

Also, check this article, which discusses some treatment options for allergies:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2141&aid=505

Antihistamines are widely used in both the human and animal medical fields. Most of the antihistamines used in veterinary medicine are antihistamines that were designed for and used primarily by humans. Antihistamines have been shown to be effective in controlling allergies in up to 70% of cats and 30% of dogs. When used as part of a treatment plan including fatty acids and avoidance, the percent of respondents goes much higher.

Every animal will respond differently to each of the different antihistamines. Therefore, several different antihistamines may have to be used before an effective one is found. Every antihistamine has a different dose and risk of side effects. Antihistamines should be used with veterinary guidance. 

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