Topic: The collar's finally off ...... and back on again (Read 4000 times)

Mark · « **Reply #20 on:** April 03, 2008, 10:29:55 AM »

It's only oil but very high quality with quality amino-acids omega 3 & 6 etc.. You can get a pump container to put on food or capsules. I'm sure Lynn recommended the pump. There are no drugs in it so no prescription needed

Hopefully Lynn will see this and advise.

Lily · « **Reply #19 on:** April 03, 2008, 09:04:38 AM »

Can I get it without prescription? Is it wise to start giving Lily these tablets without a vets say so? Or should I wait for the follow up appointment as she might not even need anything else.

Mark · « **Reply #18 on:** April 02, 2008, 19:31:17 PM »

Vet UK are doing 10% off Viacutan (just got an email) at themoment - you add code supp10% when checking out. They are the cheapest place even before discount and free postage. Order through a rescue link and they also get 5% commission

Lily · « **Reply #17 on:** April 02, 2008, 09:33:31 AM »

Thanks peeps, it's so nice to know that there are other people who understand who horrible it is to have an unwell pet. I'll definatley ask the vet about Viacutan when I see him in 2 weeks time. I tried adding some sunflower oil to Lily's food last night but she wasn't interested, might try just a little bit and building it up as I can see lots of dandruff type flakes on her coat.

Mark · « **Reply #16 on:** April 02, 2008, 08:01:46 AM »

Just thought I would mention Viacutan again. Lynn swears by it and I was reading that dogs given it had their dosage of preds halved.

Desley (booktigger) · « **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2008, 22:25:08 PM »

Fingers crossed

Millys Mum · « **Reply #14 on:** April 01, 2008, 19:01:28 PM »

Quote from: Lily on April 01, 2008, 11:43:54 AM

The injections should stop her scratching for now but I want to get to the bottom of the cause instead of just treating the symptoms.

Thats wise, as steroid jabs end up not working so well.

I know people with dogs who have had similar issues with hot spots and they have used a raw diet to sort out the allergy in the diet.

Leanne · « **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2008, 12:51:15 PM »

Poor chicken, I hope you get some answers soon

Christie · « **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:52:12 AM »

My poor little Tiger Lily has had a collar on since Friday because of her spay stitches, and is fed up! We have to leave collar on until Monday when stitches are removed, but I can't imagine having to keep collar on for weeks. Poor thing, I hope the sunflower oil helps; do ask the vets, since they're doing all the blood tests, about the eosinophilic dermatitis. Just in case!

Mark · « **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:47:43 AM »

Have you already tried Viacutan plus?

Apparently, it is excellent.

Lily · « **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2008, 11:43:54 AM »

Thanks for your advise, I asked the nurse when I picked her up if there was anything else I could do to help Lily. She said adding sunflower oil to her food once a day will help to re-condition her skin and can't hurt. The injections should stop her scratching for now but I want to get to the bottom of the cause instead of just treating the symptoms. She's got a huge collar on and looks really fed up, hopefully in 2 weeks (after the injections wear off) I'll be able to see if she starts scratching and licking again. If so, it's back to the vets again, this time for extensive blood tests. This will mean she's had a 6 week course of antibiotics and had the collar on for the same amount of time. I feel really terrible putting her through it all but hopefully she'll be out the other side a very happy and itch-free kitty.

She's getting her cat flap fitted on Friday, not that she'll be able to use it until the collar comes off.

Christie · « **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2008, 10:48:36 AM »

Have they looked at the eosinophil level in her blood tests? My cat Lucia started overgrooming (this was several years ago), and licked all the hair off her lower tummy and her inner "arms" (and I mean, they were bald!), finally got diagnosis of eosinophilic dermatitis. A course of prednisone fixed that problem, although her tummy was never as furry afterwards.

It might be worth at least asking your vet about this, I had never heard of it when we were trying to figure out why Lucia was licking so much.

LesleyW · « **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2008, 10:41:06 AM »

Would it be worth trying some soft claws on just her back legs to help with the scratching - I think Dawn has just got some for Becky for the same sort of reason.

Lily · « **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2008, 10:04:16 AM »

Well, the saga continues.

I dropped Lily off at the larger vet surgery for some tests under sedation this morning and they've just phoned me with an update. They said the wound on the back of her neck is infected but that doesn't explain the underlying cause of why she's finding her other scrapes so itchy. So he's taken some swabs and is going to look at them in a mo. He said that the most likely cause is an allergy, she's the right age (about 14 months) and it would explain a lot. He's going to give her two injections which last two weeks, one of antibiotics and one steroid to help with the itching. He said a larger collar will stop her licking her back leg but we can't really stop her scratching her neck with her back claws but hopefully the steroid will stop it itching anyway.

Fingers crossed this will help with everything, although he didn't say what she was allergic to - might ask that when I pick her up.

gibraltarcat · « **Reply #6 on:** March 31, 2008, 20:08:32 PM »

so sorry to hear that she's doing it again. Poor you and poor her.. so frustrating

Millys Mum · « **Reply #5 on:** March 31, 2008, 19:48:19 PM »

If her belly sores healed and shes now reattacked the area i wouldnt rule out allergies (as you said on your other post)

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #4 on:** March 31, 2008, 19:07:15 PM »

I hope so too

Lily · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2008, 19:01:31 PM »

I need to go a different surgery (same group) so I guess he didn't have the tools there. She's staying there all morning tomorrow so I hope they'll do lots of tests to get to the bottom of this.

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2008, 18:58:01 PM »

Thats so sad that she has started licking the healed places again. Sorry I dont know anything about the deceases you have mentioned.

Ummmm why didnt he take swabs when you wwere there?

Lily · « **Reply #1 on:** March 31, 2008, 18:12:26 PM »

After 4 miserable weeks in a buster collar, it's off! Just been to the vets and he said as she can reach her leg scratch to lick and her neck sore to scratch there's no point in the collar anymore. Her belly sores have completely gone now. So I raced home and took it off, guess what was the first thing she did? Groom herself? Lick her smelly bum? No she headbutted me for about 10minutes, showing her appreciation that I took it off her! How cute is that? She hasn't been able to headbutt me for 4 whole weeks! Now she's grooming like never before.

Bad news is that the vet wants her back in tomorrow so he can take some swabs of both wounds to see why she's licking and scratching them so much. He mentioned some auto-immune response where cats attack their own skin? Anyone heard of this? I just assumed animals would lick their wounds but she does it to excess making them bleed all the time.

Whoops spoke too soon, just checked her and she's licked her belly back to redness almost bleeding. There is definatley something not right with that. Shame as I was so happy to see her without the collar and looking like a normal cat again.

Just remembered what the vet said it might be 'psychogenic alopecia'. Has anyone had experience of this? It's likened to OCD in humans. Trust me to find an OCD cat!

Author Topic: The collar's finally off ...... and back on again (Read 4000 times)