Poor Pyka - better update post 15

[Catty1]

I just spoke with Mom. Pyka is pretty quiet, but still exhibits behaviour that Mom knows will lead to ANOTHER hematoma on his ear once the collar is off.

She says when he was a kitten of 7 or 8 months old, he started to act like "he was trying to get away from himself". Frantic licking of paws, scratching a lot - Mom thought he had gotten into Darcia's medication or something! (She lived with my mom, she had MS).

So he's about 9 now...the vet has had him on Clavamox, Zythromax, and now Prednisone. Mom suggested antihistamines, but the vet went for the steroid.

Even now, Pyka still will sneeze bloody mucus - it will even land on his cone when he shakes his head sometimes.

He is not sick otherwise. So - rather than put him through the expense of allergy testing, Mom is insisting on trying an antihistamine for one week.

If the vet refuses, she is getting a second opinion. She and poor Pyka can't keep going with hundreds of dollars and cones and crap.

Please - prayers for Pyka that he finally gets a solution to his troubles.

If you have any kitty allergy stories to share, please do!

[Catlady711]

Your mom is correct allergy testing is expensive, and from everything I've learned at work it's only 50-70% accurate in pets.

I would seriously think about a second opinion. Sometimes just having a new set of eyes look at the problem produces different results.

Good luck

[Catty1]

Thanks, CatLady. When Mom and I talked, rather than doing the testing, she is going to ask for a week's supply of antihistamine. There seem to be just one or two that work on cats, so perhaps the specific allergy is not important?

I mean - she can afford the money - but just last week it was $600! But she wouldn't have him PTS for anything!

She is going for a second opinion if her vet digs in...she'll go to my vet, who is really good and tuned into things. I'll go with her!

Poor Pyka...but he is so sweet. He was sleeping up on a closet shelf yesterday, and I was patting him and rubbing the bridge of his nose, and he kept giving me meezer-sounding "mows", just talking back to me. He is SUCH a sweetie!

[moosmom]

Mollie Rose was treated for sneezing and watery eyes. The vet gave her Zythromax and Prednisone, which she hasn't needed since the last time she was treated. She was diagnosed with kitty asthma.

[Catty1]

Hi, Donna:

Pyka was on Clavamox, then the Zythro for a month, and now Prednisone(with the Zyth or Clavamox for a bit, can't remember)...nothing has worked!

I think we have to try antihistamines or a second opinion, or both.

He doesn't sneeze OFTEN, but when he does...and then the infernal scratching; no rash or anything.

He has even produced a hematoma under his chin, but that resorbs quite quickly.

*sigh* poor kitty. And poor mom - this is her baby!

[krazyaboutkatz]

Poor Pyka. I sure hope that antihistamines will work. Sky and Sunny both have seasonal allergies and I've given Sky Clortrimetron sp? before and it seemed to help him a little bit. My old vet also gave me some type of allergy medicine last year when Sky became so bad but I forgot the name of it. Getting a second opinion is a great idea. I did this for Starr and now I have a wonderful new vet. Tell your mom that Pyka will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

[jennielynn1970]

I was waiting for a response from my parents about what their cat Lucey takes. She had lived me for a few years after my grandpa died, but became allergic, I swear, to the town I lived in. She was fine in Allentown, but when I moved to Bethlehem, she just got so bad. She was sniffly and sneezy all the time, and the vet couldn't get her any better living with me, he suggested having her go to my parents' place in the country. She's been doing much better there since she's been up there. She takes Prednisone on an as needed basis, and she also gets (I think this is what my dad said..) Dextromethasone. I know she gets a shot once a month during the summer.

She no longer sneezes blood, but she does get semi stuffy and her eyes get weepy when the meds wear off. She's a semi-smushy faced kitty, a tortie with one heck of an attitude. Maybe your mom's vet might want to try the Dextro stuff.

[Catty1]

Today was vet day...the vet is reluctant to use antihistamines, as the steroids do the job... in fact, Mom said when Pyka does sneeze now, it is much fainter and losing pinkness.

I'll have her ask the vet about the Dextromethasone. Is that a steroid as well?

Thanks, Jenn.

[emily_the_spoiled]

Dextramethasone is another type of steroid, so if the vet gives it to Pyka make sure that he only takes one type of medicine.

Has your mother tried to increase the humidity in the house? I used to live in Calgary so I know how dry it gets there But Connor got the sneezes earlier this year and he was sneezing up blood. I couldn't get into the vet right away but I bought a couple of humidifiers and increased the humidity in the house. That REALLY helped with both the sneezes and the bloody sneezes. (Besides it is healthier than the steriods...)

[Laura's Babies]

I have heard that you can give a cat 1/4 a Benaydril (is that how it is spelled) I even asked my vet and he said yes. Call several vets and ask about that and see what they say.

That would be to simple a cure and they wouldn't be making the money they are if it worked...

Also, I had a neighbor who had a small dog with symptoms just like that, sneezing and the stuff<nicer word) flying all over the house.. The vet told them it was caused by the dogs teeth... They couldn't afford to have his teeth cleaned after all the other money they had spent on it so someone offered to take the dog and have the teeth cleaned if they could keep the dog so they let them have their dog.. They got the dogs teeth cleaned and the dog was cured! How's Pyka's teeth?

[Catty1]

Laura - most of Pyka's teeth are GONE. He and his brother are oriental shorthairs, and got the congenital tooth problem that so many do. My mom is VERY conscientious about cat care...but after a point, the teeth were just going to be re-absorbed into the gums.

They still got their fangs, though!

But I am SOOO mad at my mom's vet. She asked about antihistamines, and the vet said they don't use them at their clinic (more than one vet there) because they don't help cats with allergies.

WHAT????????????????

I called my clinic, and the tech checked with my vet and the co-owner of the clinic, and while they don't have cat/dog antihistamines per se, they did suggest 10mg of Benadryl am and pm.

I told mom that.

Pyka is back on Clavamox because he is getting congestion in his chest again. Easing off the prednisone, the so-called Magic Bullet. So why are they easing off it then?

And no matter what they do, Pyka still sneezes the pink/pinker "stuff".

AAAAAAAAAAGHHHHH! What do I do?????

Mom says her vet knows best and she trusts her vet.....

[Shadowcat]

Some thoughts on Pyka

The sneezing could be sinus infection - pinkish usually indicates smallish amount of blood.

What food is Pyka eating? Has your mom tried changing his diet to a lamb based? (fewer allergy reactions) Gradual change to lamb, see if the itching decreases. If it is a food allergy that is causing the itching/scratching/run to try to get away from 'something' - eliminate the trigger food. Possib. a flea allergy - does your mom have him on a topical flea control. I find these work very well.
Good luck

[Catty1]

*sigh* No, Mom would not switch his diet...he and his littermate have most of their teeth gone. His littermate has never had any health problem like this one.

I am sure it is a sinus infection...and thought a few days of antihistamine would at least give his poor sinuses a break - and confirm if it is an allergy or not.

But Mom's vet says no...that antihistamines don't work for allergies in cats, and they prefer to treat with prednisone...ARRGH.

Also - she has spent so much money on him lately that a round of allergy tests is out for the moment.

I did copy and paste a few comments from earlier in this thread...she will at least see that some cats HAVE had antihistamines.

And Laura's comment that vets offices don't make any money on something you can buy in a drugstore yourself!

No flea problems.

He is quieter now that there is salve for his ear.

Thanks, Shadowcat...I just hope Mom will give it a try.

I have a hunch that something THAT simple will work...and maybe make her think twice about how much she trusts her vet.

[Catlady711]

Easing off the prednisone, the so-called Magic Bullet. So why are they easing off it then?

When an someone is on Prednisolone/Dexmethosone/Steroids it causes the body to cease making it's own cortisone. If you abruptly take them off the meds it causes their body to 'crash' from lack of cortisone. A gradual reduction is always called for with this medication to give the body time to go back to making it's own cortisone.

[Catty1]

Pyka started on Clavamox again yesterday evening - the vet even suggested a double dose.

This morning, Pyka did something he hasn't done for over a week - he came down from the closet shelf where he has been sleeping since he got sick, and snuggled up with Mom on her bed as usual, and just PURRED. His breathing sounds better.

She says he hasn't sneezed yet.

This is good news - his brother Shiney missed him and even got up on the closet shelf a few times to snuggle with him, even though there was hardly room!

So....back to drug #1.

Thanks to everyone who posted with feedback...we'll see how this goes.