Hey folks,
I'd like to know, from those of you who's cats have been diagnosed as being allergic to something (either food or environment) what their symptoms were prior to being diagnosed... Scratching, eye problems, anything else? I'll explain my situation below (and just so you know, I am going to see the vet today, so I'm just trying to get some background info)...
I've been taking care of three (formerly feral) kittens for a while now and the two older kittens (frasier and niles) have had bouts of eye infections off and on... The vet has given antibiotic ointment which seems to work, but niles shows what I'd call an allergic reaction to it (the cream also has a steroid in it to reduce swelling). His eye gets even redder and inflamed, he squints it up and acts as if the ointment causes a painful reaction...So, I haven't been able to give him a full dose of the ointment, as the reaction gets worse... I tried substituting neosporin (which we have used to successfully treat pink eye in ourselves and our dog) but his reaction was the same... Both ointments contain: Neomycin and polymycin B sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc and the perscribed cream contains Hydrocortison. Both also have mineral oil and a petrolium product base.
But, that isn't my only "allergy" concern... I switched the kittens onto WBCL and then chicken feed as litter... Would a re-occuring eye infection be a possible symptom of allergy to corn? I don't think it is, as one of his eyes appears worse than the other, and he eats food with corn in it (without any other symptoms that I can find..no scratching, etc).
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Art
I'd like to know, from those of you who's cats have been diagnosed as being allergic to something (either food or environment) what their symptoms were prior to being diagnosed... Scratching, eye problems, anything else? I'll explain my situation below (and just so you know, I am going to see the vet today, so I'm just trying to get some background info)...
I've been taking care of three (formerly feral) kittens for a while now and the two older kittens (frasier and niles) have had bouts of eye infections off and on... The vet has given antibiotic ointment which seems to work, but niles shows what I'd call an allergic reaction to it (the cream also has a steroid in it to reduce swelling). His eye gets even redder and inflamed, he squints it up and acts as if the ointment causes a painful reaction...So, I haven't been able to give him a full dose of the ointment, as the reaction gets worse... I tried substituting neosporin (which we have used to successfully treat pink eye in ourselves and our dog) but his reaction was the same... Both ointments contain: Neomycin and polymycin B sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc and the perscribed cream contains Hydrocortison. Both also have mineral oil and a petrolium product base.
But, that isn't my only "allergy" concern... I switched the kittens onto WBCL and then chicken feed as litter... Would a re-occuring eye infection be a possible symptom of allergy to corn? I don't think it is, as one of his eyes appears worse than the other, and he eats food with corn in it (without any other symptoms that I can find..no scratching, etc).
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Art