Tiberius is sick :(

Lol RUNNY not funny. Autocorrect! [emoji]128529[/emoji]

make sure the baby food does not have garlic or onions

Yep, Zed Xyzed is right, we mean human baby food without garlic of onions. Good luck zellie1021 I hope you'e able to figure out whats going on with you kitty! 

So an update, I took Tiberius back to the vet today to culture his entire body for ringworm. I'm crossing my fingers its not, but I'm really not sure what else it could be? He doesn't have fleas, so I know it's not a reaction to that. The lesions have already been cultured and they're not a bacterial infection. I would think food allergy except he's not itchy or grooming excessively? I don't have him on any topical's like Revolution because he is allergic (he has a huge bald spot on his shoulder blades from a reaction). Anyone have any suggestions with what else could be going on?

Overall, he seems to be doing better aside from the skin issues. He is off the Albon, and is down to 1/2 a pill of Pred once a day and a probiotic mixed into his food. He hasn't vomited in a couple weeks, and he's had solid stools all weekend. He is still rather pot bellied, but I feel like he's starting to gain a little weight around his spine too. 

I'm wondering, do cats with IBD need to be on steroids indefinitely? Or once it becomes controlled can they be weaned off? 

kristenann said:

 
Yep, Zed Xyzed is right, we mean human baby food without garlic of onions. Good luck zellie1021 I hope you'e able to figure out whats going on with you kitty! 

So an update, I took Tiberius back to the vet today to culture his entire body for ringworm. I'm crossing my fingers its not, but I'm really not sure what else it could be? He doesn't have fleas, so I know it's not a reaction to that. The lesions have already been cultured and they're not a bacterial infection. I would think food allergy except he's not itchy or grooming excessively? I don't have him on any topical's like Revolution because he is allergic (he has a huge bald spot on his shoulder blades from a reaction). Anyone have any suggestions with what else could be going on?

Overall, he seems to be doing better aside from the skin issues. He is off the Albon, and is down to 1/2 a pill of Pred once a day and a probiotic mixed into his food. He hasn't vomited in a couple weeks, and he's had solid stools all weekend. He is still rather pot bellied, but I feel like he's starting to gain a little weight around his spine too. 

I'm wondering, do cats with IBD need to be on steroids indefinitely? Or once it becomes controlled can they be weaned off? 

Click to expand...

As far as the pred and IBD, I did not put my girl on it so I can't answer that one, I know that some use it temporarily then wean off if possible, some are kept on it if they do not do well without it too.

I would try to wean him off, or at least way down if you are able to.

Revolution does have that possible side effect of the fur being gone/bald spot where the med was applied.

Most cats don't have this happen but some do. The very first cat I used it on had that happen.

If he is not on a topical treatment for fleas, I would say he might have fleas, depending on where you live of course, some areas are pretty bad like here in CA we ALL have to use something.

Might I suggest Cheristan or the monthly pills?

There are 60-something strains of ringworm, some glow, some treat easier and others seem to blend throughout their bodies, it's crazy to see this and we recently had kittens come like that, you could run their fur backwards under the blacklight and see at skin level tiny dots everywhere of glow. Never before have I seen that and it is VERY tough to get rid of too.

But he might be allergic to fleas even, Krissy is and reacts so much if she has one flea on her chunky butt so she has had monthly since kittenhood and is almost 15.

If he doesn't scratch then maybe not too.

Thank you, that's good to know. I guess I didn't really realize how differently cats react to IBD. The Pred isn't that expensive but I just worry about long term side effects of keeping him on it, so I will definitely ask about weaning him off! I'm glad to know that many cats can do well without it, although if he needs to stay on that's rather manageable to.

Poor kitties, I can't imagine it feels good to have their fur seared off like that. I was thinking about trying Advantage but I don't know if he would be allergic to that too? He doesn't have any flea dirt, he isn't itchy, and the vet ran a flea comb through him and couldn't find anything so I think we're in the clear on fleas. I have no other pets and it's really cold here, I think it maxed out at 10 degrees today. Do indoor cats need flea protection? I was thinking perhaps in the summer applying some, but I don't know if it's necessary? My boyfriend is very allergic to fleas too so that'd be another giveaway. 

I'm almost certain it is ringworm. I was aware (from reading the rescue's online reviews) when I adopted him that they were having a ringworm problem and adopting cats out with the infection. I thought we had conquered it because all his lesions had healed with treatment and he had cultured negative but I suppose not. His immune system has probably been on the fritz too with all these other problems. I'm just surprised (and incredibly grateful) that my boyfriend and I haven't gotten it if it is. 

Vet said if he does he gets shaved now, which I'd admittedly be a little excited about. I've always LOVED hairless cats, so silver linings.

Oh those poor little babies, that sounds bizarre! It is possible to beat all strains right? Do you have any tips for ringworm? I already have lime sulfur dip and I bought Malaseb shampoo too (which I've never used), do  you find the shampoo works or is lime sulfur the gold standard?

What ever the diagnosis is, it will be dealt with.  He is a beautiful cat, your baby. once you know what you are dealing with, you take care of it and go on. 

Yes mazie thank you, you're so right.

I think he may be getting an eye infection now. I woke up this morning and one of his eyes was kind of red and they were both goopy. He's been off and on sneezing since I've gotten him but he's had no other symptoms until now so we just let it go.

I really don't want to take him back to the vet until I have his ringworm results so the longest it'll be is until the 29th. Is that to long? Do you think they might give me eye drops without an appointment?

kristenann said:

Yes mazie thank you, you're so right.

I think he may be getting an eye infection now. I woke up this morning and one of his eyes was kind of red and they were both goopy. He's been off and on sneezing since I've gotten him but he's had no other symptoms until now so we just let it go.

I really don't want to take him back to the vet until I have his ringworm results so the longest it'll be is until the 29th. Is that to long? Do you think they might give me eye drops without an appointment?

Click to expand...

Sounds like herpesvirus.

Once the initial kitten cold/uri is cleared, the virus gets under control by the maturing immune system, but there is no cure, which is why this virus was nicknamed herpesvirus, no connection or relation to human herpesvirus at all except that it is there for life.

The onlt times you might see any signs are during times of stress in your cat, then some eye goop/discharge and/or sneezing/mild cold symptoms appear, but easy to treat, usually you won't need anything but the goopy eyes can be helped with some terramycin ointment.

The vet will give this to you with a phone call, no prob.

Thank you catwoman707 that totally makes sense! I was wondering how he picked up an infection considering he receives such minimal exposure to other animals, but all the trips to the vet would definitely constitute as stressful for a kitty. I mean, if it stresses me out, I can't imagine how hard it is on Tiberius when he's the one getting poked and prodded.

This morning I washed his eyes off with a warm washcloth and he looks much better now so I think they're already starting to clear up. I'm glad to hear its manageable. If he looks goopier tomorrow I'll call the vet up for some drops them. I'm relieved that this is something that doesn't require another visit to the vet, I was practically in tears this morning.

Thank you so much for the continued advice and support. I don't know if I could have gotten through all this without the reassurances and insight.  

Love to be able to help.  

So an update on Tiberius: He hasn't vomited or had diarrhea! Yay, I'm so glad he's improving on this front. He still looks a bit wonky with a big belly but the vet warned it could take awhile to redistribute which I don't really mind so long as it means he's not really sick. He's pretty lazy but I'm thinking he's just not an active guy in general.

I was also thinking about maybe starting to cook his meals from scratch? I know raw is really popular but I'm really uncomfortable with having raw meat laying around. It's just that these foods are SO expensive especially good  wet that I wonder if this will be a cheaper method? Do all cats take to cooked meals? I've offered him cooked chicken before but he was uninterested?

I've  washed his eye bugers off with a warm wet washcloth a couple times and they seem to be doing much better. They are not red or really watery anymore so another win.

He does have feline acne which he's had for a couple weeks now and I can't seem to get rid of it. His food and water bowl are actually my dinner bowls now and his food bowl get run through the dishwasher everyday and his water bowl at least every other day. I've been washing off his chin 1-2 times a day with a little dawn dish sop and warm  water. He hates getting his chin washed so I feel so bad doing it. I started using hydrogen peroxide but  the vet told me not to so I stopped but I think he may need something stronger than soap? Any suggestions?  It doesn't seem to bother him or anything but I'm just paranoid that it will get infected.

So far his ringworm culture is still negative but it was only done on Monday so that doesn't really mean anything yet.

He also had the weirdest thing on his skin yesterday. It looked almost like a little piece of black pencil lead as a sliver in his belly region, me and my boyfriend pulled it out with tweezers, he said it came out really easy. There was no redness around it then and it isn't red at all now. No blood or anything. I asked him if it could be like a tick or some kind of insect and he didn't think so because it had no real discernible shape and was kind of mashy. I thought maybe an old dissolved one? So gross!  He thought it could be like a blackhead or a skin tag maybe? Sorry I didn't take any pictures. Has anyone ever seen anything like this before? I'll mention it to the at our appointment on the 29th too, but it was bizarre.

He's been completely indoors since we've gotten him (I suppose he could have had it all along as his skin is kind of hard to see with all his fluff) but it is also the middle of winter here. And he's been through the rounds of lime sulfur. He even had some revolution in November hence the bald spot, and I treated him with vectra in early December so I'm doubtful of ticks. 

Now I'm thinking I may want to shave him even if his ringworm is negative just so I can really see what's all going on with his skin. Is it mean to get him shaved? I feel so bad but all these skin things are really starting to gross me out. Considering he's a pointed cat I also worry a bit about his coloring will be affected? 

Something I have done and currently one of my fosters is doing for her foster guy is to cook ground turkey meat and add in U-Stew.

If he doesn't care for it then go at it super slowly, and slip a very tiny amt in to his food, slowly increasing it until he accepts and eats it well.

The U-Stew is all of the nutritional things he needs for a well balanced healthy diet.

Chlorhexidine is what I recommend for acne. You can even do like a gentle scrubbing on the acne, it will heal it fine.

Acquired at the vets, they will give you a small bottle.

Dishwasher or not, plastic dishes will cause this no matter how clean in case they are plastic

He may have laid on something that jabbed in to his skin and sort of festered in, but over time it will be pushed to the surface by his immune system, I wouldn't worry about the black thingy much! lol

Not sure you want to shave him, you could always cut the fur down to maybe 1 inch or so, then he will still have a bit of fluff and you will be able to see his skin well.

It's really up to you though

That is a really good idea! Thank you, I've never even heard of that before. That makes home cooking so much more manageable. I was reading it over a little bit online and it looked super overwhelming without it. I don't have a meat processor either. I'm going to see if I can get him to eat meat and do a really good price comparison before I become committed but now it is something to consider. I wonder if  it will have enough fiber for him though? Hmm, maybe I could make batches with pumpkin or see about a supplement?

I'll definitely ask my vet for some of that! Do you have to rinse it off or can you just rub it on and leave it? Nope, no plastic. He started out with stainless steel dishes but he got acne on those so I switched him to my personal dinner plates - so ceramic or glass or something?

Okay that makes me feel better. I sliver was my initial thought, which isn't too gross. Poor kitty. 

That's a good idea. I suppose I'll decide when his ringworm culture comes in. Leaving a little fluff behind would be really adorable and still allow for better observation. It's so hard to really tell what's going on without a thorough inspection which doesn't please him much. I feel like I'm always doing things that he hates - like shoving pills down his throat, washing his chin, and digging around his fur. 

On the plus side, his nipping isn't even a problem anymore. He does still occasionally do it, but we're starting to understand each other more. 

The U-Stew is ordered online.

Just add in the amt they specify and it makes sort of a brown gravy coating the turkey meat.

I had also looked at home cooking and it was just too much for my head to grasp, wow!

The U-Stew is the solution! Simple as it gets

Dishes, anything that is non porous is fine.

Glad you two are getting more familiar with each other !!

I'm worried about him again. Late last night and this morning he had diarrhea twice and he got it on himself this morning. I gave him a bath so he's all cleaned up now, but I'm feeling discouraged as he hasn't had diarrhea in awhile now. Still no vomiting though, and his skin was looking better I think (it's so much easier to see when he's wet).

:[ 

Yesterday for the first time we bought him cat grass from a pet store which he loved. Could this be the cause of the diarrhea? I took it away from him to see if it makes him better, but I thought it was suppose to be good for kitty bellies? Because he likely has IBD does that change things?

Here's a picture with him and the grass so maybe that will help identify what kind it is

It just looks like fresh catnip grass, that won't give him diarrhea.

What a cute pic there

If I remember correctly, a former post of mine was about stopping all foods for a few days and only feeding him turkey baby food.

The reason for this is to clean out his system and settle it down, stop reacting to whatever it is he is reacting to.

Then slowly going to canned turkey only limited ingredient food, then dry and the same, limited ingredient.

Blue Buffalo Basics limited is my preference for my girl.

But her canned is turkey fancy feast classics or the chunky only, as she wouldn't eat the BBB lid turkey canned.

Thank you! He is a cutie pie :]

Yes you did, he won't eat baby food unfortunately. Tomorrow I'm going to buy the Blue Buffalo and switch him over to that. He was having solid stools today but his appetite isn't very good. I tried offering him heated canned food to tempt him and he only nibbled at it.

I'm so upset and frustrated. The vet mentioned putting him on appetite stimulants now and I don't think I agree. I think I read that they can't be kept on them for very long so what happens in a couple days when he has to come off them? 

AND he has ringworm. I knew it. I'm so mad that they didn't catch it like a month ago when they cultured him the first time! So tomorrow he is going in to be shaved and bathed. They said they don't want to put him on oral meds if they can help it since they don't know what wrong with him but I don't think he can get better without them! I have already spent so much time cleaning and disinfecting when I first got him I just can't keep doing it. They said shampoo him with special shampoo instead of lime sulfur and I don't understand why? I thought lime sulfur was better? Anyways, I am to try just bathing him and putting topical's on him for 3 weeks before going to med's but I can't afford to keep culturing him at $50 a pop. I found a ringworm kit that you can buy online, does anyone have any experience with this?

http://www.revivalanimal.com/Fungassay-Ringworm-Test-Kit.html

I feel like he just keeps getting worse and I'm running out of money and I can't get any clear answers of whats wrong with him or if he'll get better.

I'm sorry if this is dramatic and disjointed I just really needed to rant. 

First
Tiberius is so lucky you came into his life! I know it's overwhelming and very expensive to help your kitty and get him feeling better. I don't have any advice but you have some great advisors on this thread that I believe will have some for you.
Don't think twice about venting to us; that's what we're here for! Hang in there and know that you have a lot of support from your TCS friends. [emoji]128149[/emoji]

Thank you LotsofFur, it really means a lot having a place to come where I can get support and advice. This website has been a godsend, I don't think I could have gotten this far without all the kind words and knowledge.