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Our vet just prescribed prednisone for our kitty cat. She has been scratching and pulling out tufts of fur for the last little while. We don't know if it is an allergy or behavioural problem, but the vet thought to give the prednisone a try or do a skin biopsy. It is not fleas because we tested that route and gave her the Advantage - she is also an indoor kitty. Has anyone had similar experiences with their cats? Is prednisone safe?
Here is some info about the symptoms - sounds like allergies to me, probably food or inhalant allergies, but I'm not a vet and there are other possibilities. I've heard of hair-pulling being associated with cardiomyopathy and thyroid disorders however I don't recall if itching was also associated with those.
I'm uncomfortable with steroid use unless there is a specific reason it is the best treatment. When shooting in the dark like this - well, what are you shooting for? For instance, one time my vet asked me to try a short dose of Flagyl w/one of my cats - I asked to what end - he said if the Flagyl worked quickly that ruled out XYZ conditions and made it more likely the cat had ABC conditions, and if it did not work at all the cat probably did not have ABC conditions. He also told me - if the Flagyl works then we can try THIS next, if the Flagyl doesn't work then we can try THIS next. THIS being the next step in the diagnostic plan. If your vet can tell you that then there is a point to trying the pred and I might try a short course. If your vet just gave it to you because he/she doesn't know what to do and/or is just stalling for time, then I'd be very uncomfortable with that. So the question for me always is - what's the purpose and what's the plan?
http://www.catsmag.com/features/apr98.html#allergy
http://www.petinfocenter.com/allergi...gies_atopy.htm
http://www.vetinfo.com/cathair.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/callergy.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/catfur.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/catskin.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/catpara.html
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/food_allergies.html
http://www.peteducation.com/allergies/itchdz.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/cats/catearskincond.htm
http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...p?id=8497&dt=p http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...p?id=8892&dt=p http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...p?id=8490&dt=p http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...p?id=8499&dt=p http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...p?id=8498&dt=p http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer...FL1XX.xml&dt=A
http://www.macnet.org/~wilcox_k/diet.html
http://www.vetinfo.com/catmed.html#Prednesone and diabetes
[This message has been edited by EileenKay (edited October 27, 2000).]
Hi,
I agree that your vet should have taken a skin scraping at least before prescribing any drugs. Ask him to do this or see another vet.
Hi- I had a cat that pulled out his fur, and my vet couldn't find anything wrong and said some cats just do it, like some people bite their nails. He also said that it could also be a nervous habit, and this kitty was pretty high-strung. It wasn't a real problem, so I chose to do nothing, but my vet had also suggested steroids. I also had a cat that had asthma, and even tho I never took him to the vet for it because it never seemed to bother him much and he was already 13 with kidney disease when I learned he had it. When I mentioned it to my mom, she said she had just had one of her fosters to the vet and asthma had been diagnosed. Being asthmatic myself, I wondered out loud how they treat it - I had a mental picture of getting my cat to use an inhaler! - and my mom said they use steroids. When I said it was just as well I chose to do nothing with Zebo, she said the her vet - who is very well respected, very concerned about keeping up with continuing education, and often speaks at vet conventions, informed her that most cats do not get the same dreaded side effects from steriods that humans do, that in fact steroid use in cats is nearly side-effect free. That's one reason why it is used for so many things in cats that they wouldn't think of using it for in humans. I'm sure alot of people are reading this post with horror stories about steroid use in pets, but of course, no drug is completely side-effect or adverse-effect free. But I really trust this vet (he would be mine except that I can't afford him - his practice is in a ritzy area) and would have no problem with steroid use in my cats if it were ever suggested again. Hope this helps.