I Am In Trouble and Very Sad

[Rafiki]

My pixiebob developed food allergies last year. His symptoms were itchy face and neck. He would scratch so badly that he would rip out the fur and it looked like ringworm. He was tested for all known parasites and we were given meds to sooth his skin. At the time, he was only eating beef and chicken so it was fairly easy to diagnose - we removed the beef and he had another reaction about a month later so we switched him completely to beef and removed the chicken. The tricky part is that they add chicken to everything. I was feeding homemade raw so the food part was straightforward but chicken flavor was added to supplements (Mazuri) and medications (Liquid Hepato). Bring a magnifying glass and read the entire list of ingredients to make sure there's no chicken in anything he consumes. Once the allergy develops, it worsens rapidly over time and the smallest exposure will cause a severe reaction. As a result of this experience, my cats now eat rabbit, turkey, beef, quail, lamb, pheasant and venison.

 

[Rafiki]

Venison is a hugely protein rich food and not what I would consider to be a good first choice.

I'd also recommend placing a priority on the ultrasound to see if there is a blockage and buy yourself a bottle of bourbon for a tranquilizer. Reading gently from a book in a room with your cat will go a lot further than a tranquilizer, and the ultrasound could reveal something that would save their life.

I agree with the ultrasound. If they can do it without sedation, the cost is only around $300.

 

[Rafiki]

Its not that cats are allergic to grain, it has more to do with the fact that cats are obligate carnivores with a short digestive tract designed to process meat. They lack the proper enzymes to process grains and that is why a cat fed grains have large smelly poops while meat fed ones tend to have small dry crumbly poops.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I agree with most the vet said except that an obstruction is definitively ruled out. A partial obstruction would still be possible in this case...even if I do agree that it sounds like a food allergy is more likely here. However, very glad that you seem to have found a regular vet that you like and can trust! That's so important.

Mystery solved on his breed though! He did look more Bengal than anything... a handsome and personable cats as Bengals are known to be

 

[DougRD]

I'm not sure which Red Bank Vet Hospital office you go to, but you can take him to their main facility in Tinton Falls, NJ. I have taken my F3, Abby, there, she has food allergy issues. I saw Dr. Griffeth, he is a dermatology and allergy specialist.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[John Popp]

A cats immune system only needs to attack a food component once mistaking it for an antigen and then it's game on. The immune system makes specific antibodies against the food component, always recognizing the food component in the future, and ready to mobilize against it in the future.

Wheat specifically is a huge issue because it is an extremely modified grain to give us all that doughy goodness. I'm certain cats have an immune system complete with a genetic roadmap for what the wheat in the belly of a mouse one of their ancestors ate, but the wheat of today is hardly comparable. Mistake it for an antigen, and again, game on.

 

[Patti]

It sounds like you have found a vet that you can trust, that's so important when working with kitty issues. Also glad you were able to find his original owner and get some of your questions answered. BTW, Feliway can work great with some cats, but it can have no effect on others. I would give it a try, but if it didn't have any effect in the carrier it probably won't make any difference at home either.

 

[Louie's Dad]

My posts from late Friday afternoon are gone. It was a duplicate post and too bad because it contained a LOT of information. Should have been #13 and #14. The reason for the dupe is because my internet connection often gets interrupted and by the time I got connected again, edit permission had timed out.

If the administrator can retrieve the second of those 2 posts, that would be very helpful.

 

[Louie's Dad]

I agree with most the vet said except that an obstruction is definitively ruled out. A partial obstruction would still be possible in this case...even if I do agree that it sounds like a food allergy is more likely here. However, very glad that you seem to have found a regular vet that you like and can trust! That's so important.

Mystery solved on his breed though! He did look more Bengal than anything... a handsome and personable cats as Bengals are known to be

Brigitte,
What I find remarkable, is that when he is in the act of "chugging", if I come near him and talk to him, he often will stop and not vomit. That sure sounds like a separation anxiety or panic attack to me. Indy really thrives on a LOT of attention and encouragement. He is a very sensitive fellow.

One thing the original owner told me was that he had to have teeth extracted some years ago. I didn't have time to question her further on that point...................and neither vet remarked about it, so I didn't know.

He vomits wet food as well as dry so I don't think it's a non chewing issue either.

 

[Louie's Dad]

I'm not sure which Red Bank Vet Hospital office you go to, but you can take him to their main facility in Tinton Falls, NJ. I have taken my F3, Abby, there, she has food allergy issues. I saw Dr. Griffeth, he is a dermatology and allergy specialist.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Yes Tinton Falls..........Apple and Hance Ave. Clean, new and modern facility with everything needed in one place. We saw Dr. Hart on Friday.

On Tuesday we saw an emergency vet, and she consulted with the dermatology doctor on duty while we were there. Might have been Dr. Griffeth. The consultation resulted in a confirmation of allergic reaction of some kind.