Okay, an update... Schrodie still has stomatitis, he's going on cyclosporine instead of prednisolone, and he is not at this time a candidate for full-mouth extraction because it may not help him as the stomatitis actually goes down into his throat a ways-- it may be too wide-spread to justify the trauma and not provide adequate relief for the invasiveness of the procedure. The vet has said that it's definitely autoimmune... which leads to his newest development:
Vitiligo. (vit-ill-EYE-go)
This poor cat has lost almost all of the seal coloring on his nose leather, his muzzle and chin have turned completely white. Vitiligo is also believed to be an autoimmune assault on pigment cells, and often if a pet or person has one AI condition, they can get another. This is definitely true as my mother had lupus and rheumatoid arthritis... both are AI. I don't see why a cat can't get the short end of the immunity stick, same as a person. Anyway--
He used to look like this-- just about a month ago (this is a file photo, not from last month)
Now, his coloring looks more like his kitten colors-- like this (no, he hasn't shrunk! Kitten pic for color demonstration). His chin and upper lip/mustache are even lighter than this!
His legs, ears and tail haven't faded, nor has his forehead or eye area-- but anything at or below the nose is no longer dark, and there is white "misting" in his body fur. His front paw pads are also losing color.
Tonight:
(Wow... I see these photos and he has DEFINITELY faded under the eye area. More fading than it seems, I guess!)
This is VERY sudden onset, and far more than what would be seen with usual normal ageing (11 years old). He's honestly turning white on me!
The vet did say that sometimes, cats with AI issues can develop vitiligo, and there is also a Siamese vitiligo-- a hereditary condition in Siamese and related breeds. These cats look normal for a while, then they begin to lose color (depigmentation) as the condition progresses.
He sure looks different now! Still handsome as he always will be, but... wow, what a change! Not like this guy (a cat named Scrappy)... but still... wow!
Thankfully, vitiligo is only cosmetic and it alone doesn't hurt a cat (or person-- people get vitiligo, too... people of all races can develop it, and so can d*gs-- but it does show more on darker skin or fur.). But whoa, when it hits-- it's sure noticeable!
Anyone else ever have a cat with vitiligo? How much pigment/coloring did your cat lose? Was the cat Siamese or related, or Siamese mixed? And the million-dollar question: did your cat have any other autoimmune conditions including stomatitis?
Thanks all...
~Mackie
Vitiligo. (vit-ill-EYE-go)
This poor cat has lost almost all of the seal coloring on his nose leather, his muzzle and chin have turned completely white. Vitiligo is also believed to be an autoimmune assault on pigment cells, and often if a pet or person has one AI condition, they can get another. This is definitely true as my mother had lupus and rheumatoid arthritis... both are AI. I don't see why a cat can't get the short end of the immunity stick, same as a person. Anyway--
He used to look like this-- just about a month ago (this is a file photo, not from last month)
Now, his coloring looks more like his kitten colors-- like this (no, he hasn't shrunk! Kitten pic for color demonstration). His chin and upper lip/mustache are even lighter than this!
His legs, ears and tail haven't faded, nor has his forehead or eye area-- but anything at or below the nose is no longer dark, and there is white "misting" in his body fur. His front paw pads are also losing color.
Tonight:
(Wow... I see these photos and he has DEFINITELY faded under the eye area. More fading than it seems, I guess!)
This is VERY sudden onset, and far more than what would be seen with usual normal ageing (11 years old). He's honestly turning white on me!
The vet did say that sometimes, cats with AI issues can develop vitiligo, and there is also a Siamese vitiligo-- a hereditary condition in Siamese and related breeds. These cats look normal for a while, then they begin to lose color (depigmentation) as the condition progresses.
He sure looks different now! Still handsome as he always will be, but... wow, what a change! Not like this guy (a cat named Scrappy)... but still... wow!
Thankfully, vitiligo is only cosmetic and it alone doesn't hurt a cat (or person-- people get vitiligo, too... people of all races can develop it, and so can d*gs-- but it does show more on darker skin or fur.). But whoa, when it hits-- it's sure noticeable!
Anyone else ever have a cat with vitiligo? How much pigment/coloring did your cat lose? Was the cat Siamese or related, or Siamese mixed? And the million-dollar question: did your cat have any other autoimmune conditions including stomatitis?
Thanks all...
~Mackie