Hello, I'm hoping for some advice.
A few months ago my cat started over grooming the area between her back legs. It got to the point her skin was pink and irritated and all the fur between her back legs was gone. Thought it was an allergy at first, but when I couldn't figure out what she was allergic to I took her to the vet.
We did blood work, urine test, and she received a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot. My vet thought she might have a bladder problem like cystitis and was over grooming the area because of pain. Moxie got much better immediately after the shots and began to grow her fur back. During this time her urine test showed she has a very high concentration of struvite crystals in her urine.
About a week ago the over grooming started again. She went back to the vet yesterday and now the vet has changed her mind and thinks the over grooming is due to an allergy, because Moxie is peeing normally and isn't going outside the litter box. However I now feel like the struvite crystals causing irritation makes the most sense. Moxie is on buprenorphine and another drug for the next week rule out whether the over grooming is due to pain.
I'm looking for any advice, experience or resources on struvite crystals, allergies and over grooming.
Moxie has been mostly raw fed for years, with occasional canned food and a little grain-free kibble for her puzzle feeders. The vet is talking about prescription urinary food or prescription hypo-allergenic food and I'm a little lost. I want to do what's best for Moxie and I don't want her to be in pain, but I'm not sure just tossing a prescription food at her is the answer.
A few months ago my cat started over grooming the area between her back legs. It got to the point her skin was pink and irritated and all the fur between her back legs was gone. Thought it was an allergy at first, but when I couldn't figure out what she was allergic to I took her to the vet.
We did blood work, urine test, and she received a steroid shot and an antibiotic shot. My vet thought she might have a bladder problem like cystitis and was over grooming the area because of pain. Moxie got much better immediately after the shots and began to grow her fur back. During this time her urine test showed she has a very high concentration of struvite crystals in her urine.
About a week ago the over grooming started again. She went back to the vet yesterday and now the vet has changed her mind and thinks the over grooming is due to an allergy, because Moxie is peeing normally and isn't going outside the litter box. However I now feel like the struvite crystals causing irritation makes the most sense. Moxie is on buprenorphine and another drug for the next week rule out whether the over grooming is due to pain.
I'm looking for any advice, experience or resources on struvite crystals, allergies and over grooming.
Moxie has been mostly raw fed for years, with occasional canned food and a little grain-free kibble for her puzzle feeders. The vet is talking about prescription urinary food or prescription hypo-allergenic food and I'm a little lost. I want to do what's best for Moxie and I don't want her to be in pain, but I'm not sure just tossing a prescription food at her is the answer.