- Joined
- Apr 2, 2022
- Messages
- 2
- Purraise
- 0
My thoughts behind this post it to communicate with anyone who has/ or is going through something similar. If anyone has suggestions for liquid meds or is using alternatives it would also be great to hear from you. If you've used compounding pharmacies in the UK I'd especially love to hear from you! And if anyone has been through immunotherapy with a cat it would be good to hear your experiences too.
Adopted a 6-year old previous farm cat 2 years ago from a shelter in the South West. They thought her better as a pet as she doesn't hunt at all and wants to be inside, she is an incredibly gentle, affectionate and sensitive little soul. She came with a mention of being treated for a flea allergy so as a pre-existing condition it's not covered with our insurance.
We continued with steroids with our regular vet which worked for a while but then seemed to stop. Unusually she is a dream at taking tablets, so a pill stuck in a bit of easypill she will happily take!
Sought specialist help so was referred to a dermatologist vet. They immediately detected 3 skin infections of bacterial or yeast origin which were soon brought under control using Clorexyderm foam and Cortavance spray. Now twice weekly use of Clorexyderm acts as effective barrier to keep infections at bay - she's not happy about it but she is quite forgiving.
6-week elimination diet completed on Royal canin anallergenic whilst still treating with steroids with no improvement nor worsening when introduced back onto regular food. Steroids had to be put directly down her throat which caused her great stress and she started pulling fur off her front legs, being an incredibly gentle cat she gets very stressed when being restrained.
Atopy diagnosed and prescribed Atopica. Our worst nightmare as it only comes in a foul tasting liquid!! After the stress of restraining and tableting her during her elimination diet we have tried everything to get her voluntarily take the Atopica. The manufacturer's suggestion to mix in a little food is a complete no-go as she just smacks her gums at it. We manage to get size 4 gelatine capsules from out vets and - if wrapped in a bit of easypill - for 4-weeks tricked her into eating them. However, she is getting too savvy now and we've had to resort to putting it straight down her throat for the last few times followed by a handful of treats straight after to get rid of the taste, which is starting to stress her out again. Have looked into compounding pharmacists but in the UK they aren't willing/able to make the Atopica formula into a tablet.
We are trying to bring as much barrier support in as well so she is on Royal Canin veterinary skin and coat which contains fatty acids as well as the Clorexyderm foam.
Atopica is doing a great job - her fur has grown back and she is so much more comfortable in her own skin. However, it is an immunosuppressant medication that will leave her prone to infections and cancer, it also interferes with the effectiveness of vaccines and (whilst she doesn't hunt at all) can leave her vulnerable to toxoplasmosis if she consumes any raw meat. We were hoping that Apoquel might be a possibility - even though off-licence for cats - but after doing their own internal testing the manufacturer has recently advised to not use in cats anymore, even off-licence. The research and treatment options for atopy in cats is so far behind that of dogs.
We have decided to pursue immunotherapy and are awaiting a referral to a diploma level dermatologist. This is a long treatment option that is expensive, could possibly take up to a year to have any effect but also not guaranteed to work at all but, if we can get her body's natural immune system to work in a appropriately way against these allergens, then it it is worth a go.
Initially, it will mean 10-14 days of no medication or fatty acids before she under goes the intradermal testing (injected with allergens to see how her skin responds). If we have reactions then a serum will be designed for her and for 2-months she is injected with this twice a week, she also goes back onto Atopica and fatty acids. She then moves into the maintenance phase of her treatment, being injected twice a month for anything between 4 - 12 months. If successful we should hopefully start seeing some results at the 6-month mark but could take up to 8-months. At minimum it could mean we can reduce the amount of Atopica she has to have whilst having the injections, at best she may come off the Atopica and just be able to have injections for life (twice monthly) and maintained on fatty acids and barrier foam.
None of this is ideal for a little cat that doesn't want to be restrained, injected, foamed or liquids down her throat! But long-term steroid use is not an option either as it doesn't really work for her and will only go on to shorten her life.
Adopted a 6-year old previous farm cat 2 years ago from a shelter in the South West. They thought her better as a pet as she doesn't hunt at all and wants to be inside, she is an incredibly gentle, affectionate and sensitive little soul. She came with a mention of being treated for a flea allergy so as a pre-existing condition it's not covered with our insurance.
We continued with steroids with our regular vet which worked for a while but then seemed to stop. Unusually she is a dream at taking tablets, so a pill stuck in a bit of easypill she will happily take!
Sought specialist help so was referred to a dermatologist vet. They immediately detected 3 skin infections of bacterial or yeast origin which were soon brought under control using Clorexyderm foam and Cortavance spray. Now twice weekly use of Clorexyderm acts as effective barrier to keep infections at bay - she's not happy about it but she is quite forgiving.
6-week elimination diet completed on Royal canin anallergenic whilst still treating with steroids with no improvement nor worsening when introduced back onto regular food. Steroids had to be put directly down her throat which caused her great stress and she started pulling fur off her front legs, being an incredibly gentle cat she gets very stressed when being restrained.
Atopy diagnosed and prescribed Atopica. Our worst nightmare as it only comes in a foul tasting liquid!! After the stress of restraining and tableting her during her elimination diet we have tried everything to get her voluntarily take the Atopica. The manufacturer's suggestion to mix in a little food is a complete no-go as she just smacks her gums at it. We manage to get size 4 gelatine capsules from out vets and - if wrapped in a bit of easypill - for 4-weeks tricked her into eating them. However, she is getting too savvy now and we've had to resort to putting it straight down her throat for the last few times followed by a handful of treats straight after to get rid of the taste, which is starting to stress her out again. Have looked into compounding pharmacists but in the UK they aren't willing/able to make the Atopica formula into a tablet.
We are trying to bring as much barrier support in as well so she is on Royal Canin veterinary skin and coat which contains fatty acids as well as the Clorexyderm foam.
Atopica is doing a great job - her fur has grown back and she is so much more comfortable in her own skin. However, it is an immunosuppressant medication that will leave her prone to infections and cancer, it also interferes with the effectiveness of vaccines and (whilst she doesn't hunt at all) can leave her vulnerable to toxoplasmosis if she consumes any raw meat. We were hoping that Apoquel might be a possibility - even though off-licence for cats - but after doing their own internal testing the manufacturer has recently advised to not use in cats anymore, even off-licence. The research and treatment options for atopy in cats is so far behind that of dogs.
We have decided to pursue immunotherapy and are awaiting a referral to a diploma level dermatologist. This is a long treatment option that is expensive, could possibly take up to a year to have any effect but also not guaranteed to work at all but, if we can get her body's natural immune system to work in a appropriately way against these allergens, then it it is worth a go.
Initially, it will mean 10-14 days of no medication or fatty acids before she under goes the intradermal testing (injected with allergens to see how her skin responds). If we have reactions then a serum will be designed for her and for 2-months she is injected with this twice a week, she also goes back onto Atopica and fatty acids. She then moves into the maintenance phase of her treatment, being injected twice a month for anything between 4 - 12 months. If successful we should hopefully start seeing some results at the 6-month mark but could take up to 8-months. At minimum it could mean we can reduce the amount of Atopica she has to have whilst having the injections, at best she may come off the Atopica and just be able to have injections for life (twice monthly) and maintained on fatty acids and barrier foam.
None of this is ideal for a little cat that doesn't want to be restrained, injected, foamed or liquids down her throat! But long-term steroid use is not an option either as it doesn't really work for her and will only go on to shorten her life.
