Anyone tried Dermoscent Essential 6 Spot On for cats?

[Janeway]

Kinsey, my Cornish Rex, is about 10 years old and in November she was treated for hyperthyroidism (the expensive radio active iodine kind) which worked instantly. She then became one of those rare cats to develop hypothyroidism. She went from 4lbs 3 oz (skeletal, practically hairless) to her present portly self--11 lbs (no doubt) and her fur grew in but not really wavy. One of the symptoms of hypothyroidism is dry but greasy fur, which she had (and obesity). She's now on thyroid medication and her fur became more normal, but then I noticed her scratching alot and she had dandruff. I tried the fish oil capsules from the vet, but then they showed me a brochure for Dermoscent Essential 6 Spot-On for cats. I think it's the same French company that makes the flea spot on treatments. Sounded good, so I had them order me some. It's expensive (4 pipettes $21.50!, but I might be able to get it cheaper online). One pipette a week for 8 weeks and then 1 pipette every 2 weeks. You're supposed to apply directly to skin in 1 or 2 places on the shoulders or neck, and NOT rub in. Of course, I did massage it in (duh! read the directions). So next application I will let it "automatically diffuse over animal’s body".

Anyway, if it actually does work to

" Maintains and supports the integrity of the hydrolipidic film
• Supports a balanced cutaneous ecosystem
• Purifies and helps prevent skin irritations due to skin dehydration
• Deodorises yet respects the animal’s own smell
• Helps diminish non seasonal hair loss and sustains hair growth
• Protects by its antioxidant effect to combat free radicals"

and she has a glossy, dandruff free, non-itchy, maybe wavier coat, it might just be worth it if I can find it cheaper or stretch out the applications.

Would love to hear if anyone has used this product and I'll update as the weeks pass.

[Janeway]

Well, here's the followup as promised. After the first week's application rubbing in the oil, which was wrong, her hair fell out in those spots. That's why you don't rub it in! One advantage was that I have two hairless places to apply the oil directly on the skin and just let it diffuse into the skin (as per directions). It's been almost a week since the second application and I can't see any change, but it did say it might take 3-4 weeks, and I did botch the first application. I've continued to give her the fish oil tablet. The only way to get her to take it is to pierce the capsule and squeeze it out on a tablespoon of tuna juice. She still seems itchy and there are still big globs of dandruff on her back near her tail that I can "itch" off. She gets her next treatment Monday morning and then I can bathe her again 48 hours later. Hoping the dandruff will stay gone. Stay tuned for the next exciting update.

[columbine]

Never heard of Dermoscent, but my cat Smudge used to be VERY itchy and the first thing the vet recommended was the fish oil. It turned out to be allergies, and he gets medicine for that too, but meanwhile his long, ultra-fine fur has gotten a lot healthier and easier to keep neat, even in muggy weather.

A cat I occasionally sit for has really bad dandruff and arthritis, and I can't get her to even TRY fish oil! I put it on gourmet kibble (a spoonful of Smudge's Indigo Moon, which he seems to consider "bowlful of treats") and on Kitty Kaviar herring flakes, and she won't touch it! Luckily, she will eat Cosequin mixed into Fancy Feast, so she's getting that twice a day. But a cat who won't eat fish oil is a mystery to me.

Love, Columbine

[Janeway]

It really is a mystery why they don't go wild for fish oil. I'll take a tablespoon of tuna juice (pressed from the canned tuna packed in water) and put it on a saucer (the kind with a round circle for a cup) and then squeeze out the fish oil. She laps it right up even though it's suspended in the water/juice. Yum tuna! I'm going to buy a can on tuna packed in oil and try that juice next. Getting meds into cats can be very tricky. Too bad they can't be more like dogs--put in pill in cheese and they gobble it right up. I'm going to continue the fish oil, hoping for her coat to improve. It really is ratty looking. I'm encouraged by how Smudge's coat improved. Speaking of allergies, I'm wondering if my Nikita might have them. He is really itchy, especially around the back of his ears. That spot is virtually hairless since he's Cornish Rex, and sometimes he rubs it raw. And he constantly bugs me to scritch him there. I've applied hydrocortisone cream occasionally but I don't think it really helps. What kind of meds does Smudge take for allergies?

[columbine]

Bring Nikita to the vet - they can check for mites that are WAY too small to be seen with the naked eye, and can especially cause itching around the ears. I wonder if maybe the maker/distributor of Dermoscent might be compromising your vet's objectivity - a second opinion might be helpful.

Be careful with the hydrocortisone - I tried that on Smudge, and it made his fur fall out! I was rubbing his considerable bald spot with emu oil for weeks after, just as protection and to get the fur to grow back (and yes, I let him lick plenty of it off my fingers too, as it's supposed to be an OK skin/coat supplement in and of itself.)

The biggest improvement I saw in Smudge's allergies was when I kicked all the grain out of his diet. I also can't give him tooth-cleaner treats - they all have aspergillus niger in them, and I think mold is one of his problems (his face still gets itchy in the summer). The vet prescribed chlorpheniramine and prednisolone, and he's usually pretty comfortable these days. He's got all his fur back, and doesn't mat up in the muggy summer weather.

But Cornish Rexes are their own breed, and a vet will have a lead on what they tend to be allergic to and what approaches they respond to best. (Smudge is a "Mainely Coon," looks and acts like a MC but has no pedigree.)

Also, be careful with the tuna - humans' nutritional needs are very different from those of cats, and too much ordinary tuna can cause health problems. Be sure to choose a brand like Solid Gold or Soulistic that's formulated especially for cats, with extra vitamins and minerals that cats in particular need to stay healthy.

But first, definitely, the vet, to rule out mites and breed-specific conditions.

Pets and cuddles (and kisses, if they'll have them) to your kitties! Can we see a photo?

Love, Columbine

[krazyaboutkatz]

Hi, I've been reading this thread for a while and I'm sorry to hear about your cats. I just wanted to mention that when I first adopted Storm he became very itchy and he also started losing the hair on his ears. I was feeding him a lot of cat food that had fish in it. I found out later that he was allergic to fish. Now I actually think that it's the preservative ethoxyquin that he's allergic to. Most fish meals and fish are preserved with this. I've been feeding all of my cats a grain free diet for several years now and yes it does have some fish meal in it but these brands,Innova Evo and Nature's Vareity, don't use ethoxyquin to preserve their fish.

I would take Nikita to the vet to rule out other things like mites and ringworm. I don't know what you're feeding your cats, but a new diet may also be in order. Good luck.

[Janeway]

Thank you all. It just might be time to try a grain free diet. There is a certain amount of vomiting that's been going on, no matter what they're eating. Right now, it's Science Diet Active Longevity. And they all seem to have itching issues. Food allergy could be an answer. I'm pretty sure it's not mites or ringworm on Nikita. He's always been itchy and been to the vet many times for his checkups. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we changed to grain free and the itching went away?!

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've never been a fan of any Science Diet product. If you do change their diets you'll probably have to have them on the new diet at least 6-8 weeks to really tell if it's working or not. Good luck.

[Janeway]

Thanks for the tip. I will keep that in mind. I'm going to Complete Petmart, that carries both the Innova Evo and Nature's Variety, and try to select the best one for my crew. They are all older, two have weight problems and on is just right (Nikita).

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm actually feeding my cats mainly Nature's Variety Instinct because my cat Ziggy was up to 15.9lbs. She's been on this food for 1 month and is now down to 14.6lbs. The dry is much lower in calories than Innova Evo. She only gets 1/4 cup of the Duck and Rabbit dry mixed together 50/50 of Nature's Variety Instinct and 1/2 a can of Nature's Variety Instinct canned food. My vet still wants her to lose some more weight and hopefully she'll be able to. I hope that whichever food you choose that all of your cats will like it. Good luck.

Procter and Gamble have also taken over all of Natura Pet Products that include Innova and Innova Evo. Even though I was told yesterday by a manager who personally knows the ex-President of Natura Pet Products that nothing will change, I still don't trust P & G. This is another reason that I'm switching over to another grain free food company. The most important thing is to make sure that your cats will eat it. Luckily they all love the Nature's Variety Instinct. I'm not sure about the Chicken dry one though because I tried this out on them several years ago and they didn't like it. Once again good luck and please keep us updated about your cats.

[Janeway]

Just an update on Kinsey's dry skin. After the 4 applications of Dermoscent, I've decided to discontinue using it. I'm not sure that I saw much improvement, but I probably should have continued for at least four more weeks to really give it a fair trial. But due to the high cost and since I continue to give her the fish oil capsule every day, I just couldn't justify it. I think it or the fish oil has improved her coat a little, though I still see some big dandruff flakes (but less than before). I will continue the fish oil and we're trying the Nature's Variety Instinct and hope for the best. And Nikita seems to like the Instinct also, but he's as itchy as ever. I will be patient, krazyaboutkatz, and give it 6 to 8 weeks to see an improvement.

[Janeway]

Well, I'm sad to say that Kinsey dry skin has not be alleviated. I continue to give her the fish oil capsule, but the patch on her back near the tail doesn't seem flaky anymore, but I can see little sores and the patch has gotten bigger. I'm taking her to the vet in the morning. Of course I've searched the internet and found a google image that looks exactly like her back and it's a picture of a cat (or maybe a dog) with a severe flea bite allergy. The wierd thing is, I really don't think we have fleas. I've had them before and know what they look like, no signs of flea dirt, no signs of fleas on her or Nikita, no signs of fleas fleeing when I've bathed her. I suppose it's possible that a flea might have gotten into the house somehow, but it seems logical to think they would have left behind eggs which would lead to a full fledged infestation and that one flea to bite her on the back seems farfetched. Oh, well. Hope he can help. I'd even settle for a cortisone shot to give her some relief. She's been eating the grain free Instinct food, but not long enough yet to tell if it's helping her coat and itching. She does throw it up a little, but I'm not sure it's more or less than what she did in the past. I took their food away before I left for work (I work nights) so when I take her in the morning, they can do fasting bloodwork. She developed hypothyroidism after being treated with radio active iodine for hyperthyroidism, so she's been taking thyroid medication twice a day, and she's about due for a bloodwork checkup.

[maartje]

My chihuahua had a lot of skin problems caused by food allergy. Once i had found the cause of his allergy my vet advised me to use dermoscent essentail spot on. I have used it already a month and now give him one pipette every 2 weeks. It is just great! He smells beter, loss of hair is a lot less then before, and his skin is so much beter.....I recommend it to every dog owner.......

[momcats13]

My vet suggested vitamin e for my kitties stress dandruff. I get it at Walgreens as they are the only ones that have it in 100 unit capsules--you have to look hard to find capsules of that low a dosage. For a 10lb cat I drop about 1/2 a capsule into their food.

[sophie perdriau]

My cat wants to eat bananas so I was wondering if anyone has tried it before to make sure I am not going to give my sweetie the wrong diet.. searched for some info here https://obeymycat.com/can-cats-eat-bananas-35/ and need to confirm if I should follow this advice?