Idiopathic facial dermatitis/dirty face

Huge problem in a nutshell: My 9-yr-old Himalayan, Max, has developed "angry skin" under the black crusties that collect around his eyes and the folds around his nose. The term "acne" doesn't compare to the severity of this. I've always cleaned his eyes, but Oct. 2010 the skin began to bleed underneath after cleaning, and it continues to do so. I've spent thousands of dollars at different vets, the groomer, a compounding pharmacy, and especially the dermatologist. A biopsy concluded idiopathic facial dermatitis w/a possible allergy component. Dermatologist said the only medical option left was allergy testing w/still no guarantee of resolution. And I cannot fail to mention his choosing not to use the litter box (that is an additional stressor for me because I have a small child).
FYI He eats high-quality grain-free dry food out of non-plastic bowls, I've already contained him in the bathroom for failed litter box retraining, he's had homeopathic remedies which resulted in constant diarrhea, and Depo shots (steroid) provide just 2 wks of relief for the skin irritation.
Only recently have I come to accept that it will be a matter of control for quality of life, so I need to know if there's anybody out there successfully controlling this? I am absolutely laden with guilt for not being able to resolve this for Max. He is my feline baby. PLEASE post if you've experienced this degree of facial dermatitis. Thanks.

Can you give the brand name of the foods you feed? What brand of kitty litter do you use?

also, there are people here with far more experience at this than me, so what remedies have you used?

I've tried to help others post pictures with no success so I will let others help you with this. If all else fails you could send them to my private email and I will upload them for you to my albums and you can go from there.

My dermatitis is what led you to message me so I can tell you what sets mine off.

Stress is the catalyst, but not the biological cause. My boss is the cause of most of the stress. He is a real @$$ and is abusive towards me. However, over the years (looking back) I have realized that I have gluten intolerant for years. This past Fall, it worsened and I am now allergic to wheats. Cross-contamination is a current issue also. there are other allergens that we are trying to sort out.

Physical stress also exists. If I wait too late to eat *hungry", I might break out. If I wait too long to use the bathroom, I get itchy and might break out. Dehydration is also a factor. I absolutely have to take my thyroid meds and diabetes meds. If my blood pressure rises, I get hot, and develop heat hives.

Anti-anxiety drugs do work for me to a certain level. See if your doctor will administer an equivalent of kitty Valium.

Crazy, but I am alive.

My cat, a former feral, had idiopathic cystitis in the first year he was with me. Again, stress was the cause (or sensitivity to it). My vet wanted to put Oscar on anti-depressants, but I wanted to try Feliway first. Feliway is a spray that contains the 'happy place' pheromones that cats give off when they rub their heads against something they like.

You might try a short course of mild antidepressants and see if the situation improves. That might help the litterbox issues as well.

HUGS - how heartbreaking. I know you will find an answer from someone here.:love:

Oh my, 9 years old and this came on about what, a year ago? What happened about that time? Is that when the "small child" arrived? Or did you move, or change litter brands? Just following up on folks' comments that it may be stress related.

Candace /Catty 1 didn't explain how she uses Feliway. Many folks on here have tried the plug ins with little success. Candace made a "cloth sleeve" to slip over a cat collar; do not spray Feliaway directly ON a cat! She sprays the cloth and the cat carries the scent on the collar sleeve.

I am sorry to hear you are having these issues and pray something will help.

I used to use the rag...I then changed to a really stretchy cat collar that would come off easily. I would then hold the Feliway close to the collar, put one finger under the collar and spray a small 'blob' on the collar. (This is while the cat is wearing it, so you don't use a full spray like you would in a room!).

Please keep us posted!