Anyone using Atopica?

[crzycatlady]

Hello everyone,

One of my little guys (Yoda) has been on Atopica for roughly 3 months with no significant changes (other than a decreased appetite). He's had a blood and a skin allergy test - both showed faint positives to a few things, but our dermatologist doesn't think his results are significant enough to put him on allergy shots (basically a vaccine that the dermatologist creates to combat the allergens). 

As I was reading through this thread, I saw some posts about seeing a holistic vet and the use of Chinese herbs and I'm wondering if the herbal remedies have helped? Yoda has been suffering with the EGC since last November, is very itchy and also chews on his paws. There is a holistic vet at the clinic that we go to. I'm wondering if it's worth making an appointment with her. So far, nothing we've tried has worked - elimination diet, Rx diet food, steroids and Atopica.

 

[mom2lb]

I know that if I had a holistic vet in my town I would certainly take advantage of it. My 3 yr. old with FIUD (feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatosis) has been through all the same treatments/remedies that your describe & surgery to fix wounds that he made to his back.  He now wears a heavily padded shirt to prevent injuries again to the back.  However, he has begun to attack his belly & the only thing that will prevent it is wearing a "donut" protector nearly all the time  It seems the steroid shots are no longer effective for him.  The last one he got only worked for 2 weeks!! I take off his "donut' only long enough to feed him & allow him to groom himself & in the mornings when I brush him all over & change his shirt.

I am very sad that nothing we have tried this far has worked & the only option left is to attempt to feed him a raw food diet.  I'll be honest that I just am not wanting to do that, but IF it would solve his incessant itching it would be worth it.  THAT is why I wish I had a holistic vet - regular vets have only discouraged me from raw food diet.  I think holistic vets mostly encourage to feed raw?  

I wish  you success in whatever you option of treatment you decide ... God Bless!

 

[crzycatlady]

Thanks Mom2LB. I'm sorry your furbaby has been through so much with no successful treatments so far. It's so frustrating when we're not able to help these guys, isn't it? 

As of today, I am taking Yoda off the Atopica and starting him on a supplement that I've read good reviews about - Solid Gold Seameal.  I'll let you know if we see any change with that. 

He can't eat a raw diet while on the Atopica, but I can try him on raw food after I talk to the vet to see how long it takes for that to work its way out of his system. He's currently on grain free and limited ingredient.  And, I think I will end up making an appointment with our holistic vet.  I will certainly share any information I get from that appointment too.

 

[mom2lb]

Yes, it is a heartbreak to not be able to FIX what is wrong!  I get so frustrated some days ... but then I have to remind myself that there are many others with similar struggles & some poor babies going through even worse problems!

I look forward to any updates ... I am scanning the net constantly looking for any info that might be helpful also.

I have LB on Natural Balance pet food (wet & dry) Duck & Pea ... which is really great food!  I was hopeful for a while that it would solve his problems ... but not quite.

Lots of good thoughts going your way ... for you & your furbaby!  Hopeful for solutions!!  

 

[lillynurse]

Hello, as Laurie mentioned, my cat Lucas was on Atpica for some months, Lucas has food allergies and discoid Lupus.  The vet started him on Atopica to see if we could take him of Prednisolone, he has been on pred since 2007, but the Atopica caused him to vomit like 3 times  a day, I gave him Pepcid, and I tried giving it to him on a full stomach, but nothing helped, he still vomited and looked miserable.  I don't think it helped him anyway, what really helped Lucas was changing his diet to hypoallergenic food. 

Lucas took the capsules, not the liquid Atopica, he took the 25mg caps.  It was pretty easy giving them to him, he has taken pills for a long time and he is used to them.  I have 6 Atopica here and I wanted to give them to someone who needs them, but I see your kitty was prescribed the liquid.

I really hope the Atopica helps your kitty, I wish  your kitty could take the capsules, it will be easier than giving her that liquid that tastes so bad

 

[mom2lb]

Well, it's been a long time since I have been here to post about LB ... and we have been through a lot.  LB had to begin to wear britches even to protect the wound he made on his belly.   He is such a good boy, he didn't object too much.  It was quite a job taking infant pants & altering them so he could move freely, but we did it!!    But alas, he began to lick the inside of his legs, & other places ... so back to the vet we went & he had to have a shot of steroid to get him out of crisis mode again.  Then the vet prescribed Atopica ... this time in a liquid form.  I felt so desperate that I agreed, even though it had made him very sick when tried before, but it was in the pill form then & I thought maybe the liquid would be better or different???  I dunno ... I was so sleep deprived & concerned for him, I would have agreed to try about anything at that point.   And once again, LB got diarrhea from the Atopica in just a few days & we had to stop it immediately!  Then vet wanted me to wait 2 weeks & try it again!!!  I thought NOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAY ... so I prayed a lot & cried & then I got to work.  I took every food that LB had eaten (quite a list mind you) and I listed ALL the ingredients of each food to find what could be a common item in them all that might be giving him allergic reactions ... to make a long story shorter, I discovered that at least one of the two major things which I knew he was allergic to existed in ALL of the foods (even the PRESCRIPTION Limited Ingredient Diets, canned & dry!!)  #1  - SOY  #2 FISH OIL  ... I had it in my head that a major part of LB's problem was that he was not getting enough moisture & I always suspected that dry food was the main cause of his sensitivities.  I was WRONG!  The Natural Balance Duck/Pea Limited Ingredient Diet was the only food that did NOT contain soy or fish oil (omega 3, 6 included)!  Even the Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet of Duck/Pea WET food had FISH OIL in it .... that was what I was supplementing his dry with in hope of adding more moisture in his diet.   So, I removed the wet food & began to feed him the Natural Balance DRY FOOD ONLY & he began to thrive!!  He quit tugging at his clothes almost immediately ... after a few days, he quite scratching at his neck & ears & paws also.  So, I did a test (when I could be home all day) I took off his clothes & observed him carefully & he did fine!  I put them back on him if I had to be gone & at night when I slept, for a while, but as he got more playful & started letting me sleep all night, I went for dropping the clothes altogether & it's been a week now & all his hair is growing back & he is a CALM & CHANGED CAT!   It is AMAZING!!  I feel like I am in a dream, this is just too good to be true???!!    LB still wants his wet food & he will go the counter & cry sometimes, but I distract him with play & he'll get happy again.  I have been reading labels on every grain free offering in the food industry to find a wet food that does not contain SOY or FISH additives of any kind & the only one I can find is a Duck/Pea Pate from Merrick.  However, they include "dried egg product" ... and that is something I have not encountered in any of the other foods I've offered, so naturally I am skeptical & don't want to go through another allergic reaction, so I am hesitating.  I know it's not fish or soy, but there is debate if Egg is meat or dairy ... and he has never had it before, so I have contacted the vet via email to get his thoughts on whether or when I could attempt to offer this to him.  Perhaps he won't even like it?   I wrote this to encourage all of you to take a stab at food elimination trials IF all else fails, as it did for my LB.  And since he drinks water readily & regularly I do think he is getting adequate moisture even if he can't have a wet food.  His coat is SOFT & SHINY & he hardly sheds anymore.  I brush him every morning still, but no longer have to change clothes!    So, does he still have UD??  OR was this all food sensitivity?  I don't know ... and one more thing I wanted to add, was that I discovered Vetericyn during his last round of wounds & it helped him heal & was very soothing to him as well.  I highly recommend it to anyone!!  So, sorry this got so long, but I hope it may be helpful or encouraging to someone else who is struggling.  There is HOPE, don't give up!  Keep trying to find the solution to your particular circumstances  

P8210942.JPG

• mom2lb
• Aug 29, 2015

THEN & NOW PICS

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• mom2lb
• Aug 29, 2015

 

[minniesunshine]

LB is beautiful kitty! I am very happy I were able to figure out what he was allergic too! I'm having the same issues with one of my kittys, she my baby. And it's so hard bc I have 3 other cats. And I have always given them different foods bc of my fear of recalls. Thank you for your post. Maybe that vetericina will help my baby stop itching. I think she might be allergic to chicken being that is was her favorite food n apparently it's in pratically everything I give her... Thanks again for posting

 

[mom2lb]

I am thankful that my story about LB has been helpful to you!  He is a beautiful boy & owns my heart!  I have an update that I have not gotten posted yet.

After getting LB on the Natural Balance Pea & Duck only dry food, he was very good for a while & then he got sensitive & began to itch again!  I switched him over to their Pea & Chicken & he began to clear up ... so far so good!  So, it appears he is allergic to "duck" also!  

Also, I wanted to say that after much searching, I found a wet food that has no soy or other additives!  It's called "Wild Calling" & it's not sold in too many of the major pet stores, so I purchase it online at Chewy.com.  They have a variety of foods, and he did not care for any except the Turkey.  When I found out he could eat that & have no allergic reaction, I stocked up!   It's a wonderful food with no grains or soy, just vitamins.  I highly recommend it.  I am hoping he will be able to do their Chicken also, but am going to be cautious in introducing that to him.

He does have to wear his shirts occasionally, as he will scratch the back some & he gets maintenance shots of steroid every 2-3 months, so it seems he definitely has FIUD (feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatosis).  Vet is impressed that his belly has been clear & he has not had to wear any breeches since the food changes

That Vetericyn is just AWESOME!  I spray a little on his back in the morning & evening.  He actually comes to me when he knows it's time to get some  It's very soothing.  I recommended to a friend whose doggie had some itch issues & it worked for him also.  Just be sure you get the one titled "Hot Spot Spray".  They have a lot of other varieties & stuff for the ears, etc.  I just don't know how well they work, but I can vouch for this spray!

Thanks again for your response to my post!  All the best to you & your beautiful kitty!!  

 

[my allie girl]

So after reading the articles and problems and solutions about atopica, I'm at a loss. Please let me say I feel for Everyone, because I know how much we All love out pets!I know the heartbreak and worrying about a pet that you yourself gets sick. I wish Everyone Much luck and success with their problems. So my story is my Allie has stomatitis. It's a disease of the gums. I gave her one pill today and after reading this, I don't want to give her another one tonight. She's so healthy and I hate to make her sick from this drug. She had her teeth cleaned and 2 teeth pulled. She eats and drinks and plays, but I heard that cats hide their pain. Her gums on one side are red sometimes, but not everyday. This vet prescribed atopica, lysine in a liquid, so forget about that. Almost impossible to give her liquid, fish oil, and hypoallergenic dry food that she hates. I would hate it if she had stomach issues from this. I don't know what to do???

 

[mom2lb]

My Allie Girl,

I am so sorry for your baby' disease of the gums.  I am not familiar with this disease.  The only thing that I would suggest is to research & research to find out perhaps if there is not an alternative or natural treatment for her.  Perhaps you can connect with others who have "babies" with this problem, who can offer help & suggestions considering their experience/s.

You are so right that we can become sick ourselves with worry & indecisiveness on just how or what to do for our precious furbabies.  I hear your heart on this for sure!!

There were times I just thought I could not face another day of watching my LB suffer with this dread disease of FIUD, but kept trudging on.  I have spent countless hours researching & even attempted to find others with cats with this disease to find out what they were doing?!  Unfortunately, I never connected with anyone, as this disease (Feline Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis) is RARE.

I just want you to know that there is always HOPE & to keep trusting your instincts.  YOU know your pet better than anyone, including any vet!!  I do hope & pray that you will trust yourself to make the right decisions, after you gain as much knowledge as possible on how to treat your "baby"!!

Mom2LB 

 

[flkittymom]

My Nounou has had eosinophilic plaque for about 7 years (she's an 8-yr-old feral kitty we brought in as a baby).  It's been treated with rounds of Depo, then Atopica when the Depo cycle gets shorter than a month.  We kept checking her blood for sugar, knowing that Depo will eventually cause diabetes.  Two weeks ago her sugar finally blew up to 340, after staying normal all those years.  All other blood and urine work is normal, except for sugar.  I'm not going to start with insulin, so my vet said a raw food diet might help.  I put her on raw food prepared fresh in a pet store, in 8-oz containers which I freeze.  Chicken, turkey, rabbit, veal, duck, beef, organs, bones ground fresh in different combinations.  Too many carbs and sugars in many dry and wet foods.  Her massive urine volumes came down by 75% immediately, the panicked itching has reduced. She's still opening her inner leg wound, so I started the Atopica.  I use a skinny syringe and aim at the back of her mouth, but not her throat as I've had her inhale it once and that was awful!  She hates it, but I've convinced her it's our best shot.  Let's see how we do!

 

[my allie girl]

So I believe I said in my previous post, Allie was on atopica for 2 days. She had loose stool and she threw up. I stopped it. Waited a couple of weeks, because she is a happy girl, eats, drinks and plays. Always looking at her gums. Came back from Mom's and spoke to the vet. Had an argument because I get mad and I am confused about this disease, stomatitis. Anyway if this helps Anyone, just started her back on the atopica today. I use the capsules because liquid is so impossible with her. So put the capsules in the freezer and it is supposed to neutralize the outer coating, which gives them diarrhea and vomiting. So we shall see. Just started I really hope it works. No animal should ever get sick or have pain, but again guess that's not realistic. Good Luck to All

 

[flkittymom]

Update:  I took Nounou back to the vet to check her sugar levels after 10 days of raw food.  She had shifted easily to all raw foods, so I removed ALL Fancy Feast wet (the Classics that have more protein) and Hills Prescription Diet dry foods, to get all sugars and carbs out of her diet.  Her sugar levels had been 335 and 346 when we first found the diabetes.  After 10 days, they had come down to 325.  I looked disappointed, but my vet was thrilled we had turned the direction around, and it was going down instead of up.  (She said she had expected 450-500, had I not changed something dramatic. We may make a raw-food believer of her yet!) 

Meanwhile, I held off on the Atopica for about a week to see if the change in diet might show that her allergy was actually to her food, but no luck.  So I gave the Atopica liquid, as I said before, in the back of the mouth with a skinny syringe, beyond the tongue.  She hates it.  I have to trick her into swallowing and not covering me with drooling saliva. Because of all her health issues, she's really trusting ... and I can usually talk her into anything.  But the hardest part has been figuring out what would prevent her from vomiting from the Atopica:  full stomach, empty stomach, a little food afterwards, no food afterwards?  I still don't know.  All I know is that one time, with a full stomach, she vomited her raw food all over our bed ... no fun!  I've decided to do Atopica every other day, instead of daily -- both for her nerves and mine.  One smaller wound has since closed up and the big one is really improving.  I'm hoping we get the Atopica down to every 3-4 days, then once a week.  (BTW, I'm also bathing her every 5-6 days with an oatmeal soap.  That's real fun, too!)

It feels like we may be winning this battle.  Maybe not the war, but the battle.  

 

[nikki48]

I have a cat with allergies that is on Atopica, 25 mg in pill form every other day that was prescribed by our animal dermotologist.   She takes it easily when I wrap it in small  ball of wet food and give it to her before her morning feeding.  I believe the 25 mg pill is formulated for dogs, but is the same formula as the 10 mg for cats.  I did check with the vet regarding the formula and he said "no worries."  Good luck.

 

[mom2lb]

Just wanted to update on LB.  Still having to have steroid shots for his FIUD.  After all the food eliminations, he got better & I do think I have him on food now that is not causing allergic reactions.  I was hopeful that by eliminating the foods that caused allergic reactions, he could be free of his steroid shots, but this was not possible.

I think the one problem that I cannot solve is the constant of his disease FIUD (feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis).  It causes him to become inflamed & begin to itch once the steroid begins leaving his system.

These are some of the steps I have used to help lengthen the time between steroid shots. I thought I would share them in case they could be helpful to others for allergies, etc.

1.  Air purifiers that run 24/7 to keep down dust, mites, dander, & other airborne allergens.

2.  Humidifiers that run 24/7 - I keep the humidity between 40-50% to help with his dry skin.

3.  I use infant tank tops & reinforce the back area with extra padding, so when his back itches, his hind claws cannot damage him.  He only wears them when needed.

4.  I am using distilled water to reduce any possible allergens or additives that may be harmful.  

5.  Lots of love & attention; play time

I have come to accept that this disease is not going away.  I believe & vet agrees that it was most likely a reaction to vaccines that altered his immune system forever.  Just going to do my best to keep him as healthy & happy as possible in spite of it!

The vet did tell me on our last visit, that they have come up with a new drug for pets that have been unable to tolerate Atopica because of vomiting & diarrhea.  So far, it has only been approved for dogs.  He is carefully watching its' progress & assured me that when it was approved for cats, I would be the first one he called   

Mom2LB

 

[flkittymom]

Thanks for the update, Mom2LB!  Some of the extra steps you're taking may trigger some more steps on my part ...

I also heard from my vet that there was something available for dogs, but not yet for cats.  Let's see how fast it's made available to us ... and let's notify one another, whoever hears first?   Are you still giving LB the steroid shots every 2-3 months?  And is the Vetericyn Plus All Animal Hot Spot Spray still working?   If so, I'm going to look for it.

I have Nounou on the fresh raw food only, that I buy at a pet deli run by a veterinarian, although she occasionally sneaks a few pieces of my other cat's Prescription dry food.  (I had taken her off everything commercial because of the hidden sugars and carbs.)  All the ailments that had arrived with the high blood sugar (bleeding feet, wound on second haunch, etc.) have healed perfectly.  I don't know if the excessive itching was related to the diabetes or not, but we seem to be down to within upper normal range for her blood sugar and the itching has stopped.

But once I realized how difficult it would be to get (and keep) the one original long-time wound healed, I decided to see what would happen if we did the Atopica every 3-4 days instead of daily (monitoring to see if she was targeting the wound).  She's going to have the cone on anyway (as she has for the last 4-5 years).  And I give her lots of time in the morning and evening without it, when she can clean her entire body in a leisurely way, while my hand is on he "wound" area so she doesn't go there.  The baths seem to help too.  So the wound is never 100% gone.

I also don't know if it is the Atopica or the raw food, but she has lost a noticeable percentage of her fur.  On the other hand, she no longer has any dander and her fur is much softer, probably from the fats in the raw food.  The hair loss has stabilized and she looks fine.  Her short fur was just much thicker before.

She has also lost all the fat that had accumulated on her lower body to absorb all the chemicals in the Depo.  She's lost about a pound a month and is getting back to normal size.

This week we went through a fumigation (tenting) of the house as a preventive for termites, a requirement here in South Florida.  She handled it well:  it meant packing up all foods, meds, etc., in the house and moving to someone else's house for a few days.  She sure seems to be a stable, happy, loving little cat, despite the lousy hand that was dealt her!  Such a sweetie ...  

Noonie's Mom

 

[mom2lb]

Noonie's Mom,

Glad you enjoyed my update on LB & I do hope some of my suggestions will prove helpful to your baby.

I AGREE that we need to report any news on that new medicine  immediately to CatSite! I am hopeful that it may be a way to get my baby off his steroid shots ... we shall see.  As soon as I get that call, I promise to let ya'all know!!

Yes, LB still has to take steroid shots.  The Prednisone liquid just isn't strong enough to help him & he would end up getting a shot every month when he was taking it ... seems he does better with just the steroid shot.  Why dose him twice I  say??  Vet agreed.   It varies in length between shots, but on average it is about 2 months between shots now.

I can't say enough good things about Vetericyn Hot Spot Spray!  That stuff is really healing & can cause no harm, even if they lick it.  It is just highly oxygenated pure water & I have used on my own itches for relief & find it amazing for me too!  Just have to be careful you get the "hot spot spray" as they have all kinds of gels & sprays for other uses also.  I have not used any of them, so I can't know if they are as good.  

I did attempt to put LB on raw food diet, but he was not accepting of it at all  Vet said not to push it at this time, cuz he didn't want him to complicate things by not eating at all ... he would just not have anything to do with his food when I tried to incorporate it.  I am so glad your baby has responded well, cuz I do think it's the best!!

I can tell you are taking very good care of your sweet baby.  Keep up the good work!  It sounds like you have everything well under control to keep her comfortable & happy.

I have to brag about LB being such a good sport also.  With all he's been through he has never gotty grumpy or complained ... he's a sweet natured kitty also.

Sorry she has to wear that old cone, but supposed she has gotten used to it & it's for her good.  Have you ever considered the inner-tube type of neckwear instead of the cone?  I used that on LB a few times when he had to heal from surgery.  It gives a little more freedom, but he could not have it off at all.  Your girl gets long breaks, so that is good.

Thanks for your reply & if I have anything important to share, I will update again.

Mom2LB

 

[flkittymom]

Dear Mom2LB, thanks for getting back.

I did try one of those inner-tube type of collars, but Noonie just reaches over it and licks her thigh.  She wears one of those soft Comfy Cones, so it's not that bad.  And she flies up and down the cat tree with it on, so obviously doesn't let it slow her down. 

BTW, when I take her to the vet in the carrier, she can't have the cone on, so I bought a one-sie for a 12-month old baby and she wears it upside down (the neck opening down around her tail), after I cut open the part that is at her neck.  Works wonderfully, but only for short periods as she can't go to the backroom in it.  It's dark blue, with yellow submarines on it ... very Beetles-like!  Here she is in both of them, for some reason ...

IMG_6036 w.jpg

• flkittymom
• May 22, 2016

 

[mom2lb]

FLKittyMom,

Yeah, many cats can get around that kind of collar I hear ... LB doesn't even try, don't know why.  Sometimes I call him "lazy boy", but his initials stand for "Lover Boy"

That's a really good solution for those short trips to vet!  Thanks for sharing the pic ... she looks adorable in her little outfit

That thigh area is a hard area to protect ... you are quite creative & clever!  Oh what we do for our furbabies?!! They're worth it though ... God Bless 'em!! 

Let me know how the Vetericyn works ... you can get it on Amazon sometimes pretty reasonable.  I have found it on Ebay also at a discount cuz the stuff can be expensive!!  I think it's worth every penny though & will never be without it.  It does have an expiration date however, make sure you check for that ... it only keeps for about a year.

Gotta run, keep me posted on Noonie's progress & I'll do the same for LB.

Mom2LB

 

[wendylee]

Hi my cat had an autoimmune disease & has to take atopica & she was drooling excessively & I finally found a method with very little drooling
I put her medicine in the syringe & then put apple juice so when it goes in her mouth she's gets sweet then the meds & this helped a lot plus a few treats after [emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]127995[/emoji][emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]127995[/emoji]