I did call the dermatologist this morning and he has instructed me to take her off of the Simplicef for 48 hours and if the diarrhea stops, give her another dose on a full stomach. If it comes back, he'll put her on something else. Obviously, if it doesn't go away at all even after 48 hours, he'll put her on something else anyway. I told him she tolerates Zeniquin very well but for some reason he wanted her on Simplicef. It seems to me that if the diarrhea stops after she's off the Simplicef, that's enough reason for me not to give it to her anymore, on a full stomach or not. I'm so tired of pumping her full of meds for this and that. She's been on and off of one med or another for a year and a half and none of them have made any lasting difference.
Lily is light colored, sort of tan or buff.
Refresh my memory, what is EGC again?
I don't give her sub-q fluids at home. That's not to say she might not benefit from them, but this isn't something I'd ever attempt with her at home by myself. The vet and her assistant are lucky enough to do it, and they have one another's help!
I'll have to give him a report tomorrow on the diarrhea and will push him again about the food allergy possibility. I don't know why he doesn't think that's the culprit. If she would eat the hypoallergenic diet and it helped her, I'd try it in a heartbeat. Depending on what he says, I may insist on trying it anyway. She'll either eat it or she won't, and I can take it from there and maybe try another variety.
older cat will not eat
Re: older cat will not eat
Just a word about reoccuring diarrhea/soft stools. You mentioned before she has had problems with this intermittently most of her life, right? If that is so, then it has very little to do with antibiotic use. Sometimes diarrhea resolves completely on it's own, depending on the cause. Stress for example, can cause one incidence of diarrhea, and the next day, none at all. Or, continued stress can cause chronic diarrhea. Many different variables.
EGC is Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex. Sometimes the cause is a food allergy or sensitivity to one or more ingredients in the food. Other times it is caused by parasites, like mites or flea allergies. Other times, it is an immunological problem. In any case, the cause is not often defined specifically and treating the symptoms is generally the most you can do, unless you're lucky and actually can pinpoint the problem. (like a food allergy). It waxes and wanes, can be mild or quite severe, can be acute or chronic. Mild cases may not require treatment at all but rather tincture of time. Moderate or severe cases may require a dietary change, corticosteroid therapy, or topical therapy. In mild cases, the first step in treatment, if a cause cannot be specifically identified, is generally a trial diet with one novel source of protein the cat has never been exposed to. If the cat responds favorably to the hypoallergenic diet, then you pretty much can determine it's a source in the previous diet that was the culprit.
From what you describe of the itchiness, fur loss, crusty areas of skin, sounds like EGC should have been amoung the first ruleouts, or at the very least, a dietary intolerance.
There would be no harm in giving a hypoallergenic diet a try. I recommend the Hill's Z/D first, if that somehow does not show a response, I would try the Purina DVM or Royal Canin hypoallergenic diets. Again, you have to be prepared for at least 4 weeks to see any noticeable difference.
The reason I asked about her fur coloring is sometimes white and very light-colored cats are susceptible to skin problems, sunburn etc.
If Lily is CRF, you may need to prepare yourself at some point for giving sub-q fluids at home. In the meantime, watch your vet and the techs closely so you can familiarize yourself how it's done, how quickly it's done, etc. Most CRF cats at some point, require sub-q fluids to help them diurese the kidneys due to loss of fluids and electrolyte imbalances. (this is also why you want frequent blood profiles done on her to monitor her kidney function). Giving sub-q's sounds scarier than it actually is. It is a relatively simple procedure, but the benefits are so worth it to the cat.
EGC is Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex. Sometimes the cause is a food allergy or sensitivity to one or more ingredients in the food. Other times it is caused by parasites, like mites or flea allergies. Other times, it is an immunological problem. In any case, the cause is not often defined specifically and treating the symptoms is generally the most you can do, unless you're lucky and actually can pinpoint the problem. (like a food allergy). It waxes and wanes, can be mild or quite severe, can be acute or chronic. Mild cases may not require treatment at all but rather tincture of time. Moderate or severe cases may require a dietary change, corticosteroid therapy, or topical therapy. In mild cases, the first step in treatment, if a cause cannot be specifically identified, is generally a trial diet with one novel source of protein the cat has never been exposed to. If the cat responds favorably to the hypoallergenic diet, then you pretty much can determine it's a source in the previous diet that was the culprit.
From what you describe of the itchiness, fur loss, crusty areas of skin, sounds like EGC should have been amoung the first ruleouts, or at the very least, a dietary intolerance.
There would be no harm in giving a hypoallergenic diet a try. I recommend the Hill's Z/D first, if that somehow does not show a response, I would try the Purina DVM or Royal Canin hypoallergenic diets. Again, you have to be prepared for at least 4 weeks to see any noticeable difference.
The reason I asked about her fur coloring is sometimes white and very light-colored cats are susceptible to skin problems, sunburn etc.
If Lily is CRF, you may need to prepare yourself at some point for giving sub-q fluids at home. In the meantime, watch your vet and the techs closely so you can familiarize yourself how it's done, how quickly it's done, etc. Most CRF cats at some point, require sub-q fluids to help them diurese the kidneys due to loss of fluids and electrolyte imbalances. (this is also why you want frequent blood profiles done on her to monitor her kidney function). Giving sub-q's sounds scarier than it actually is. It is a relatively simple procedure, but the benefits are so worth it to the cat.
..........Traci
Re: older cat will not eat
EGC is not something that came up last year when the ringworm was diagnosed, nor did any kind of allergy or dietary intolerance. As I said before, she had patchy fur loss and crustiness around the ears at that time, but not now. The ringworm culture came back positive then, so no other condition was considered or discussed. She was put on fluconazole and her condition improved through 3 subsequent negative cultures over a period of several months. She had no problems of itching of any kind all fall and winter of last year.
She has been off of the simplicef and her stool has returned to normal. I have to go and pick up another antibiotic for her. Her ears look better and she isn't scratching at them quite so badly. I don't know whether it's because of the drops or the Zyrtec, which works much better than the Claritin. The dermatologist was at least right about that. But we are still just battling the symptoms and haven't gotten to the root cause of the problem.
She has been off of the simplicef and her stool has returned to normal. I have to go and pick up another antibiotic for her. Her ears look better and she isn't scratching at them quite so badly. I don't know whether it's because of the drops or the Zyrtec, which works much better than the Claritin. The dermatologist was at least right about that. But we are still just battling the symptoms and haven't gotten to the root cause of the problem.
Re: older cat will not eat
More than likely, the drops or a combination of both.
Don't get discouraged, you have a dermatologist who seems dedicated to finding a solution, but it can take time, and he has to record her response to any and all medications given. In the meantime, try to get that hypoallergenic diet initiated ASAP.
Don't get discouraged, you have a dermatologist who seems dedicated to finding a solution, but it can take time, and he has to record her response to any and all medications given. In the meantime, try to get that hypoallergenic diet initiated ASAP.
..........Traci