Hi all. I have a 5 year old male cat who seemed to have mild seasonal spring allergies starting at 6 months. This year the allergies are 3 times more severe looking then previously and he scratches a lot. He has open lesions around his ears mainly. He is strictly indoors. No fleas. I have eliminated plastic bowls and grain. In the past it went away on its own by summer. Not this year. He had a steroid shot 4 weeks ago. It healed up quickly after that. Now it's back.
I have 2 different vet opinions. The first vet wants me to switch his food and gave him a steroid shot.
The cheaper vet tried to convince me that just 1 flea can do this to him. He stated a food allergy would not only affect his ears mainly. That the sores look like bites or that he is exposing his head to the allergen. He suggested 3 months of flea treatment to rule out fleas, blood work, antibiotics, steroid pills for possible a month. I brought up using an allergy med instead of more steroids because his sister who had rodent ulcer and mild allergies died at a different vet after a steroid treatment and antibiotic. She had a reaction to it for the first time ever. She broke out more and looked worse. She died in the vet office last year, only 4 years old.
I have 2 different vet opinions. The first vet wants me to switch his food and gave him a steroid shot.
The cheaper vet tried to convince me that just 1 flea can do this to him. He stated a food allergy would not only affect his ears mainly. That the sores look like bites or that he is exposing his head to the allergen. He suggested 3 months of flea treatment to rule out fleas, blood work, antibiotics, steroid pills for possible a month. I brought up using an allergy med instead of more steroids because his sister who had rodent ulcer and mild allergies died at a different vet after a steroid treatment and antibiotic. She had a reaction to it for the first time ever. She broke out more and looked worse. She died in the vet office last year, only 4 years old.