Alternative to Steroids for my cat? Please help!!?
Is there an alternative to steroids? Every time I take my cat to the vet they give him an injection, plus about 3 months worth of pills (Prednisone).
My cat has miliary dermatitis, in which he gets scabs on his chin and neck. The steroids no longer work (I think he has built up a tolerance to them), but the vets keeps giving him steroids anyway because they are saying that is the only treatment they can offer.
My cat does not have fleas, tested negative for ringworm, and we have tried different cat foods, so I don’t know what he could be allergic to. This is the 3rd vet I’ve been to in the past 9 months who won’t give my cat anything else except steroids. I really want to get my cat off of steroids though because he is acting hyper and crazy, and I’ve heard that steroids are not healthy physically.
Please help!!
try pumping iron
Have you tried having your cat allergy tested? Have you tried Science Diets Z/D formula food? Is your cat indoor only? What kind of food bowls do you use?
To cut down on the problems I would keep your cat on flea preventative and indoor only. Make sure you feed out of metal bowls, cats can become allergy to plastic bowls.
Your best bet is asking other vets, not here, nobody here is qualified to suggest that safely since your pet is unknown to them, and there may be several complicating factors we are not aware of.
On looking everything up, though, I have to ask what cause the vets found? That will give you a clue as to what alternative you can use.
“If bacteria or yeast are causing the feline miliary dermatitis, antibiotics or antifungal medications would be given, and the cat may be bathed in special shampoos.
If the cat is scratching or the cause of the dermatitis is an autoimmune or allergy problem, steroids like prednisone are usually given. The cat may need to be on a high dose at first, and then it can be tapered down. Additional treatment for allergies can include antihistamines, fatty acid supplements as described below, and baths or sprays. Additional testing can be done to determine what the cat is allergic to and then ‘desensitize’ the cat with regular injections.
A fatty acid supplement is often recommended as part of the treatment. In addition, extra biotin may be added to the cat’s diet. ”
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2117&aid=150
Also, read here: http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/mil-derm.html and here http://www.petplace.com/cats/miliary-dermatitis/page1.aspx as well as here http://www.webvet.com/main/article?id=144&med=1
There is a lady who could possibly also help you with this, she finds all sorts of alternstives. wintersaurora@yahoo.com her name is Sharon Hubbs, she is a Certified Natural Health Consultant & Herbalist and works with animals too.
You could also see if you can find a Shawn Messonnier, D.V.M., who is a holistic veterinarian and nationally recognized expert on integrative medicine for animals. He is the author of several books, including the award-winning Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats.
My vet’s not a believer in steroids, and won’t give them past a few months. Stop the steroids – they aren’t doing any good and can lead to diabetes. Worth the risk of they were helping, but they are not. My little seal point female has miliary dermatitis – and we’ve run a whole bank of tests on her – all negative. My vet became convinced that we had some sort of mite allergy going on. We put her on Revolution (which kills lots of things that aren’t listed on the packaging, including various mites and several kinds of mange). Surprising thing – it worked. It is one of those things that falls into the category of “can’t hurt – might help’.
Have you tried a corn and grain free cat food? Lots of cats have corn allergies, yet corn is an ingredient of may of the veterinary foods for allergies. Try a corn free food – some good ones include Wellness Core, Innova’s EVO, and Blue Buffalo. Again, can’t hurt and might help. Remember it can take several weeks for allergens to leave the system, so it won’t be overnight results.
Do you have a veterinary dermatologist, or a vet school you can consult with? It sounds as though your vets are stumped, so it’s time to call in some expertise.