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kats12 Posts: 29
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I have a cat who suffers from flea allergy dermititus. I give her frontline plus monthly but she still itches & the hair is thin on her rump. If anyone knows of ANYTHING that might relieve her discomfort- please share!! Thank you in advance!! PS I hate giving her the chemicals in the frontline but its the only thing that keeps her issues somewhat under control. PPS I've heard coconut oil may help? |
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fluffyluggage Posts: 4723
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I don't like Frontline. I've spent 14 years in the vet business, and I've found that the naturals just don't work well. I'd recommend you ask your vet about Revolution, it takes care of heartworms (if you live in an endemic area of mosquitoes--yes, they can infect cats, possibly worse than dogs), fleas, ticks, certain types of manges, ear mites, and works better than anything else I know of. The next best, and if you don't need the heartworm prevention (basically, if you aren't in an endemic area), is Advantage for cats. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but nothing natural I have found will work for cats. Plus, cats are sooooo sensitive to chemicals and even natural substances that you have to be so careful. Some people claim that garlic and yeast work, but I haven't found that to be true. If you are having problems with fleas on the cat, you will find that 90% or more of the problem is in your environment, so you need to spend a LOT of time cleaning up the house, vacuuming after treatment, washing not only the cat's bedding but yours and everyone else's, curtains, vacuuming the sofa and anything that CAN be vacuumed, including hardwood floors and anything that has cracks in it (those buggers loved to get in there--remember, the eggs and other life cycles are microscopic!), plus wash curtains and anywhere they can hide. The flea doesn't spend much time on the pet, AND they really don't like humans!  Once you're done vacuuming, be sure to pull out the bag right away and seal it and put it in an outdoor trash can so the fleas can't get back in. You'll need to do this at least twice a week for a couple months. I never let my pets' flea treatment lapse, or I know we'll end up dealing with this. In the last 7 years, the only time we've had fleas is when we delayed treatment. You'll need to treat monthly all year round for best results, so that you don't have to worry about getting behind. If you're in a primarily cold area where you only see fleas 3 to 4 months, treat for at least 6 to 8 months, starting at least 1-2 months prior to the start of the "flea season" and ending at least 1-2 months later, so you don't risk having this problem again. we pretty much see fleas almost year-round where I live, so I don't have the luxury of stopping! I hope this will help, if you need anything else, please let me know. *hugs* Jen  Post edited by: fluffyluggage, at: 03/16/2009 21:27 Just because it's impossible doesn't mean it can't happen.
I'm not a doc, so anything I say is my opinion only. Nothing I say is meant as offense, I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else with do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I truly am insane for expecting these docs to listen to me when I say the same things repeatedly to no avail? LOL. I am tired of seeking out new docs and getting the same result time and again...Forgive me if I seem bitter some days.
Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by/The rules of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap...I'm through accepting limits/Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I can not change/But till I try I'll never know/Too long I've been afraid of/Losing love I guess I lost/Well if that's love/It comes at much too high a cost/I'd sooner buy Defying Gravity/Kiss me good-bye I'm Defying Gravity/I think I'll try Defying Gravity/And you won't bring me down...
--Defying Gravity (Glee Cast version) |
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kats12 Posts: 29
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thank you so much Jen - I appreciate your response so much!! I have a vet appt set for her- I will look into advantage! Thanks!! |
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kats12 Posts: 29
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Gosh- I mean Revolution! Its funny because I also never miss a monthly treatment. I think she is allergic to the Frontline itself- is that possible? |
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fluffyluggage Posts: 4723
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Yeah, it's possible she could be allergic to the Frontline, but I have to say that the bald pattern on the rump is a classic indication of FAD, meaning fleas are likely there. It's uncharacteristic of a different type of allergy. Usually you'd have a different area missing fur if there was an allergy to the Frontline or even food or environmental issues. A frontline allergy should be fur missing around the area you apply, which should be on the neck. And it shouldn't last more than a few days. A food allergy would usually cause problems with ear infections, itchy paws, and possibly full-body hair loss. Environmental issues are going to either cause the same as food allergies, or where ever she's touching the thing she's allergic, and actually most often, you see belly fur missing. So, I think it's not the Frontline she's allergic to, but the FAD, but JMO... So, I think the revolution is the best bet for you. Good luck. Sorry to take a while to respond, but I've had a lot going on the last week or so! *hugs* Jen Just because it's impossible doesn't mean it can't happen.
I'm not a doc, so anything I say is my opinion only. Nothing I say is meant as offense, I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else with do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I truly am insane for expecting these docs to listen to me when I say the same things repeatedly to no avail? LOL. I am tired of seeking out new docs and getting the same result time and again...Forgive me if I seem bitter some days.
Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by/The rules of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap...I'm through accepting limits/Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I can not change/But till I try I'll never know/Too long I've been afraid of/Losing love I guess I lost/Well if that's love/It comes at much too high a cost/I'd sooner buy Defying Gravity/Kiss me good-bye I'm Defying Gravity/I think I'll try Defying Gravity/And you won't bring me down...
--Defying Gravity (Glee Cast version) |
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kats12 Posts: 29
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Hi Jen! She had her vet visit yesterday. It is allergies! She had zero fleas. The vet said food or environmental. You pegged it. She also had belly fur missing. I was so concerned about her rump, I didn't notice the belly. She also has very light skin in the belly area so it blended with the skin color. She got a cortisone shot & should be getting better pretty quick. What a releif. She had to be so uncomfortable!!! Thanks you so much for your concern. It means alot!! Post edited by: kats12, at: 04/06/2009 10:14 |
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kats12 Posts: 29
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Here is a quick update- she is almost completly well- Thank God!!!! No scabs, no excessive scratching. What a relief! |
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fluffyluggage Posts: 4723
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Hey kats, Did the vet recommend changing her diet to a sensitive skin or something that would help with allergies, or have you only noticed this the one time? How old is she? If she's a few years old and just developing allergies, it might be worth checking into a change of food, because the allergy diets help to maintain the coat and keep the allergens from invading the skin. It often helps to keep the pets from having horrible allergies, and keeping the eruptions from being as bad, even when they do have them. If your vet didn't suggest it, you might just ask what he or she thinks. I've had a cat with allergies, and honestly, once we changed his food over to a hypoallergenic diet, we only had to give him a couple of allergy shots over the year, whereas before, he was getting them about every three months. Mind you, not every case will turn out that way, but it was great for us, and for him. Steroid injections can be bad over time for the pet, so it's a thought. I'm really glad to see she's doing so well, tho! I hope it keeps up for you. Good luck for continued success. *hugs* Jen Just because it's impossible doesn't mean it can't happen.
I'm not a doc, so anything I say is my opinion only. Nothing I say is meant as offense, I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else with do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I truly am insane for expecting these docs to listen to me when I say the same things repeatedly to no avail? LOL. I am tired of seeking out new docs and getting the same result time and again...Forgive me if I seem bitter some days.
Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by/The rules of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap...I'm through accepting limits/Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I can not change/But till I try I'll never know/Too long I've been afraid of/Losing love I guess I lost/Well if that's love/It comes at much too high a cost/I'd sooner buy Defying Gravity/Kiss me good-bye I'm Defying Gravity/I think I'll try Defying Gravity/And you won't bring me down...
--Defying Gravity (Glee Cast version) |
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kats12 Posts: 29
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Its funny you mentioned food because I had recently changed her diet & thats when all the problems started. The vet recommended I go back to the original food & I did. I don't know if I mentioned this but I volunteer with a feral cat rescue. ( TNR) This girl is one of my 5 (tame) rescues I've adopted. She is approx. 5 years old. I have had her for 2. She has always been allergic to fleas but this is the first time she had an allergic reaction of this magnitude. I have 3 cats with allergies to fleas- just my luck! I have always bought the largest dog size frontline & reduced the dose to cat size- much cheaper that way. The vet thinks I should continue with the frontline since the reaction was not related to frontline. I am still going to look into the Revolution. I know with Frontline & Advantage you can get the large dog size & reduce the dose for cats. I get 8 cat doses out of one large dog size, saves me ALOT of money. Do you know if that is possible with Revolution? I don't think she will need more than one cortizone shot- I have heard its not good for them. I am lucky to have found you & can pick your brain!!! Thank you so much! |
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fluffyluggage Posts: 4723
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Hey Kat, Sorry it took me forever to get back to you--things have really been crazy in my life. How's she doing, by the way?? I hope well. With revolution, you really need to use the cat size, from what I understand, they treat a little different things, but you could ask the vet, it may just be dosed differently for cats and dogs. With Advantix, it would be absolutely toxic to give to the cat the dog meds, but I'm not entirely sure with the revolution... I'd ask and see for sure. It seems, tho, that if I remember correctly, you should be using the actual cat revolution, but I just can't be certain. As for the food, yeah, changing can cause the reaction, too, so hopefully if you keep her on what you had, it'll be ok! I'm glad we talked about that. If you need me sometime and I'm not on the board to answer, you notice a day or 2 has gone by, be sure to send me a PM to ask me a question. I spend more time on my leader boards and in my PM's than I get anywhere else, cuz I'm really busy lately, and have been pretty sick the last month or so! LOL I'll try to keep up here more often now, tho, and I hope she's doing great. Let me know! *hugs* jen Just because it's impossible doesn't mean it can't happen.
I'm not a doc, so anything I say is my opinion only. Nothing I say is meant as offense, I offer what I can as help. I believe in educating myself on all my medical issues and being my own advocate, for no one else with do that on my behalf. I recommend we all do the same!
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Perhaps I truly am insane for expecting these docs to listen to me when I say the same things repeatedly to no avail? LOL. I am tired of seeking out new docs and getting the same result time and again...Forgive me if I seem bitter some days.
Something has changed within me/Something is not the same/I'm through with playing by/The rules of someone else's game/Too late for second-guessing/Too late to go back to sleep/It's time to trust my instincts/Close my eyes and leap...I'm through accepting limits/Cuz someone says they're so/Some things I can not change/But till I try I'll never know/Too long I've been afraid of/Losing love I guess I lost/Well if that's love/It comes at much too high a cost/I'd sooner buy Defying Gravity/Kiss me good-bye I'm Defying Gravity/I think I'll try Defying Gravity/And you won't bring me down...
--Defying Gravity (Glee Cast version) |
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