Rat lip

One of my cats has got rat lip pretty bad. Other than shooting her up with steroids (which I understand is not very good for her internal organs), what can I do to help her?

I have tried changing her diet to Hills Science Diet for Sensitive Skin, hoping that might help some, but it is too soon to tell.

Mongo

What is rat lip?

I'm not sure what you mean by rat lip?

Eosinophilic ulcers, of which I have no experience.

What my cat has is a swelling of the upper lip. I believe they call it rat lip because it was thought to be caused by eating rats.

Mongo

I've never heard of this. Did the vet diagnose it? Is it ulcerated or just swelling? If it's just swelling it could be something as simple as an allergy. One of my cat's lips swelled up after eating from a styrofoam plate. I believe plastics dishes can cause this too. He got one steroid shot and was fine. I sure hope you can find something to help.

It is swollen and a bit ulcerated. She's been to a vet before and the vert gave her cortizone and suggested a change in diet, as that may have been irritating it.

Well, I have changed her diet several times but it keeps coming back. I don't want to get her more cortizone shots because of the damage they can doto a cat.

That's why I was looking for some suggestions as to other things I can try.

Mongo

Ask your vet if he/she would recommend Hill's z/d in your case. It is a diet that is used in cats with severe food allergies. We currently have a few clients that have cats with chronic rodent ulcer problems. The z/d has worked pretty well for the most part. They still have to get the steroid injection with really bad flare ups, but it is given much less frequently than before they were on the food.

Z/D is what? I am feeding her Hills for Sensitive Skin recently, but it is too soon to tell if it is helping.

z/d is a prescription diet by Hill's. It is used a lot in food allergy cats. Just another option if the SS doesn't help. Unfortunately it can take at least 4 weeks to tell if a diet change is helping, so stick with the SS for a while.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the advice.

Mongo