Anybody have any experience with Depo shots? Really need advice/help

  I apologize in advance if this is long. Need help 

I have had my cat Nala ever since she was a kitten. She is now 5 1/2 years old. She is spayed and always has her yearly check-ups and shots. In April of this year, I had to take her to the vet because she kept scratching her ears and above her eyes. Nala scratched a good amount of fur off in those areas and left sores. The doctor did a skin scraping and found no ear mites or ringworm (which my mom thought it was). I had done some research as usual and I thought it could be food allergies. It was. Nala is not allowed to have beef, dairy, or fish. We even switched to ceramic water and food bowls. She gave us Chlorpheniramine 4mg to give to Nala - 1/2 a tablet every 12 hours. Well I ended up only giving her 5 of the 28 tablets because it never worked; Nala always kept scratching.

So at the end of October, Nala and Zoey (my sisters cat) had to go in for their yearly check-up. I always ask for this really nice man doctor because he takes his time to explain everything and is awesome with them. Nala and Zoey see him every time (except for in April. Wasn't thinking so didn't ask for him). Anyways, Nala is overweight and weighs 15 - 15 1/2 pounds... I told him about Nala's scratching problem and after we talked for a while, he said that he was going to give her a three year Depo shot. Sounded good. I forgot to ask if there was any side effects so when we got home I did some research. The doctor also said that she most likely has eosinophilic granuloma complex - I did research on this also before we went to the vet and it did make sense and I think she does.

Some of the side effects were increased hunger, weight gain, diabetes, excessive thirst, increased urination, and more. The ones I am concerned about are the increased hunger, weight gain, and diabetes. The shot did help and she is not scratching her face nor are there any sores. Nala is healthy except the being overweight thing. She constantly wants to eat and empties the food bowl at night which leaves none for Zoey. That's what steroid shots do which I hate...

Does anyone have any advice or experience with Depo shots? I have been thinking about putting her on meals to control her eating. She acts like her normal self. My mom tells me to call the vet which I usually do when there is a problem but he gave Nala a steroid shot that lasts 3 years. He said he didn't want to but Nala's ears and around her eyes was pretty bad

Again, I am sorry if this was long.

 

Meals would be a great choice! I don't know enough about the rest of the medical decisions here, but free feeding will contribute to weight gain for sure. You also want to make sure that both of your cats get enough to eat.

Thanks for replying! I agree. My sisters cat is thin but at a healthy weight and gets wet food and treats along with dry. My cat only eats dry food. We get Hill's Science Diet Optimal Care. We tried the perfect weight and light. The light seemed to help but not long. I am home all day which is a plus. The only problem is that I don't know how much to feed them at meal times

If you're home all day, would you consider feeding wet food, either in addition to or replacing the dry food? It's also better for weight control because it has fewer fillers. I would ask the vet how much they should be eating and then break that down into four meals a day for starters. Once they are used to eating less frequently you can go down to 2 or 3 meals a day.

I have thought about it but my mom doesn't want to do that. Plus, Nala's vet said that the H.S.D Light helps with getting her to lose weight while Zoey can maintain weight. We have not opened the optimal care yet. I try to tell my mom to stick to light or adult indoor - she likes to change frequently. Ya, I should call the vet and ask him since he would know. Thank you very much. You have been a great help

Is the scratching generally around the time seasons change or is it ongoing?  It sounds like she's got seasonal allergies that could be easily treated with an antihistamine.  If she's scratching all the time, it could be food allergies or litter irritation. 

As for the diet, I'd switch her to an all canned diet, or mostly canned with dry food "treats" or "snacks".  If you're feeding her treats, stop those and use kibble as treats.  Definitely go to scheduled feedings and don't allow free-feeding.  Also, invest in a cat tree if you don't have one and interactive toys such as DaBird and/or a laser pointer.  At bedtime, have a good play session with her, feed her some wet food, then go to bed.  Do not leave any food out for her overnight.

Are you sure he said 3-year shot? I'm familiar with a two or three week interval between shots of Depo-Medrol, or even one shot every two or three months, but have never heard of a 3-year interval between shots.

The only 3 year shot that I know of is rabies.

She was scratching all the time but when her doctor gave her the steroid shot, she stopped. It really helped despite the side effects. Nala has had no treats since mid July which is great. Being home schooled is good since I can be home to give Nala and my sister's cat their meals and make sure no one gives my cat extra food.

I play with a laser, wand toy, and she has a toy with a scratcher and ball track in it. Nala runs around the house while I drag shoelaces ( fast and energetic) which is great

Yes Nala and Zoey did get a 3 year rabies shot last year. Their doctor said they try to vaccinate cats less often

Have you tried a limited ingredient diet food such as Nature's Balance Limited Ingredient Diet?  I think trying to figure out what is causing the itching is the key, rather than continued depo shots.  If you can get to the bottom of the itching, then you should be able to stop the shots.

Yes he did say 3 year shot. This is Nala's first Depo shot. He said they try to vaccinate cats less. Nala and Zoey got a 3 year rabies shot last year and got a 3 year RCP shot this year. We are going to stick to hill's because it works best. Nala doesn't scratch no more

Thank you all very much for the advice and help. I will start meals as soon as possible. You have been very helpful