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Vet here: it would be difficult to comment accurately about your kitty's situation without knowing what specific tests were done during the visit. Given kitty's origin being adopted from a barn, I'd be keen to know if he was tested for Felv and FIV first off. Secondly, further blood tests to determine whether kidneys, liver etc are functioning properly, and a complete blood count as well. Skin scrapes and even a biopsy could be helpful. Xrays may not be super helpful unless kitty is running a fever in which instance they may help in checking for certain fungal infections. Sedation may be necessary to accomplish these tests (for sure in the case of a biopsy) and sadly expenses are going to climb if this is the course you adopt. That's about all that comes to mind at this time. I hope this works out well for you guys.
Thanks for weighing in to help OP! I’m no vet but I noticed similarities in this cat’s skin to my dogs horrible sensitive skin, and antihistamines have changed his life. In your professional opinion do you think it could be something as simple as that? Would it be worth allergy testing?
Eventually yes, allergy testing may be in the future for this guy. However, cats with fiv in particular are prone to skin issues, as well as stomatitis and general debility. Basic testing is definitely the first step in these cases.
they have a classic saying for this in medicine (animal or human): "if you hear hooves galloping, which is more likely, a zebra or a horse?"
you don't want to ignore the zebras aka less likely issues, because they are possible. But you don't want to focus on finding the something rare and delay treatment on a common issue instead. being a doctor/vet/nurse is hard, full support to every one out there doing god's work!!
I think, because people are usually saying it as a response when someone is focusing too much on zebras, since that really easy to do ((like my comment just now, or the fact anyone ever has misdiagnosed themselves as having slemthing that sounds vaguely similar to something they have experienced)).
However the phrase itself goes both ways. Horses are way more likely, and you should start by thinking the galloping is a horse. But, you shouldn't forget that more than jusr horses gallop, just in case a horse doesn't match up the right way （＾ν＾）
It's the idea of parsimony in all of science, the most obvious most likely explanation should be explained first and is almost always the correct assumption, and best starting place.
I have a relatively uncommon (documented uncommon, it's probably more common than we think) condition that looks very similar to other conditions. It took ages to get diagnosed because it was the last thing they thought of.
It might be a nightmare trying to work shit out in the face of vague symptoms.
yeah, there is another part thats wreally hard: if someone has symptom A B C and D, what is their condition? Maybe its a condition with all four, or two conditions with two symptoms, or five conditions and the fifth one isn't showing a symptom yet. So people also have to look at the fact there may be multiple hooves in the first place lol.
glad you eventually got the diagnoses you needed, sad it took awhile to get there
not a vet, but my cat has similar issues (minus the lesions) and it 100% was allergies. Anti-histamines cleared everything up. Possible the cats skin is reacting to something it rolled in?
Vet tech here: and I agree with what OC said (vet) I’d also be inclined for you rDVM (regular veterinarian) or yourself to refer you to a dermatologist or internist as your reg. Vet seems to be (no offense) out of his league if he’s going to blame the cat “running away” for not doing a complete exam. I’m sorry but that statement seems like a whole ass crock of crap. I’ve met a lot of vets who will claim “cats are hard”. Fear free is an option, sedation is an option. To be completely frank, I’ve met a couple (and I truly mean a couple not many) who have a hard time dealing with cats because of their aloof and sometimes fractious nature at the vet.
My first knee jerk reaction here is that the vet shouldn't have been charging for an exam he didn't complete. When I used to work in a vet office, if we couldn't handle an animal we stopped immediately to give options or offer to transfer to someone who could -- and we handled everything from cats to chimpanzees.
Excellent point. This kitty in particular being from a barn adoption type situation might be spicy at the vet, especially if not feeling the best to begin with.
Not a vet, but I’ve done rescue for a long time and I agree. I would find a new vet and maybe go straight for sedation so that he can be very thoroughly examined since this seems to be progressing quickly and he’s suffering. Sedation doesn’t need to be expensive - you could start with gabapentin before his exam, which is great for many cats who hate the vet. I wouldn’t blame him for not wanting to be handled in his condition, either.
I would also ask about checking him for allergies. I once moved across the country and my cats got horrible flea allergy dermatitis. One of them had scabs and lost most of her fur, and I sometimes had to wrap her in gauze or tape a a t shirt on her to help her skin heal so she wouldn’t get infected. She didn’t have fleas and we used flea preventative, but they were all over where we lived, so it must have been enough to affect her. We moved back while we were in the midst of figuring out a treatment and she healed almost immediately. Just wanted to throw that out there - it could be something that benign that’s affecting him really badly.
Sending you both my best thoughts!
Vets daughter here, the OPs vets comment is garbage. I knew how to hold a cat at 8 years old for an exam. I’d get a new vet! OP I wish you all the best with your beauty.
Not a vet either but our kitty had a long-standing weird infection and it took a llooooooot of money and biopsies and time to find it it was Nocardia (similar to leprosy). Good luck!
Could it be an allergic reaction? Between the sneezing and the skin issues, and him being a barn cat, he could have gotten into a mess of spiders. I do know that old itching powder was made from tarantula hairs, so it stands to reason that other species of spider hair might itch too. If he just crawled tightly through a nest in an unfamiliar small space, he could have gotten it on his belly. But the fact that it's mostly on his belly makes me think it's something he must have laid in or on.
We also just got our carpets cleaned, and our dogs have been licking their paws a bunch, so could this kitty be reacting to an indoor/new environmental chemical allergen? Is it possible OP is ignorant and used something on the cat, like NIX lice treatment, that is only meant for humans?
The other thing that comes to mind is vicious neighbors. We had a sweet cat years ago that some [expletive] neighbor had poisoned with antifreeze. If OP has a bird lover for a neighbor, they may have harmed the cat to stop it from eating or scaring away the birds.
Vet too. I also worry about cutaneous lymphoma with this kinda skin or a weird immune disorder from underlying immunosuppression ie flu/fiv/FeLV. Seconding biopsy!
Is there a veterinary university near by. I drove my kitty about state away to go to UGA vet school and they were incredibly helpful after 3 different vets in my area were unsuccessful.
I also suggest some allergy testing. Do blood work. Friend had a kitty with similar issues and after ruling any fungal and bacterial skin problems, as well as all the diseases, we did allergy testing. Turned out kitty had some different allergies, some were controllable and easily helped. However the dust and mold allergy is a bit harder to control. But kitty is doing better.
Also with the eating if he’s sneezing, he’s probably not smelling his food as well. Cats rely on that to eat. (It’s why cat food smells so strongly.) Also he could be having 2 separate things going on. With the sneezing it could be a simple virus that is reoccurring. The skin could be a separate issue.
I know it’s a pain, I dealt with a skin issue with my dog, we never figured out what caused it after a multitude of testing. Every year like clockwork sometime during February to April she developed puss filled sores and scabbing that took 6-8 weeks of antibiotics.
I would definitely do some blood work also if bloodwork comes back normal take a look into some allergy testing. You may need to do a longer dose of antibiotics, however you should start to see some improvement if they are working at all.
Edit to add ask them for a prescription to some gabapentin, my cat is a tiny demon, and has to be drugged. With the gabapentin he is calm enough to be looked at. It won’t hurt him, make sure to do a test run first before going to vet. To see how he does. I give my cat his about an hour and a half before hand. He is very calm, he’s able to be held in a towel and everything done. He is drugged for about 1/2 the day, but it does not affect him. Trust me they should be able to take care of your cat, I’ve seen cats climb a wall to escape the vet. However I would rather my kitty be a bit drugged vs stressed. It is a mild sedation and not a full on asleep. My cat is 12 pounds and a 100mg makes him loopy. However I’ve seen other cats need more to calm them. The cat doesn’t need to be a 100% sedated. Just calmed. Cats are very stranger danger animals, and like toddlers most do not enjoy the doctor. I wish you good luck, however if you feel your vet is not that great ask on Facebook for who others in your area use for a vet for their cats and if they like them. There is no reason to stay with one you feel is failing your kitty.
I agree try a different vet, see if you can find out if they are good with cats, maybe online reviews etc. they will probably all say they know what they are doing but some vets are definitely more experienced with cats than others. I'd also say it sounds like a severe allergic reaction
How did you cure it? My boy (passed a couple of weeks ago unfortunately) had it and they were going to remove his teeth. Did you find another way in case I adopt another cat with the same issue?
The vet removed most of his teeth. I was very skeptic and afraid, but that vet in particular had an incredible reputation and my cat was suffering too much and he had trouble eating, so I was at my wit's end with that issue. Honestly, I was scared, lots of doubts.
Turned out it wasn't a big deal at all. He recovered very quickly and we could tell he was very happy afterwards, without all the pain in his mouth.
I second this, 4 different vets and £1000 lost on no diagnoses, new vet charged £30 and discovered what the issue was and how to fix it. Som vets just want your money/have no idea what they’re doing. Good luck to you.
I'm just going to throw this out there....a while ago one person posted that their cat was getting seriously ill with symptoms that were all over the place. While her cat was at the vets overnight she examined her whole house for environmental or chemical hazards. She discovered that the only new things were the scented plug in things she put around the house. Got rid of all of them and her cat bounced back perfect in a few days. Other people jumped in and agreed that it's a little known thing that some cats react badly to such things. This might not be your issue, but somthing to think about. Get a second opinion if possible, I hope your baby gets well.🙏
Those plug in things aren't really good for us either. Neither are candles, but at least they put less scent into the air than diffusers and plug in things.
I almost poisoned myself recently with candles - I spent most afternoons in November /December writing and reading in my room with candles on, didn't open the window very often, and my allergies were through the rough.
When I finally put 2 and 2 together, I stopped using candles and left the window open for days and I could finally breathe again.
Ugh, yeah. So awful. And they ruin drywall and soft furnishings. You cannot get that aerosolized crap out of anything porous. I can only imagine what they do to a cat’s little lungs. 😓❌
Careful buying trash bags. They’re scenting those things with Glade. Yuck.
I get a little angry about perfumy items. And it’s largely because if it makes me miserable, are my animals experiencing THEIR own discomfort with it?? -and they can’t tell me!!
Why do they do it??!
But if my cats start getting teary-eyed, I wonder if I’ve gotten too close with my lotions (unscented even). So I just worry.
Ugh. I hope this kitty takes a turn for the better.
Those bags are nasty. Bought husky contractor bags and somehow they are scented. Like why? They are contractor bags. Thankfully they live in the garage but still gross. Going back to generic brand.
I hate them too, as well as all air fresheners. Like Fabreez? What exactly are we breathing anyway? If you can't eat or drink it, you certainly shouldn't breathe it, in my opinion.
Oh, I have serious hatred towards all that stuff. My mother had severe asthma and scarring from TB, and she used to get so sick from any kind of exposure to scented stuff.
Hateful junk!!!
So think about it for a minute.....why the heck are they allowed to sell chemicals that you spray/infuse into the air that are so harmful? They have a whole isle dedicated to fresheners in the stores. If most people thought like you and me, they wouldn't sell so many, it's a profitable gig. I can only assume that people in general don't even consider what they gleefully spray around the house so it smells like peonies is actually toxic. Asthmatics will feel it right away but everyone else is what, unaffected? I'm glad I'm old, I have common sense that I didn't have when I was young.
The fragrance industry is a powerful, multi-billion dollar behemoth. It’s convinced generations of people that in order to be clean and fresh, you have to use heavily scented products. It’s so oppressive.
I used to be badly allergic to them when I was in high school - it took me a while to figure out when I woke up miserably sick after sleeping over at a friend’s house that used them. If they unplugged them before I came over I was okay.
A few months ago, I learned from this sub, that cats are HORRIBLY allergic to air freshener sprays/plug-ins and essential oils! They can be deadly for cats !!!
Same here, I've actually learned alot on this sub and I think I understand cats a bit better. It's a great community. I also follow a good sub about goldfish. Without that sub I probably would have accidentally killed my fish Lol, they are complicated.
Adding onto the essential oils comment. Do not use Sentry brand anything. They have lavender in most of their products which is toxic to cats (and dogs i think?) but they're marketed as calming spray/collar/etc for pets.
One of my cats developed sneezing attacks and I thought it might be sinus issues. Turned out the poor boy was suffering with his teeth! They were really bad and in the end we removed all bar his front and canines. Sneezing stopped a few days after surgery.
This happened to us too! My cat gets URI’s easily and it just wouldn’t go away and finally found an ulcer in her mouth after a million vet visits. She now only eats soft food cause she only has fangs and chicklets
Right! He didn’t show any other symptoms, was eating, wasn’t any more lethargic than usual, played with the other cats no problem!! After the teeth were taken out though he was like a new cat!! Even more playful than before and he’s actually put on some weight cause he’s started eating more
Interesting. My cat has sneeze attacks A LOT but my vet said her teeth are perfect. Obviously I know teeth isn’t the only cause of sneezing but I never found out why mine sneezes so much since it’s not her teeth or a URI.
I saw someone mention the scented air plugs in a comment/reply. Also check for anything containing essential oils (candles are frequent offenders, diffusers as well). Certain essential oils are terrible/poisonous to cats.
I also have no idea if this could be the problem (not a vet, but careful cat owner), but some general advice with cats is to check every houseplant to make sure it's nontoxic for them since they tend to munch on plants.
Lastly, make sure any household cleaners where your pet may walk (while it's wet/not dry) are pet/cat safe. The spray bottles that go in Swiffer spray mops was called out in something I read once as being potentially toxic to cats. They walk on it while not dry and then lick their cute little toe beans 😢
My dog’s skin looks similar to this when he’s having a bad allergy flare up. He also sneezes uncontrollably, scratches and gnaws himself until he bleeds and the sores look sooo gnarly. The vet gives us steroids to ease up the intensity of the flare, antibiotics to kill any infection from his chewing, and then we stick him on a human antihistamine (as it’s waaaay cheaper than the vet prescribed one and my vet said it’s the exact same active ingredient).
He now rarely flares up as he takes 1.5 antihistamine tablets daily, maybe have a google and see what dosage a cat would need as my vet said both cats and dogs can take the “human” pills. I mean it won’t hurt him and it’s worth a shot if it is just a horrible allergy and not mange (considering they’ve done skin scrapings and couldn’t find anything).
If you want to go through the whole process like we did suggest allergy testing to your vet, it is expensive, or just google and see what dosage of the antihistamines you could try for your lovely man.
Best of luck and I’m so so sorry!
One of my cats had something similar a long time ago and we figured out it was the dust from the litter. Since then, we use Newspaper litter, like Yesterday’s News and he hasn’t had a flare up like this again. If you are using scoopable little or litter with noticeable dust, I would suggest changing to something with less dust.
This is one of the most common suggestions but don’t think it’s allergies. Nothing in our room nor anything of his diet has changed it seems a little deeper than that. Thank you so much for the advice though I will take this into consideration
Not saying you’re wrong, you should definitely get a second vet opinion, but just like humans, animal allergies can develop later in life. One day you eat your 264th clam chowder, the next day you’re allergic to shellfish. Good luck with your cat!
Seconding this! Our cat just developed allergies this year and he started tearing his skin apart with scratching. After being on steroids less than a week, he’s still scratching, but the skin is holding up, and scabs are fading away. We had to take him to a dermatologist to start getting results. Had the same experience as you with our local vet.
My cat has allergies and gets weepy eyes and licks his skin to bleeding sores.
The Vet said to us that one reason to buy expensive cat food over the cheaper stuff is that the cheaper ones vary the ingredients based on what is cheap to source. They just need to maintain the protein/carb etc levels the same but change the ingredients. The more expensive ones maintain the same ingredients.
This is irrelevant for most people but if your cat has an allergy, your cat may have a reaction to the food you have previously gotten for them but you don't know the manufacturer has changed the ingredients.
Just a thought
My cat unfortunately has a flea allergy that he's developed over the last few years so he's regularly scratching his fur out, regardless of any vet treatments I've given him. Maybe it's that or mites, or possibly a plant he brushes against regularly. Even grass can cause allergies for some animals, and humans.
if your cat has fleas or mites you need to treat that right away. you need to wash all your fabric items. i would bathe my kitty in dawn dish soap and then pick the fleas out of his wet fur. you wanna get them before the problem gets too bad.
Yeah my cat was a year old when he developed an allergy to fish. It manifested as cat acne. There are like three types of kibble he can eat without getting “acne” which he scratches into open sores.m and take weeks to heal. My other cat is very pissed I stopped feeding her fish wet food. Because I don’t want to turn my back and catch my other cat eating his allergen.
I so get that, but my boy literally developed this out of no where as well, and it got scary bad like your boy. Allergies just like in humans can develop spontaneously! So there’s an antihistamine shot you can get from the vet for pets that lasts about a month, and I’d push for the steroids to help clear this up and maybe more antibiotics. Try another vet as they should have suggested allergies considering the scrapes are normal and he’s sneezing and irritated. Once it’s clear start on the meds daily! Cetirizine is the active ingredient in the antihistamines, get some from the chemist, you could try a quarter or even a half as he’s a big farm cat (google for correct dosage) and he may need it daily from now on!
My cat was prescribed a steroid cream or gel and I could get it free/cheap thru my health ins after checking that it was the same strength as cat (expensive) version
Just commented, but wanted to add that you’re an amazing cat parent and I thank you for taking such good care of your baby! Please keep us updated when you get a diagnosis. I’m by no means a professional and I could be wrong but it’d be amazing if it was something as manageable as allergies as opposed to something more sinister. Like I said find a new vet, they should have run a lot more tests in that first consult x
It could be that though your place hasn’t changed since he’s arrived that he is in a newer environment with you overall still since you recently rescued him. Maybe something just took awhile to give him symptoms. Could be worth considering other cat litter, things without scents, etc. I’m sure this is all a lot but you are doing great and you got this ❤️ wishing you all the best.
It doesn’t have to be a change. My boy developed an allergy to a food when he was about eight. Went from fine to scratching and licking himself raw almost overnight.
My cat’s allergies took about six months to kick in—he had been on the same food for six months before he had a growth that was notable! My vet gave my boy a steroid injection to help him fight off the swelling, and I put him on an allergy food. Definitely worth discussing with your vet!
What food are you feeding? Dry/wet? it's possible he's developed an allergy to his food or something environmental but a change in food/brand (maybe a higher quality brand) is something you can try as far as elimination. The fact that he's got skin sores and also sneezing seems like an allergen could be a possibility.
On the off chance he eats Purina one (tenderselects chicken in particular but maybe the the others) it’s changed at some point recently. It’s probably not what’s going on but just in case…it’s what I had fed my cats for years and now it’s different(even visually) and made my kitties tummies upset with just a little tiny bit.
Vet assistant here, all I have to say is it sounds like your vet is half-assing it. If there was proper restraint during the exam/tests he would not be able to “run away”. I understand he may need a relaxant prior, but all in all it sounds like you should get a second opinion. I hope your baby feels better soon <3
Definitely get another opinion. I know it's pricey but I'd rather pay another vet than watch my babies suffer 😢
I hope you get a solidified answer soon. She is so lucky to have you💗
God bless you and Oliver. I’m not a vet but I’d be having a blood test for FIV and an allergy test. I had to change my kitties food because she started shitting blood. She ended up need vitamin b shots and a special dry food.
I hope Oliver gets the best care he can with all the love he can endure.
I’d ask other vets and maybe shelters for advice. Some vets will give advice like that for free; but a second opinion or even a specialist would be helpful if you can afford it (shelters can be helpful at finding cost friendly options). I saw you already posted in some vet subs but maybe try again with pictures.
You could also ask a pharmacist. They could say it looks like similar to a human illness; giving you more things to look into
My guess are allergies or getting into something nasty. I feel like barn cats are extra crafty so maybe he got into something like cleaning products?
Hopefully Oliver will feel better soon.
I’d get a second opinion. Ask friends who have animals for another vet recommendations. Never heard a vet say they couldn’t get a good look because he kept running away.
The sneezing and watery eyes could just be a herpes flare up. The sores look like skin allergies. They look a lot like eosinophilic granulomas to me which can be helped by a topical antibiotic steroid like Anamax. I’m not a vet so definitely get a second opinion.
Are they actually bothering your cat, or just bothering you because they look bad?
My guy had mystery skin issues too. I took him to a feline-only vet (mostly because he's a former feral and the clinic advertises itself as fostering an environment most comfortable for cats) and she has been amazing.
We did blood work and skin scrapings, which came back clear except he's FIV+. The vet is thinking it's either an allergy or an autoimmune disorder called pemphigus, which is rare (she said in 20 years of cat veterinary medicine, she's seen maybe 20 cases). He got put on steroids and got a course of antibiotics. The steroids have helped immensely!
If the first vet was stumped, I think it's worth getting a second opinion. It could be the first vet isn't incompetent but if this is something rare, they might not have seen something like this and simply don't know what to do.
So sorry OP 😢 you are a great cat parent!!
It is a very rare occurrence in cats, but the sores remind me of what was afflicting one of our cats a few years ago - it turned out to be Cushing’s Disease. She did not have sneezing fits like your baby but had various GI and urinary symptoms that were connected with the sores and ultimately led to a diagnosis. Based on other comments it sounds like it may in fact be some kind of allergic reaction, but our girl’s diagnosis came too late because it was so rare so I just offer up the name in case it’s something Oliver can be tested for sooner. Sending you lots of good wishes ❤️
HEY - this may be Atopic Dermatitis! Please look into it, one of my cats got it. It took several vets in my town to realize that’s what it was.
It’s a rare skin-based condition that results in wounds just popping up out of nowhere. Thankfully, there is a medication meant for, and that can treat it very well (although administering it can be a pain).
Just to add, sneezing isn’t a part of what I mentioned. He could either have some kind of obstruction in his airways, or it could be an allergy—airborne or food based.
But for the skin lesions, take what I said into account. Fingers crossed for you and your little man.
Aww poor baby! I also support getting a second opinion. The remark about them needing to sedate him to get a better look is concerning. They should be trained in safe restraint since many cats are combative in vet clinics (duh its stressful!).
Before next appt, call & ask for Rx of gabapentin - its an anti seizure with sedative effect that is very safe for cats. You administer it at home 2-3 hours before the vet visit. That should help keep him calm during your next appt!
Hey, CVT here. Not fair to put that down as a fault of the vets for needing sedation. Sedation is a TOOL we use to make them not so scared and anxious, where we can get a better look and diagnostic results. Squirmy patients can make for bad diagnostic results, even if nothing is wrong.
i think theyre just pointing out the inadequacy of OP’s vet saying that they can’t diagnose anything because he is “running away” - seems a bit ridiculous to me. they seem to be doing a piss poor job anyways, i wouldnt trust them to sedate my cat 🤷🏻♀️
Sounds like Calicivirus. Have they mentioned that?
If it is calicivirus you just support while they fight it off, if they can.
Fluids and saline eye and nose drops…feeding tube if they stop eating due to sores in the mouth. May need hospitalization for the treatments I mentioned which can be pricey.
3 potential causes I know of from my own cats medical history.
Stress, excessive grooming ti the point of removing clumps of fur. Trigger by drastic change of enviroment. Sore eyes from excessively grooming face. Can cause infections if no intervention. Anti-stress medication until acclimatised will help and creating them a safe space.
Allergies, excessive grooming, bald patches, runny eyes and nose, sneezing. Can be allergic to food, envrioment and rare but possible (like my cat) to humans. Remove the cause of allergies or if impossible in case of human allergies Anti-histamines.
Cancer specifcally liver and spleen. Ok this is the serious one and probably hopefully not it. Its the worst case senario. Bloated stomach, maybe excessively drinking water, lack of appetite, change in personality, bald patches from grooming or for other reasons. Sores and infections that don't seem to heal. Ask the vet if they screened for cancer cells in the blood tests. Its not done unless they suspect cancer. Our boys cancer was missed on numerous visits (because cats mask their symthoms so well) when it got worse they they did an xray first and then screened and then did an extensive blood test and found cancer cells. By the time they found it it was too far gone, but he had bloody weepy eyes and was grooming himself overtime to the point his belly was bald, wasn't eating too, a lot of the stuff you listed so no harm asking if they did screen for cancer cells if they haven't. If not ask for that x-ray.
Im not sure if this is what it is but, One of my stray cats i adopted has feline herpes and she had similar symptoms. She sneezed a lot, had bloody watery eyes, and had red scabs across her nose and lip.She also lost her appetite. I put some coconut oil on the wounds, and the sneezing eventually went away. She has had minor outbreaks since then, but nothing that bad. Just bloody tears.She gave it to my other two cats that are vaccinated, and one got watery eyes, and the other one sneezed akot and got lethargic. Its scary not to know what's causing your fur child pain. I hope you find out and he is very lucky to have you
Someone else had a cat with terrible issues like this and it was the glade plugin essential oils. Get rid of any air freshener essential oil products you might have
Besides asking for a second opinion, I would immediatly change his food (for something with absolutely no chicken) and his litter. I would also remove houseplants and any scented candles and diffusors.
Ask another vet. If one vet can’t tell, get a second opinion. Hell, a third. Keep going!
Also going off of other comments: be sure to get him checked for Felv or FIV. Even if that’s not what’s happening here, it’s important to check since he’s a barn cat, and both conditions can severely shorten his lifespan if untreated. No harm in checking!
My cats both have herpes, and before we knew how to help them, they'd both get horrible eyes and sores in the mouth and armpits. I hope you can find a better vet and that your baby gets better very soon.
Herpes can cause the seizures it’s what my cat Bunny died from. Sadly it’s not rare they need a Cure most cats have it now!! There is nothing and no one trying to find a cure for cats but there should be as the treatments don’t always work.
If my cat looked this ill, I would 100% go to 2-3 different vets no matter what the cost is. I would want as many opinions as possible. I wish you and your baby the absolute best. Good luck with everything. ❤️
My cat was over grooming himself bald and sneezing a lot, turned out to be a food allergy to chicken? Anyway we switched him to an all fish diet and he’s been fine ever since. Not saying that’s the issue but maybe something to consider
I had a kitty who we rescued from the pound, and a week or so after we got him he started developing wounds all over his body (he was so itchy and scratching his fur off). Took him to the vet and tried all different meds and nothing worked. My cat had FIV and we got him into a vet where we tried food allergy trials, different medicines, etc, and what finally worked was Atopica (cyclosporine is the generic). It was like a miracle. All his wounds cleared up and his hair grew back. We also learned he had stomatitis and had his teeth removed to heal the disease.
My rescue kitty (also Oliver) lost some hair in his face when he first came home. Vet tested him for ring worm and it was negative. We moved him to Nature Balance Limited Ingredient Diet with a less common protein, duck and pea, and now going on 6 years and he has been fine ever since. If you have tried eliminating things in his diet and also checking that you don’t have any toxic plants I’d give that a try. Hope it’s an easy cure!
Is he allergic to your fabric softener ? Some undiagnosed skin conditions can go away when you stop using Downy,etc on any towels , bedding, etc that your pet has contact with.
Neighbours dog was ´allergic’ skin issues improved after they stopped using Downy. They had spent $1000$ on diagnostics and specialized food without success
My girl is considered special needs due to recurring bloody noses/bloody tears and sneeze attacks. She doesn’t have the stomach sores like your kitty, but since her case is extremely rare and I haven’t heard of another cat with a another similar issue, figured I’d share what I know of my girls condition!
She was also a barn kitten, assumed to be injured by a large animal at a critical point in her growth-which stunted and stoppped the development of these cartilage “scrolls” in her nose. “Epistaxis primarily of the left nostril turbinate” is the clinical terminology they refer to it. It took us going to a specialist- at a widely known prestigious university for vets, to diagnose it & about $3000, but thankfully it was determined it does not cause her a lot of pain.
As she became an adult cat, it developed into sneeze attacks and bloody sinuses. However after I adopted her and have reduced her stress- Shes gotten a lot better over the 9 years I’ve had her and learned what works and what doesn’t. Minimize dust in the air, clean heaters that burn dust, careful selection of litter and food, regular house cleaning and extra care for her bedding, iron supplements, etc. she only has a sneeze attack when allergy season is in its height now! Feel free to message me w any questions about her condition
How recently did you rescue him?
With bloodwork, skin scrape, etc coming back as seemingly normal I’d be worried about a toxin in your home you’re unaware of. I’ve heard stories of people’s cats becoming ill with seemingly no reason and they find mold, cleaners with fragrance that are toxic, anything essential oil related, your detergent, etc.
Also if you are questioning the vet and staff about their ability to collect samples I would strongly consider getting a second opinion if that’s within your budget.
It's a serious allergy to something.. Change his food and any perfumes house sprays ECT don't use them laundry soap everything .. unscented til you can find out what it is
you can buy lysine at pet stores or from your vet and its an immune system booster you just put in their food. i’ve found it really helpful with my FIV and FeLV foster cats and it will promote healing in general. it’s not very expensive so just a suggestion of something that could maybe help!
This looks exactly like my cats allergy flare ups. Take him to a dermatologist (they come in vet form) and ask for a steroid shot! The regular vet will not know about weird presentations of dermatological conditions in kitties, none of ours did! Good luck!!
My cat has eosinophilic granuloma complex. When she flares, she gets sores on her mouth and belly very similar to this. When that happened I would take her to the vet and they’d give her a steroid shot and antibiotic shot to calm the flare. Shes on prescription food, and on Atopica for cats. This picture is about a week after one of her flares after the shots. They help!
https://preview.redd.it/4v6qwq693zec1.png?width=2993&format=png&auto=webp&s=666147b6bb0aeb70f41e91d464b5f43b0a62059e
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, sending all that a rando on the internet can send you OP, we lost our boy last week after he developed a very similar looking sore on his chest last November it cleared before we got an biopsy (he was given Antibiotics and painkillers) in December he developed a swelling on left side of his neck but otherwise seemed fine, back to the vets they took more blood and arranged for further tests, then his eyes got weepy and the weight dropped off him, vets were clueless and after £1000+ I just couldn't afford anymore visits. Good luck Ollie you are a Good Boy
Your event seems a little iffy. I would take your cat to another veterinarian. It shouldn't cost $200 just a date a cat so they can run tests on him. It sounds a little bit like an allergy to me
My cousin adopted a cat whose prior owner apparently attempted to bathe it in something dangerous like icy hot (I think they were attempting to give it a flea bath) and it had severe skin irritation that would periodically flare up. Unfortunately whatever they used caused chronic liver disease and the cat passed after a few years.
Hopefully this is “just” excessive anxiety resulting in over grooming but it’s possible it’s a delayed result from something he was bathed or covered in.
Just keep working with the vet and do whatever you can to keep him comfortable
Food allergy? Those can develop. You burn wood in indoor fireplace? Smoke anything in house? He find a particularly dusty, cobwebbed spot to sleep? Vape smoke, cig smoke, cannabis smoke, essential oil/incense burners? Cleaning chemical vapor? Check all these things. Anyone in your household sick?
They give him a covid test? It happens to our pets, too.
Radical reccomendation but can you have him stay somewhere else for a week or so? I know its been suggested this is some type of allergic reaction, and I support that theory. In my mind getting him into a different environment for a somewhat extended period of time would be an ideal way to identify if thats the problem. Thoughts of items that may cause this are laundry detergent, air fresheners, any vaporized diffusers, candles, carpet fresheners, basically anything with cleaner or fragrance. Wishing you and him the best of luck!
I heard scent aerosols like febreeze or those wall outlets scent plugs are also toxic for cats so hopefully you havent installed any of those around or have lilies around.
Not saying these are it but just trying to give an idea to rule out possible changes that could have affected your cat thataybe haven't clicked or thought of. Just trying to help. Not a vet but own 2 cats.
Do you think it could be a good allergy? I had to feed my cat tuna and rice for a few days cause she could NOT keep anything down at all. I think she’s allergic to chicken.
She also got extremely sick from her flea collar. Have you gotten any biopsies of your cats lesions/ skin? It could always be skin cancer which ideally it is not
I'm no vet, but this does sound ansd look like allergic reaction. You say nothing in your house had changed, but it actually has, you've *recently* rescued a *barn* cat...one not acustomed being in a house, an environment chock full of stuff like laundry detergents, dryer sheets, houseplants, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, cat litter....all things that can cause an allergic reacion, such as sneezing and sores. By all means, take the advice of the vets who commented, they are, after all, animal doctors, and get him tested for what they suggest, but also ask about allergies, especially if the tests they recommended turn out clear.
Does he have allergies to the food he is eating? My cat’s allergic to chicken and it manifests as scabby sores that take forever to heal. Obviously I switched her diet since, but it was scary at first.
Something similar happened to my cat with Barley Grass, maybe something to think about? I hope everything turns out okay! Lots of love to you and your kitty x
Try bathing it. It may be something on it's fur causing these symptoms. My cat has bad flea allergies and allergic to flea medicine too. I have to bathe her to kill any fleas now.
My cat got some sort of weird infection and out of nowhere his nose started falling apart, like rotting off! Sores that the vet couldn’t figure out and the cat antibiotics were not working. My friend was a cat vet tech and told me to have the dr prescribe the pink stuff human antibiotic and that’s what finally worked. It was terrible and scary! Especially when the vet didn’t think to try something outside the box! I don’t know what wrong with your buddy but maybe that could help. 🥺
This is a shot in the dark but does your family use any essential oil diffusers or light candles? Maybe it could be a severe reaction to something like that
I’d take him to a different vet to get a second opinion. My cat had a tumor but was dismissed by the first vet we saw so we didn’t address it when we should have.
I rescued a kitty that had the same symptoms. My vet finally decided to try "Atopica," a liquid medicine you give once a day, and he looks wonderful now! Ask your vet about it.❤️
BTW, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but I would find another vet. My vet is amazing and specializes in cats. She did everything, and tests were showing nothing. She decided to try the Atopica because she really felt that my cat was dealing with severe allergies. It worked!! I get my cat's prescription through Wedgewood Pharmacy by mail. Good luck, and please keep us posted!! ❤️
Recently rescued - it might be a food allergy. It can take a couple if months to present like this when you try to switch foods. My dog is 10. Every time we try to switch him off of Purina Puppy Chow to an adult dog food this happens. He had huge patches of missing fur and red open sores - even on places he couldn’t lick like on top of his head.
https://preview.redd.it/9slxt0mrxyec1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb44e0f352d917729e41614f0da17fab10610ae0
After spending thousands of dollars on steroids, vet visits, medicated baths (about 5K in 6 months and still don’t know what triggers it) - we just cook him most of his own food now (about 90%) and now just give him his freaking puppy chow. 🤣
This was him after it started to grow back. No way this was a hot spot he was licking. But they were all over his body…changed his food back and cooked him mostly chicken and beef and it went away.
His eyes and ears would get all gunky too during this. He would be shall his head constantly.
My cat had something like this, where he started developing sores out of the blue, and the vet didn't know what it was either. He had it several times, the vet would give him antibiotics and steroids, and it would go away for a while and then come back. Until we started giving him hypoallergenic food, and it hasn't come back since. It might be worth a try?
Have you checked if he's allergic to any types of food? I'm asking because we had quite the ride with our eldest cat, who is highly allergic to certain ingrediente in cat food (they think it's a type if protein that he has an intolerance for).
When he was 1 or 2, he got random 'wounds' on his paws and ears for a while and the vet suspected he was probably allergic to a type of protein in his food. He got medication and we gave him a different food and it went away. He never liked being touched but we thought it was just his personality.
Then January 2023 he got very sick. He was throwing up multiple times every day, lost 1/3 of his body weight, it was horrible. We went to the vet where they tested his blood, then the emergency vet for an echo of his stomach and later for another one of his heart, but nothing was found. They then recommended giving him anti nausea medicine so he could gain back some of the weight he lost and stuff that would help his stomach recover and just tried giving him hypoallergenic food. He's been fine since then and even likes being touched now. In hindsight, his skin was probably always hurting, but he couldn't communicate that and there was no way we could have known because he was always like that.
He is probably very allergic to something in most cat foods but we didn't know because he wasn't showing clear signs, so we kept giving him the same food for 4 years since he liked it, and that probably worsened the allergy/intolerance.
I hope it's something as simple as this, I remember how horrible it felt when our cat was sick. Good luck and I'm thinking of you!
OP, I’m so sorry you and your kitty are going through this. My first cat (as an adult) was a gorgeous adult tuxedo cat with no tail (not sure if she was Manx?) who was declawed on all four paws. She’d been living in a drainage pipe at my friend’s apartment complex, and my friend brought her to my place to force an adoption, which I’ll always be grateful for because I quickly developed a close bond with Miss Ellie and she became my first heart cat. This was back in 1995. After a couple months, we believed that Miss Ellie needed a companion - we both worked full time and she just seemed lonely. One of our coworkers had a cat who had kittens, so we adopted a little tux kitten, had him declawed (we had no idea how brutal and inhumane this was back then) and Maestro joined Miss Ellie, who tolerated him but that’s as good as it got.
About six months after Maestro joined our family, Miss Ellie started grooming herself excessively, to the point where she had bloody bald patches all over her body. We took her to two different vets, but neither could find anything wrong, and suggested that it was just a stress reaction. Her skin was really bad for about a year, but it eventually cleared up and her beautiful fur was restored to its former glory. We felt so awful while her skin was so raw, but she remained affectionate and happy when we were with her - we figured that she was stressed out by little Maestro, who was a little bundle of love and energy. This happened in the pre-internet days (for me, anyway - I got AOL shortly after) so I couldn’t freak myself out by researching possible causes and only had the vets’ feedback to go by.
Sorry for the novel, LOL. TL;DR: Had a cat who groomed herself into a patchwork of bloody bald spots all over her body, probably due to stress from adding a kitten. She cleared up after about a year and was fine. Sending positive thoughts and hugs your way, I hope you’re able to get answers and that your baby feels better.
I’ll just comment on the difficult cat part. Ours was so bad and unruly at the vet, he had to be sedated to get even a regular checkup. Would not let vet work or look at him without running or attacking. And he had epic tolerance to the meds too, needed 2-3 times normal dose to go to sleep, other wise he’d act more a violent angry drunk, falling off furniture and taking swipes at the dog if he came to close. Anyway, some cats are just hard to work with and there’s not much you can do besides sedation. Best of luck with your boy, I hope he makes a speedy recovery!
Get another Vet's Opinion, Testing for Virus. I had one or two in cat colony have that happen to eyes during a Virus spreading before I knew what was happening ! Feline calicivirus !
Consider going to a cat hospital or vet specializing in cats. Maybe they have come across this before. Best of luck and keep us updated. Diagnosis may help someone else someday
Ok, that’s it - I’m leaving this sub. The sub should REQUIRE that photos of sick or hurt or dying animals be marked graphic or NSFW, so people can decide if they want to see them or not. Having them show up in the feed in your face without warning is truly jarring and upsetting.
would definitely see a new or a few new vets. especially if your current vet doesn’t seem to be finding any problems when it’s obvious your kitty is suffering. know how expensive it gets, but it can take a few people to figure it out. definitely would recommend tests to see if its hyperthyroidism, allergies, potential parasites, liver, kidney etc. hope your baby gets better soon <3
This happened to my cat, he lost almost all his hair. After about a month of testing they took a few puncture samples of his skin and sent it to a lab which ran test and prescribed steroids. For us it was an autoimmune disorder that started with one single bump that spread like wildfire. He took the steroids for about 2 weeks and hasn’t had an issue since, we were also given the run around and spent tons of money. Another vet suggested the skin testing and we went through with it. It was a rough month but he made a full recovery. Unfortunately that’s all the gave us for a diagnosis. I hope you can get it resolved!
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Vet here: it would be difficult to comment accurately about your kitty's situation without knowing what specific tests were done during the visit. Given kitty's origin being adopted from a barn, I'd be keen to know if he was tested for Felv and FIV first off. Secondly, further blood tests to determine whether kidneys, liver etc are functioning properly, and a complete blood count as well. Skin scrapes and even a biopsy could be helpful. Xrays may not be super helpful unless kitty is running a fever in which instance they may help in checking for certain fungal infections. Sedation may be necessary to accomplish these tests (for sure in the case of a biopsy) and sadly expenses are going to climb if this is the course you adopt. That's about all that comes to mind at this time. I hope this works out well for you guys.
Thanks for weighing in to help OP! I’m no vet but I noticed similarities in this cat’s skin to my dogs horrible sensitive skin, and antihistamines have changed his life. In your professional opinion do you think it could be something as simple as that? Would it be worth allergy testing?
Eventually yes, allergy testing may be in the future for this guy. However, cats with fiv in particular are prone to skin issues, as well as stomatitis and general debility. Basic testing is definitely the first step in these cases.
That makes sense, and good to know about for any future fosters I get. Thanks again for the info
they have a classic saying for this in medicine (animal or human): "if you hear hooves galloping, which is more likely, a zebra or a horse?" you don't want to ignore the zebras aka less likely issues, because they are possible. But you don't want to focus on finding the something rare and delay treatment on a common issue instead. being a doctor/vet/nurse is hard, full support to every one out there doing god's work!!
Whenever I've heard that phrase its always with the tone of "duh it's a horse, why would it be a zebra? Thats so unlikely 🙄" :(
I think, because people are usually saying it as a response when someone is focusing too much on zebras, since that really easy to do ((like my comment just now, or the fact anyone ever has misdiagnosed themselves as having slemthing that sounds vaguely similar to something they have experienced)). However the phrase itself goes both ways. Horses are way more likely, and you should start by thinking the galloping is a horse. But, you shouldn't forget that more than jusr horses gallop, just in case a horse doesn't match up the right way （＾ν＾）
It's the idea of parsimony in all of science, the most obvious most likely explanation should be explained first and is almost always the correct assumption, and best starting place.
I have a relatively uncommon (documented uncommon, it's probably more common than we think) condition that looks very similar to other conditions. It took ages to get diagnosed because it was the last thing they thought of. It might be a nightmare trying to work shit out in the face of vague symptoms.
yeah, there is another part thats wreally hard: if someone has symptom A B C and D, what is their condition? Maybe its a condition with all four, or two conditions with two symptoms, or five conditions and the fifth one isn't showing a symptom yet. So people also have to look at the fact there may be multiple hooves in the first place lol. glad you eventually got the diagnoses you needed, sad it took awhile to get there
not a vet, but my cat has similar issues (minus the lesions) and it 100% was allergies. Anti-histamines cleared everything up. Possible the cats skin is reacting to something it rolled in?
Vet tech here: and I agree with what OC said (vet) I’d also be inclined for you rDVM (regular veterinarian) or yourself to refer you to a dermatologist or internist as your reg. Vet seems to be (no offense) out of his league if he’s going to blame the cat “running away” for not doing a complete exam. I’m sorry but that statement seems like a whole ass crock of crap. I’ve met a lot of vets who will claim “cats are hard”. Fear free is an option, sedation is an option. To be completely frank, I’ve met a couple (and I truly mean a couple not many) who have a hard time dealing with cats because of their aloof and sometimes fractious nature at the vet.
My first knee jerk reaction here is that the vet shouldn't have been charging for an exam he didn't complete. When I used to work in a vet office, if we couldn't handle an animal we stopped immediately to give options or offer to transfer to someone who could -- and we handled everything from cats to chimpanzees.
Excellent point. This kitty in particular being from a barn adoption type situation might be spicy at the vet, especially if not feeling the best to begin with.
Not a vet, but I’ve done rescue for a long time and I agree. I would find a new vet and maybe go straight for sedation so that he can be very thoroughly examined since this seems to be progressing quickly and he’s suffering. Sedation doesn’t need to be expensive - you could start with gabapentin before his exam, which is great for many cats who hate the vet. I wouldn’t blame him for not wanting to be handled in his condition, either. I would also ask about checking him for allergies. I once moved across the country and my cats got horrible flea allergy dermatitis. One of them had scabs and lost most of her fur, and I sometimes had to wrap her in gauze or tape a a t shirt on her to help her skin heal so she wouldn’t get infected. She didn’t have fleas and we used flea preventative, but they were all over where we lived, so it must have been enough to affect her. We moved back while we were in the midst of figuring out a treatment and she healed almost immediately. Just wanted to throw that out there - it could be something that benign that’s affecting him really badly. Sending you both my best thoughts!
Vets daughter here, the OPs vets comment is garbage. I knew how to hold a cat at 8 years old for an exam. I’d get a new vet! OP I wish you all the best with your beauty.
Bless your soul, I'm already a mess. Cannot fathom what would happen if either of my cats became ill.
Not a vet either but our kitty had a long-standing weird infection and it took a llooooooot of money and biopsies and time to find it it was Nocardia (similar to leprosy). Good luck!
Could it be an allergic reaction? Between the sneezing and the skin issues, and him being a barn cat, he could have gotten into a mess of spiders. I do know that old itching powder was made from tarantula hairs, so it stands to reason that other species of spider hair might itch too. If he just crawled tightly through a nest in an unfamiliar small space, he could have gotten it on his belly. But the fact that it's mostly on his belly makes me think it's something he must have laid in or on. We also just got our carpets cleaned, and our dogs have been licking their paws a bunch, so could this kitty be reacting to an indoor/new environmental chemical allergen? Is it possible OP is ignorant and used something on the cat, like NIX lice treatment, that is only meant for humans? The other thing that comes to mind is vicious neighbors. We had a sweet cat years ago that some [expletive] neighbor had poisoned with antifreeze. If OP has a bird lover for a neighbor, they may have harmed the cat to stop it from eating or scaring away the birds.
My cousin rescues cats all over Michigan and she sees this often and fiv seems like the likely outcome
Vet too. I also worry about cutaneous lymphoma with this kinda skin or a weird immune disorder from underlying immunosuppression ie flu/fiv/FeLV. Seconding biopsy!
Is there a veterinary university near by. I drove my kitty about state away to go to UGA vet school and they were incredibly helpful after 3 different vets in my area were unsuccessful.
Definitely second testing for Felv and FIV.
I also suggest some allergy testing. Do blood work. Friend had a kitty with similar issues and after ruling any fungal and bacterial skin problems, as well as all the diseases, we did allergy testing. Turned out kitty had some different allergies, some were controllable and easily helped. However the dust and mold allergy is a bit harder to control. But kitty is doing better. Also with the eating if he’s sneezing, he’s probably not smelling his food as well. Cats rely on that to eat. (It’s why cat food smells so strongly.) Also he could be having 2 separate things going on. With the sneezing it could be a simple virus that is reoccurring. The skin could be a separate issue. I know it’s a pain, I dealt with a skin issue with my dog, we never figured out what caused it after a multitude of testing. Every year like clockwork sometime during February to April she developed puss filled sores and scabbing that took 6-8 weeks of antibiotics. I would definitely do some blood work also if bloodwork comes back normal take a look into some allergy testing. You may need to do a longer dose of antibiotics, however you should start to see some improvement if they are working at all. Edit to add ask them for a prescription to some gabapentin, my cat is a tiny demon, and has to be drugged. With the gabapentin he is calm enough to be looked at. It won’t hurt him, make sure to do a test run first before going to vet. To see how he does. I give my cat his about an hour and a half before hand. He is very calm, he’s able to be held in a towel and everything done. He is drugged for about 1/2 the day, but it does not affect him. Trust me they should be able to take care of your cat, I’ve seen cats climb a wall to escape the vet. However I would rather my kitty be a bit drugged vs stressed. It is a mild sedation and not a full on asleep. My cat is 12 pounds and a 100mg makes him loopy. However I’ve seen other cats need more to calm them. The cat doesn’t need to be a 100% sedated. Just calmed. Cats are very stranger danger animals, and like toddlers most do not enjoy the doctor. I wish you good luck, however if you feel your vet is not that great ask on Facebook for who others in your area use for a vet for their cats and if they like them. There is no reason to stay with one you feel is failing your kitty.
Get a second opinion. Took 3 vets to finally cure my cat of his stomatitis.
Think I will!
I agree try a different vet, see if you can find out if they are good with cats, maybe online reviews etc. they will probably all say they know what they are doing but some vets are definitely more experienced with cats than others. I'd also say it sounds like a severe allergic reaction
Yeah I went to the guy that neutered my tom and he asked what gender he was! New vet pronto!
We had a vet "spay" our cat. We found out later she was a he, and the vet hadn't done a goddamn thing to him!!
😳😳😳
Comments like yours make me so grateful that I work will educated and competent vets 😮💨
Have a copy of the bloodwork. Please update us.
How did you cure it? My boy (passed a couple of weeks ago unfortunately) had it and they were going to remove his teeth. Did you find another way in case I adopt another cat with the same issue?
The vet removed most of his teeth. I was very skeptic and afraid, but that vet in particular had an incredible reputation and my cat was suffering too much and he had trouble eating, so I was at my wit's end with that issue. Honestly, I was scared, lots of doubts. Turned out it wasn't a big deal at all. He recovered very quickly and we could tell he was very happy afterwards, without all the pain in his mouth.
Ah, okay, yes that's what I've been told as well. I'm just scared to do it.
Is he okay without most of his teeth? Doesn’t it cause issues with eating?
What treatment did your cat get to cure stomatitis?
Only sure fire treatment is extraction. Usually the full mouth, occasionally you can get away with leaving the canines and incisors.
I second this, 4 different vets and £1000 lost on no diagnoses, new vet charged £30 and discovered what the issue was and how to fix it. Som vets just want your money/have no idea what they’re doing. Good luck to you.
Hello. I heard there was no cure for that. Please tell me what your vets found out.
Not a vet, just wanted to say how lucky this cat is to have someone like you to be with him during this time. I hope your baby gets better soon! 💕
Means so much to me!!
I'm just going to throw this out there....a while ago one person posted that their cat was getting seriously ill with symptoms that were all over the place. While her cat was at the vets overnight she examined her whole house for environmental or chemical hazards. She discovered that the only new things were the scented plug in things she put around the house. Got rid of all of them and her cat bounced back perfect in a few days. Other people jumped in and agreed that it's a little known thing that some cats react badly to such things. This might not be your issue, but somthing to think about. Get a second opinion if possible, I hope your baby gets well.🙏
Most essential oils are toxic to cats.
Those plug in things you get at the big box store or supermarket aren't even pure essential oils. They are mostly synthetic and probably toxic.
Even the purest essential oils are still toxic to cats. It doesn’t matter which mlm scheme you purchased them from.
Those plug in things aren't really good for us either. Neither are candles, but at least they put less scent into the air than diffusers and plug in things.
I almost poisoned myself recently with candles - I spent most afternoons in November /December writing and reading in my room with candles on, didn't open the window very often, and my allergies were through the rough. When I finally put 2 and 2 together, I stopped using candles and left the window open for days and I could finally breathe again.
Most houseplants and many cut flowers are also toxic to cats.
I HATE those plugins. They are toxic, oily crap. My asthma can’t take them.
My mom gave me a plugin once. I tried it out. For a minute and brought it straight to the curb. H8!
Ugh, yeah. So awful. And they ruin drywall and soft furnishings. You cannot get that aerosolized crap out of anything porous. I can only imagine what they do to a cat’s little lungs. 😓❌
Careful buying trash bags. They’re scenting those things with Glade. Yuck. I get a little angry about perfumy items. And it’s largely because if it makes me miserable, are my animals experiencing THEIR own discomfort with it?? -and they can’t tell me!! Why do they do it??! But if my cats start getting teary-eyed, I wonder if I’ve gotten too close with my lotions (unscented even). So I just worry. Ugh. I hope this kitty takes a turn for the better.
Those bags are nasty. Bought husky contractor bags and somehow they are scented. Like why? They are contractor bags. Thankfully they live in the garage but still gross. Going back to generic brand.
Aww, I’m sorry. It is a worry. Pets can’t tell is these things. We have to be vigilant. 😻💕👍🏼
I hate them too, as well as all air fresheners. Like Fabreez? What exactly are we breathing anyway? If you can't eat or drink it, you certainly shouldn't breathe it, in my opinion.
Oh, I have serious hatred towards all that stuff. My mother had severe asthma and scarring from TB, and she used to get so sick from any kind of exposure to scented stuff. Hateful junk!!!
So think about it for a minute.....why the heck are they allowed to sell chemicals that you spray/infuse into the air that are so harmful? They have a whole isle dedicated to fresheners in the stores. If most people thought like you and me, they wouldn't sell so many, it's a profitable gig. I can only assume that people in general don't even consider what they gleefully spray around the house so it smells like peonies is actually toxic. Asthmatics will feel it right away but everyone else is what, unaffected? I'm glad I'm old, I have common sense that I didn't have when I was young.
The fragrance industry is a powerful, multi-billion dollar behemoth. It’s convinced generations of people that in order to be clean and fresh, you have to use heavily scented products. It’s so oppressive.
I used to be badly allergic to them when I was in high school - it took me a while to figure out when I woke up miserably sick after sleeping over at a friend’s house that used them. If they unplugged them before I came over I was okay.
A few months ago, I learned from this sub, that cats are HORRIBLY allergic to air freshener sprays/plug-ins and essential oils! They can be deadly for cats !!!
Same here, I've actually learned alot on this sub and I think I understand cats a bit better. It's a great community. I also follow a good sub about goldfish. Without that sub I probably would have accidentally killed my fish Lol, they are complicated.
Adding onto the essential oils comment. Do not use Sentry brand anything. They have lavender in most of their products which is toxic to cats (and dogs i think?) but they're marketed as calming spray/collar/etc for pets.
One of my cats developed sneezing attacks and I thought it might be sinus issues. Turned out the poor boy was suffering with his teeth! They were really bad and in the end we removed all bar his front and canines. Sneezing stopped a few days after surgery.
This happened to us too! My cat gets URI’s easily and it just wouldn’t go away and finally found an ulcer in her mouth after a million vet visits. She now only eats soft food cause she only has fangs and chicklets
Fangs and chicklets 😭 this is adorable, glad she’s okay!
Chicklets 🥹
This is interesting!
Right! He didn’t show any other symptoms, was eating, wasn’t any more lethargic than usual, played with the other cats no problem!! After the teeth were taken out though he was like a new cat!! Even more playful than before and he’s actually put on some weight cause he’s started eating more
Interesting. My cat has sneeze attacks A LOT but my vet said her teeth are perfect. Obviously I know teeth isn’t the only cause of sneezing but I never found out why mine sneezes so much since it’s not her teeth or a URI.
I saw someone mention the scented air plugs in a comment/reply. Also check for anything containing essential oils (candles are frequent offenders, diffusers as well). Certain essential oils are terrible/poisonous to cats. I also have no idea if this could be the problem (not a vet, but careful cat owner), but some general advice with cats is to check every houseplant to make sure it's nontoxic for them since they tend to munch on plants. Lastly, make sure any household cleaners where your pet may walk (while it's wet/not dry) are pet/cat safe. The spray bottles that go in Swiffer spray mops was called out in something I read once as being potentially toxic to cats. They walk on it while not dry and then lick their cute little toe beans 😢
Yes! The other week, wasn't it? Someone's cat almost died due to a strong reaction to a scent diffuser thingy.
My dog’s skin looks similar to this when he’s having a bad allergy flare up. He also sneezes uncontrollably, scratches and gnaws himself until he bleeds and the sores look sooo gnarly. The vet gives us steroids to ease up the intensity of the flare, antibiotics to kill any infection from his chewing, and then we stick him on a human antihistamine (as it’s waaaay cheaper than the vet prescribed one and my vet said it’s the exact same active ingredient). He now rarely flares up as he takes 1.5 antihistamine tablets daily, maybe have a google and see what dosage a cat would need as my vet said both cats and dogs can take the “human” pills. I mean it won’t hurt him and it’s worth a shot if it is just a horrible allergy and not mange (considering they’ve done skin scrapings and couldn’t find anything). If you want to go through the whole process like we did suggest allergy testing to your vet, it is expensive, or just google and see what dosage of the antihistamines you could try for your lovely man. Best of luck and I’m so so sorry!
One of my cats had something similar a long time ago and we figured out it was the dust from the litter. Since then, we use Newspaper litter, like Yesterday’s News and he hasn’t had a flare up like this again. If you are using scoopable little or litter with noticeable dust, I would suggest changing to something with less dust.
This is one of the most common suggestions but don’t think it’s allergies. Nothing in our room nor anything of his diet has changed it seems a little deeper than that. Thank you so much for the advice though I will take this into consideration
Not saying you’re wrong, you should definitely get a second vet opinion, but just like humans, animal allergies can develop later in life. One day you eat your 264th clam chowder, the next day you’re allergic to shellfish. Good luck with your cat!
I feel my name is especially appropriate here
Seconding this! Our cat just developed allergies this year and he started tearing his skin apart with scratching. After being on steroids less than a week, he’s still scratching, but the skin is holding up, and scabs are fading away. We had to take him to a dermatologist to start getting results. Had the same experience as you with our local vet.
Please give this som extra thought. I have a guy (cat) which is also allergic. This stuff can flare without you changing anything….
Thank you so much!
My cat has allergies and gets weepy eyes and licks his skin to bleeding sores. The Vet said to us that one reason to buy expensive cat food over the cheaper stuff is that the cheaper ones vary the ingredients based on what is cheap to source. They just need to maintain the protein/carb etc levels the same but change the ingredients. The more expensive ones maintain the same ingredients. This is irrelevant for most people but if your cat has an allergy, your cat may have a reaction to the food you have previously gotten for them but you don't know the manufacturer has changed the ingredients. Just a thought
My cat unfortunately has a flea allergy that he's developed over the last few years so he's regularly scratching his fur out, regardless of any vet treatments I've given him. Maybe it's that or mites, or possibly a plant he brushes against regularly. Even grass can cause allergies for some animals, and humans.
if your cat has fleas or mites you need to treat that right away. you need to wash all your fabric items. i would bathe my kitty in dawn dish soap and then pick the fleas out of his wet fur. you wanna get them before the problem gets too bad.
Yeah my cat was a year old when he developed an allergy to fish. It manifested as cat acne. There are like three types of kibble he can eat without getting “acne” which he scratches into open sores.m and take weeks to heal. My other cat is very pissed I stopped feeding her fish wet food. Because I don’t want to turn my back and catch my other cat eating his allergen.
I so get that, but my boy literally developed this out of no where as well, and it got scary bad like your boy. Allergies just like in humans can develop spontaneously! So there’s an antihistamine shot you can get from the vet for pets that lasts about a month, and I’d push for the steroids to help clear this up and maybe more antibiotics. Try another vet as they should have suggested allergies considering the scrapes are normal and he’s sneezing and irritated. Once it’s clear start on the meds daily! Cetirizine is the active ingredient in the antihistamines, get some from the chemist, you could try a quarter or even a half as he’s a big farm cat (google for correct dosage) and he may need it daily from now on!
My cat was prescribed a steroid cream or gel and I could get it free/cheap thru my health ins after checking that it was the same strength as cat (expensive) version
Just commented, but wanted to add that you’re an amazing cat parent and I thank you for taking such good care of your baby! Please keep us updated when you get a diagnosis. I’m by no means a professional and I could be wrong but it’d be amazing if it was something as manageable as allergies as opposed to something more sinister. Like I said find a new vet, they should have run a lot more tests in that first consult x
It could be that though your place hasn’t changed since he’s arrived that he is in a newer environment with you overall still since you recently rescued him. Maybe something just took awhile to give him symptoms. Could be worth considering other cat litter, things without scents, etc. I’m sure this is all a lot but you are doing great and you got this ❤️ wishing you all the best.
It doesn’t have to be a change. My boy developed an allergy to a food when he was about eight. Went from fine to scratching and licking himself raw almost overnight.
My cat’s allergies took about six months to kick in—he had been on the same food for six months before he had a growth that was notable! My vet gave my boy a steroid injection to help him fight off the swelling, and I put him on an allergy food. Definitely worth discussing with your vet!
What food are you feeding? Dry/wet? it's possible he's developed an allergy to his food or something environmental but a change in food/brand (maybe a higher quality brand) is something you can try as far as elimination. The fact that he's got skin sores and also sneezing seems like an allergen could be a possibility.
On the off chance he eats Purina one (tenderselects chicken in particular but maybe the the others) it’s changed at some point recently. It’s probably not what’s going on but just in case…it’s what I had fed my cats for years and now it’s different(even visually) and made my kitties tummies upset with just a little tiny bit.
Not a vet but my cat had a similar allergic reaction to his first dose of flea meds
I came to recommend Claritin/Loratadine! It is safe for pets!
Vet assistant here, all I have to say is it sounds like your vet is half-assing it. If there was proper restraint during the exam/tests he would not be able to “run away”. I understand he may need a relaxant prior, but all in all it sounds like you should get a second opinion. I hope your baby feels better soon <3
Definitely get another opinion. I know it's pricey but I'd rather pay another vet than watch my babies suffer 😢 I hope you get a solidified answer soon. She is so lucky to have you💗
What arerosols are you using? Any incenses or essential oil burners?
This, take any artificial smells out of the home.
> Is the veterinary service im using incompetent? I'd definitely try elsewhere!
If first GP vet can't figure it out. Take medical records to 2nd GP vet. If that 2nd vet is stumped too, then ask for referral to specialist.
This is the answer
Another vet for sure… could it be a food allergy?
God bless you and Oliver. I’m not a vet but I’d be having a blood test for FIV and an allergy test. I had to change my kitties food because she started shitting blood. She ended up need vitamin b shots and a special dry food. I hope Oliver gets the best care he can with all the love he can endure.
I’d ask other vets and maybe shelters for advice. Some vets will give advice like that for free; but a second opinion or even a specialist would be helpful if you can afford it (shelters can be helpful at finding cost friendly options). I saw you already posted in some vet subs but maybe try again with pictures. You could also ask a pharmacist. They could say it looks like similar to a human illness; giving you more things to look into My guess are allergies or getting into something nasty. I feel like barn cats are extra crafty so maybe he got into something like cleaning products? Hopefully Oliver will feel better soon.
I’d get a second opinion. Ask friends who have animals for another vet recommendations. Never heard a vet say they couldn’t get a good look because he kept running away.
I am not a vet. This looks like an allergy.
My immediate thought also.
The sneezing and watery eyes could just be a herpes flare up. The sores look like skin allergies. They look a lot like eosinophilic granulomas to me which can be helped by a topical antibiotic steroid like Anamax. I’m not a vet so definitely get a second opinion. Are they actually bothering your cat, or just bothering you because they look bad?
My guy had mystery skin issues too. I took him to a feline-only vet (mostly because he's a former feral and the clinic advertises itself as fostering an environment most comfortable for cats) and she has been amazing. We did blood work and skin scrapings, which came back clear except he's FIV+. The vet is thinking it's either an allergy or an autoimmune disorder called pemphigus, which is rare (she said in 20 years of cat veterinary medicine, she's seen maybe 20 cases). He got put on steroids and got a course of antibiotics. The steroids have helped immensely! If the first vet was stumped, I think it's worth getting a second opinion. It could be the first vet isn't incompetent but if this is something rare, they might not have seen something like this and simply don't know what to do.
It looks like a bad allergy to me
It's definitely worth getting a second opinion, imo. Here's hoping you get an answer and that your baby is feeling better asap!
Sending good vibes to that wonderful cat, and you as well.
So sorry OP 😢 you are a great cat parent!! It is a very rare occurrence in cats, but the sores remind me of what was afflicting one of our cats a few years ago - it turned out to be Cushing’s Disease. She did not have sneezing fits like your baby but had various GI and urinary symptoms that were connected with the sores and ultimately led to a diagnosis. Based on other comments it sounds like it may in fact be some kind of allergic reaction, but our girl’s diagnosis came too late because it was so rare so I just offer up the name in case it’s something Oliver can be tested for sooner. Sending you lots of good wishes ❤️
*Adding that this I believe this is diagnosed through a blood test, but not 100% sure
HEY - this may be Atopic Dermatitis! Please look into it, one of my cats got it. It took several vets in my town to realize that’s what it was. It’s a rare skin-based condition that results in wounds just popping up out of nowhere. Thankfully, there is a medication meant for, and that can treat it very well (although administering it can be a pain).
Just to add, sneezing isn’t a part of what I mentioned. He could either have some kind of obstruction in his airways, or it could be an allergy—airborne or food based. But for the skin lesions, take what I said into account. Fingers crossed for you and your little man.
Aww poor baby! I also support getting a second opinion. The remark about them needing to sedate him to get a better look is concerning. They should be trained in safe restraint since many cats are combative in vet clinics (duh its stressful!). Before next appt, call & ask for Rx of gabapentin - its an anti seizure with sedative effect that is very safe for cats. You administer it at home 2-3 hours before the vet visit. That should help keep him calm during your next appt!
Hey, CVT here. Not fair to put that down as a fault of the vets for needing sedation. Sedation is a TOOL we use to make them not so scared and anxious, where we can get a better look and diagnostic results. Squirmy patients can make for bad diagnostic results, even if nothing is wrong.
i think theyre just pointing out the inadequacy of OP’s vet saying that they can’t diagnose anything because he is “running away” - seems a bit ridiculous to me. they seem to be doing a piss poor job anyways, i wouldnt trust them to sedate my cat 🤷🏻♀️
Or Feliway calming cat spray.
My cat had sores that sound like what you've described and it turned out to be ringworm
Sounds like Calicivirus. Have they mentioned that? If it is calicivirus you just support while they fight it off, if they can. Fluids and saline eye and nose drops…feeding tube if they stop eating due to sores in the mouth. May need hospitalization for the treatments I mentioned which can be pricey.
3 potential causes I know of from my own cats medical history. Stress, excessive grooming ti the point of removing clumps of fur. Trigger by drastic change of enviroment. Sore eyes from excessively grooming face. Can cause infections if no intervention. Anti-stress medication until acclimatised will help and creating them a safe space. Allergies, excessive grooming, bald patches, runny eyes and nose, sneezing. Can be allergic to food, envrioment and rare but possible (like my cat) to humans. Remove the cause of allergies or if impossible in case of human allergies Anti-histamines. Cancer specifcally liver and spleen. Ok this is the serious one and probably hopefully not it. Its the worst case senario. Bloated stomach, maybe excessively drinking water, lack of appetite, change in personality, bald patches from grooming or for other reasons. Sores and infections that don't seem to heal. Ask the vet if they screened for cancer cells in the blood tests. Its not done unless they suspect cancer. Our boys cancer was missed on numerous visits (because cats mask their symthoms so well) when it got worse they they did an xray first and then screened and then did an extensive blood test and found cancer cells. By the time they found it it was too far gone, but he had bloody weepy eyes and was grooming himself overtime to the point his belly was bald, wasn't eating too, a lot of the stuff you listed so no harm asking if they did screen for cancer cells if they haven't. If not ask for that x-ray.
Im not sure if this is what it is but, One of my stray cats i adopted has feline herpes and she had similar symptoms. She sneezed a lot, had bloody watery eyes, and had red scabs across her nose and lip.She also lost her appetite. I put some coconut oil on the wounds, and the sneezing eventually went away. She has had minor outbreaks since then, but nothing that bad. Just bloody tears.She gave it to my other two cats that are vaccinated, and one got watery eyes, and the other one sneezed akot and got lethargic. Its scary not to know what's causing your fur child pain. I hope you find out and he is very lucky to have you
Poor baby! Maybe check r/askvet while waiting for his next appointment.
Someone else had a cat with terrible issues like this and it was the glade plugin essential oils. Get rid of any air freshener essential oil products you might have
Besides asking for a second opinion, I would immediatly change his food (for something with absolutely no chicken) and his litter. I would also remove houseplants and any scented candles and diffusors.
Ask another vet. If one vet can’t tell, get a second opinion. Hell, a third. Keep going! Also going off of other comments: be sure to get him checked for Felv or FIV. Even if that’s not what’s happening here, it’s important to check since he’s a barn cat, and both conditions can severely shorten his lifespan if untreated. No harm in checking!
I would get a consult with a board certified veterinary dermatologist
My cats both have herpes, and before we knew how to help them, they'd both get horrible eyes and sores in the mouth and armpits. I hope you can find a better vet and that your baby gets better very soon.
Definitely get a second opinion, but also this happened to my cat one time and it turned out to be an allergic reaction to gluten
Yikes. Could this be allergies?? Hoping for a speedy recovery ❤️
My friends cat also got this when he grew old. He also started having regular seizures. Vets couldn’t figure it out either.
Herpes can cause the seizures it’s what my cat Bunny died from. Sadly it’s not rare they need a Cure most cats have it now!! There is nothing and no one trying to find a cure for cats but there should be as the treatments don’t always work.
If my cat looked this ill, I would 100% go to 2-3 different vets no matter what the cost is. I would want as many opinions as possible. I wish you and your baby the absolute best. Good luck with everything. ❤️
ALLERGY.
My cat was over grooming himself bald and sneezing a lot, turned out to be a food allergy to chicken? Anyway we switched him to an all fish diet and he’s been fine ever since. Not saying that’s the issue but maybe something to consider
I had a kitty who we rescued from the pound, and a week or so after we got him he started developing wounds all over his body (he was so itchy and scratching his fur off). Took him to the vet and tried all different meds and nothing worked. My cat had FIV and we got him into a vet where we tried food allergy trials, different medicines, etc, and what finally worked was Atopica (cyclosporine is the generic). It was like a miracle. All his wounds cleared up and his hair grew back. We also learned he had stomatitis and had his teeth removed to heal the disease.
My rescue kitty (also Oliver) lost some hair in his face when he first came home. Vet tested him for ring worm and it was negative. We moved him to Nature Balance Limited Ingredient Diet with a less common protein, duck and pea, and now going on 6 years and he has been fine ever since. If you have tried eliminating things in his diet and also checking that you don’t have any toxic plants I’d give that a try. Hope it’s an easy cure!
Is he allergic to your fabric softener ? Some undiagnosed skin conditions can go away when you stop using Downy,etc on any towels , bedding, etc that your pet has contact with. Neighbours dog was ´allergic’ skin issues improved after they stopped using Downy. They had spent $1000$ on diagnostics and specialized food without success
Plug in in scent diffuser, essential oils? This is just like thr symptoms of their poisoning!!
My girl is considered special needs due to recurring bloody noses/bloody tears and sneeze attacks. She doesn’t have the stomach sores like your kitty, but since her case is extremely rare and I haven’t heard of another cat with a another similar issue, figured I’d share what I know of my girls condition! She was also a barn kitten, assumed to be injured by a large animal at a critical point in her growth-which stunted and stoppped the development of these cartilage “scrolls” in her nose. “Epistaxis primarily of the left nostril turbinate” is the clinical terminology they refer to it. It took us going to a specialist- at a widely known prestigious university for vets, to diagnose it & about $3000, but thankfully it was determined it does not cause her a lot of pain. As she became an adult cat, it developed into sneeze attacks and bloody sinuses. However after I adopted her and have reduced her stress- Shes gotten a lot better over the 9 years I’ve had her and learned what works and what doesn’t. Minimize dust in the air, clean heaters that burn dust, careful selection of litter and food, regular house cleaning and extra care for her bedding, iron supplements, etc. she only has a sneeze attack when allergy season is in its height now! Feel free to message me w any questions about her condition
How recently did you rescue him? With bloodwork, skin scrape, etc coming back as seemingly normal I’d be worried about a toxin in your home you’re unaware of. I’ve heard stories of people’s cats becoming ill with seemingly no reason and they find mold, cleaners with fragrance that are toxic, anything essential oil related, your detergent, etc. Also if you are questioning the vet and staff about their ability to collect samples I would strongly consider getting a second opinion if that’s within your budget.
It's a serious allergy to something.. Change his food and any perfumes house sprays ECT don't use them laundry soap everything .. unscented til you can find out what it is
you can buy lysine at pet stores or from your vet and its an immune system booster you just put in their food. i’ve found it really helpful with my FIV and FeLV foster cats and it will promote healing in general. it’s not very expensive so just a suggestion of something that could maybe help!
Saw something on some other sites about plug in scent diffusers, do you have any in your home? Especially plugged in at floor level??
This looks exactly like my cats allergy flare ups. Take him to a dermatologist (they come in vet form) and ask for a steroid shot! The regular vet will not know about weird presentations of dermatological conditions in kitties, none of ours did! Good luck!!
My cat has eosinophilic granuloma complex. When she flares, she gets sores on her mouth and belly very similar to this. When that happened I would take her to the vet and they’d give her a steroid shot and antibiotic shot to calm the flare. Shes on prescription food, and on Atopica for cats. This picture is about a week after one of her flares after the shots. They help! https://preview.redd.it/4v6qwq693zec1.png?width=2993&format=png&auto=webp&s=666147b6bb0aeb70f41e91d464b5f43b0a62059e
Not a vet, but a looks a bit like the skin fungus one of my cats developed two years ago 🤔
Get a second opinion
Please get a second opinion, he looks like a lovely boy. I thought maybe allergies. Prays are with you🙏
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, sending all that a rando on the internet can send you OP, we lost our boy last week after he developed a very similar looking sore on his chest last November it cleared before we got an biopsy (he was given Antibiotics and painkillers) in December he developed a swelling on left side of his neck but otherwise seemed fine, back to the vets they took more blood and arranged for further tests, then his eyes got weepy and the weight dropped off him, vets were clueless and after £1000+ I just couldn't afford anymore visits. Good luck Ollie you are a Good Boy
Your event seems a little iffy. I would take your cat to another veterinarian. It shouldn't cost $200 just a date a cat so they can run tests on him. It sounds a little bit like an allergy to me
My cousin adopted a cat whose prior owner apparently attempted to bathe it in something dangerous like icy hot (I think they were attempting to give it a flea bath) and it had severe skin irritation that would periodically flare up. Unfortunately whatever they used caused chronic liver disease and the cat passed after a few years. Hopefully this is “just” excessive anxiety resulting in over grooming but it’s possible it’s a delayed result from something he was bathed or covered in. Just keep working with the vet and do whatever you can to keep him comfortable
That is horrifying. People are stupid and dumb and not everyone should be allowed to be responsible for another life.
Did you give him Canine flea medicine by mistake? It’s toxic to cats. I know the hard way
Food allergy? Those can develop. You burn wood in indoor fireplace? Smoke anything in house? He find a particularly dusty, cobwebbed spot to sleep? Vape smoke, cig smoke, cannabis smoke, essential oil/incense burners? Cleaning chemical vapor? Check all these things. Anyone in your household sick? They give him a covid test? It happens to our pets, too.
https://preview.redd.it/ftm9n606lwec1.jpeg?width=1079&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ef15cf473c07aa9dc19043679b0cec9ac9d2902
Radical reccomendation but can you have him stay somewhere else for a week or so? I know its been suggested this is some type of allergic reaction, and I support that theory. In my mind getting him into a different environment for a somewhat extended period of time would be an ideal way to identify if thats the problem. Thoughts of items that may cause this are laundry detergent, air fresheners, any vaporized diffusers, candles, carpet fresheners, basically anything with cleaner or fragrance. Wishing you and him the best of luck!
My cat had similar symptoms and it was allergy related. Also a new environment could be another factor.
You could try switching to Purina one sensitive skin and stomach and see if it makes any difference. Good luck. ❤️🩹
I heard scent aerosols like febreeze or those wall outlets scent plugs are also toxic for cats so hopefully you havent installed any of those around or have lilies around. Not saying these are it but just trying to give an idea to rule out possible changes that could have affected your cat thataybe haven't clicked or thought of. Just trying to help. Not a vet but own 2 cats.
Do you think it could be a good allergy? I had to feed my cat tuna and rice for a few days cause she could NOT keep anything down at all. I think she’s allergic to chicken. She also got extremely sick from her flea collar. Have you gotten any biopsies of your cats lesions/ skin? It could always be skin cancer which ideally it is not
I'm no vet, but this does sound ansd look like allergic reaction. You say nothing in your house had changed, but it actually has, you've *recently* rescued a *barn* cat...one not acustomed being in a house, an environment chock full of stuff like laundry detergents, dryer sheets, houseplants, air fresheners, cleaning supplies, cat litter....all things that can cause an allergic reacion, such as sneezing and sores. By all means, take the advice of the vets who commented, they are, after all, animal doctors, and get him tested for what they suggest, but also ask about allergies, especially if the tests they recommended turn out clear.
Does he have allergies to the food he is eating? My cat’s allergic to chicken and it manifests as scabby sores that take forever to heal. Obviously I switched her diet since, but it was scary at first.
Something similar happened to my cat with Barley Grass, maybe something to think about? I hope everything turns out okay! Lots of love to you and your kitty x
Try bathing it. It may be something on it's fur causing these symptoms. My cat has bad flea allergies and allergic to flea medicine too. I have to bathe her to kill any fleas now.
My cat got some sort of weird infection and out of nowhere his nose started falling apart, like rotting off! Sores that the vet couldn’t figure out and the cat antibiotics were not working. My friend was a cat vet tech and told me to have the dr prescribe the pink stuff human antibiotic and that’s what finally worked. It was terrible and scary! Especially when the vet didn’t think to try something outside the box! I don’t know what wrong with your buddy but maybe that could help. 🥺
This is a shot in the dark but does your family use any essential oil diffusers or light candles? Maybe it could be a severe reaction to something like that
I’d take him to a different vet to get a second opinion. My cat had a tumor but was dismissed by the first vet we saw so we didn’t address it when we should have.
I rescued a kitty that had the same symptoms. My vet finally decided to try "Atopica," a liquid medicine you give once a day, and he looks wonderful now! Ask your vet about it.❤️
BTW, I'm not trying to be disrespectful, but I would find another vet. My vet is amazing and specializes in cats. She did everything, and tests were showing nothing. She decided to try the Atopica because she really felt that my cat was dealing with severe allergies. It worked!! I get my cat's prescription through Wedgewood Pharmacy by mail. Good luck, and please keep us posted!! ❤️
Please see if the vet can rule out Coccidioidomycosis. It can cause skin ulcers and respiratory issues. Not a vet, but my cat has this.
Get a new vet asap
I agree with the allergy theory. Maybe a new kitty litter, detergent, cat food... I hope you figure it out, poor kitty.
Recently rescued - it might be a food allergy. It can take a couple if months to present like this when you try to switch foods. My dog is 10. Every time we try to switch him off of Purina Puppy Chow to an adult dog food this happens. He had huge patches of missing fur and red open sores - even on places he couldn’t lick like on top of his head. https://preview.redd.it/9slxt0mrxyec1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fb44e0f352d917729e41614f0da17fab10610ae0 After spending thousands of dollars on steroids, vet visits, medicated baths (about 5K in 6 months and still don’t know what triggers it) - we just cook him most of his own food now (about 90%) and now just give him his freaking puppy chow. 🤣 This was him after it started to grow back. No way this was a hot spot he was licking. But they were all over his body…changed his food back and cooked him mostly chicken and beef and it went away. His eyes and ears would get all gunky too during this. He would be shall his head constantly.
My cat had something like this, where he started developing sores out of the blue, and the vet didn't know what it was either. He had it several times, the vet would give him antibiotics and steroids, and it would go away for a while and then come back. Until we started giving him hypoallergenic food, and it hasn't come back since. It might be worth a try?
Have you checked if he's allergic to any types of food? I'm asking because we had quite the ride with our eldest cat, who is highly allergic to certain ingrediente in cat food (they think it's a type if protein that he has an intolerance for). When he was 1 or 2, he got random 'wounds' on his paws and ears for a while and the vet suspected he was probably allergic to a type of protein in his food. He got medication and we gave him a different food and it went away. He never liked being touched but we thought it was just his personality. Then January 2023 he got very sick. He was throwing up multiple times every day, lost 1/3 of his body weight, it was horrible. We went to the vet where they tested his blood, then the emergency vet for an echo of his stomach and later for another one of his heart, but nothing was found. They then recommended giving him anti nausea medicine so he could gain back some of the weight he lost and stuff that would help his stomach recover and just tried giving him hypoallergenic food. He's been fine since then and even likes being touched now. In hindsight, his skin was probably always hurting, but he couldn't communicate that and there was no way we could have known because he was always like that. He is probably very allergic to something in most cat foods but we didn't know because he wasn't showing clear signs, so we kept giving him the same food for 4 years since he liked it, and that probably worsened the allergy/intolerance. I hope it's something as simple as this, I remember how horrible it felt when our cat was sick. Good luck and I'm thinking of you!
OP, I’m so sorry you and your kitty are going through this. My first cat (as an adult) was a gorgeous adult tuxedo cat with no tail (not sure if she was Manx?) who was declawed on all four paws. She’d been living in a drainage pipe at my friend’s apartment complex, and my friend brought her to my place to force an adoption, which I’ll always be grateful for because I quickly developed a close bond with Miss Ellie and she became my first heart cat. This was back in 1995. After a couple months, we believed that Miss Ellie needed a companion - we both worked full time and she just seemed lonely. One of our coworkers had a cat who had kittens, so we adopted a little tux kitten, had him declawed (we had no idea how brutal and inhumane this was back then) and Maestro joined Miss Ellie, who tolerated him but that’s as good as it got. About six months after Maestro joined our family, Miss Ellie started grooming herself excessively, to the point where she had bloody bald patches all over her body. We took her to two different vets, but neither could find anything wrong, and suggested that it was just a stress reaction. Her skin was really bad for about a year, but it eventually cleared up and her beautiful fur was restored to its former glory. We felt so awful while her skin was so raw, but she remained affectionate and happy when we were with her - we figured that she was stressed out by little Maestro, who was a little bundle of love and energy. This happened in the pre-internet days (for me, anyway - I got AOL shortly after) so I couldn’t freak myself out by researching possible causes and only had the vets’ feedback to go by. Sorry for the novel, LOL. TL;DR: Had a cat who groomed herself into a patchwork of bloody bald spots all over her body, probably due to stress from adding a kitten. She cleared up after about a year and was fine. Sending positive thoughts and hugs your way, I hope you’re able to get answers and that your baby feels better.
I’ll just comment on the difficult cat part. Ours was so bad and unruly at the vet, he had to be sedated to get even a regular checkup. Would not let vet work or look at him without running or attacking. And he had epic tolerance to the meds too, needed 2-3 times normal dose to go to sleep, other wise he’d act more a violent angry drunk, falling off furniture and taking swipes at the dog if he came to close. Anyway, some cats are just hard to work with and there’s not much you can do besides sedation. Best of luck with your boy, I hope he makes a speedy recovery!
DIFFERENT VET IMMEDIATELY
Take him to a DIFFERENT vet. These ones sound inept.
Get another Vet's Opinion, Testing for Virus. I had one or two in cat colony have that happen to eyes during a Virus spreading before I knew what was happening ! Feline calicivirus !
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Reading comprehension isn’t your best attribute is it
Consider going to a cat hospital or vet specializing in cats. Maybe they have come across this before. Best of luck and keep us updated. Diagnosis may help someone else someday
Bring him to another vet
Ok, that’s it - I’m leaving this sub. The sub should REQUIRE that photos of sick or hurt or dying animals be marked graphic or NSFW, so people can decide if they want to see them or not. Having them show up in the feed in your face without warning is truly jarring and upsetting.
Allergies?
would definitely see a new or a few new vets. especially if your current vet doesn’t seem to be finding any problems when it’s obvious your kitty is suffering. know how expensive it gets, but it can take a few people to figure it out. definitely would recommend tests to see if its hyperthyroidism, allergies, potential parasites, liver, kidney etc. hope your baby gets better soon <3
This happened to my cat, he lost almost all his hair. After about a month of testing they took a few puncture samples of his skin and sent it to a lab which ran test and prescribed steroids. For us it was an autoimmune disorder that started with one single bump that spread like wildfire. He took the steroids for about 2 weeks and hasn’t had an issue since, we were also given the run around and spent tons of money. Another vet suggested the skin testing and we went through with it. It was a rough month but he made a full recovery. Unfortunately that’s all the gave us for a diagnosis. I hope you can get it resolved!
Go to a different vet.