Malassezia infection

[Suljas]

My cat has been on chicken raw food all her live for 2 yrs with her previous owner. I adopted her recently and fed her similar chicken Raw food. But now she has been diagnosed having Malasseizia yeast infection in her ears. Vet suspect food allergy. Can chicken which she has been taking all her life be cause of an allergic reaction? Can the infection be passed on by other cats?

 

[Maurey]

Yes, chicken is a common allergen. Allergies can pop up in any point in life. Since you use a meal completer, I’d just swap chicken for any other muscle meat she’s never had before (I’d suggest non-poultry, so no turkey), and see how she improves after a few weeks without any chicken in her diet.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Did they do a skin scraping or even a tape test of her ear canal to make that diagnostic determination? I'm just asking because I saw in another of your threads that you are using a mobile vet and not sure they have that capability, AND this is an unusual diagnosis for a cat. In answer to whether or not this can be passed on by other cats, I've never heard of that happening, not a yeast infection.

Obviously SOMETHING is wrong though, but it's just weird that she didn't have this problem until she was rehomed with you. I'm guessing it IS related to some sort of allergen, but not convinced it's chicken because lots of time when cats have a chicken allergy, they can still eat it raw, oddly enough. But, yes, allergies to foods can pop up at any time during their lifetime. Have you switched back to feeding her raw? I read in one of your other threads that you were feeding her kibble now.

I still think you should talk to the people you got her from and see whether or not they can refer you to a Vet who specialized in Bengals.

 

[Suljas]

When I got her, she was just steralized. After 2 days I noticed the brown specks in her ears and thinking could be ear mites, put a dose of revolution. After a week, brought her to a vet clinic and they said its yeast infection and not mites. After twice visits to clinic not much progress and she also too difficult to put on carrier. House vet was tried. She took ear sample and did the the test outside. Tests show Malasseizia and Cocci infection in both ears. She also rubs her face. When we switched to beef kibbles, notice reduction in scratching. Once we return to raw chicken she started to scratch little more. So anyway the vet be coming over in sat. We don't have bengal specialized vets here. More on general vets but this vet is more into cats.

 

[Maurey]

If she improved on beef kibble, use beef with her completer instead of chicken and see how she goes.

 

[Suljas]

Update:. Vet came by. Ears look better but she say that the process for full clearing esp if it's allergy to food be at least a month to two.
She is not scratching much but seems her ears still have itchiness here and then. Not much dirt seen around so far on the exterior but can see brown on the inside. She is now on Earthmade Beef kibbles in the morning and afternoon. Night she is on Fancy feast beef. Tried giving higher end Ziwi Peak beef can but she flatly refused to take. Once kibbles are finished we are thinking of transition her to freeze dried beef in the daytime followed by wet at night. Hope she will take Ziwi Peak by then if need to fast her. Heard from vet Fancy Feast not really recommended.but she also mentioned of her clients cats which have been living of Whiskers for 12 years..

 

[Maurey]

Fancy feast classics in non-fish flavours are decent budget foods. Better than kibble, in any case.

 

[Suljas]

This tender beef patte classic has fish as well. Reason I am trying to stop feeding her fancy feast beef is the ingredient Menadione. Read somewhere this is some sort of vit K and it's not good for the cat.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

This tender beef patte classic has fish as well. Reason I am trying to stop feeding her fancy feast beef is the ingredient Menadione. Read somewhere this is some sort of vit K and it's not good for the cat.

I would be more worried about the fish in that FF than the Menadione, since she may have food sensitivities. Menadione is in quite a few cat foods. Not anything that I, personally worry about, but I am just one person.

 

[Suljas]

Those FF without fish has chicken. So it's difficult to find and when I found Ziwi Peak she does not not to take it. So today will try mixing up the FF and Ziwi peak slowly before taking out FF. Hope it works. BTW she is one choosy cat. Only prefers patte and not the other type of wet food in cans