Kitty's dermatitis is bad, vet gave me prednisone susp

[Missy & Kitty]

Hey guys!

Kitty's flea allergy dermatitis is really bad now. The vet said that the best thing for it is prednisone, but since it raises her BG up so high, he can't give her a shot of it again. He said we could use a low dose in a suspension, so if it did raise her BG, the prednisone would be out of her system in 24 hours instead of 4 weeks. She's miserable, and her skin looks reallllly bad. My other cat, Tuff, is also pulling all of his hair out on his back, so I'm supposed to give it to him as well.

I asked the vet about Benadryl, and he said it was only about 30% as effective as prednisone. Since both cats are so bad right now, it wouldn't do any good to use Benadryl. He said I should use the prednisone for a few days and see if it clears up, and then if it does, I can start using Benadryl.

What do you guys think? Is it OK to use the suspension?

 

[Missy & Kitty]

*taps microphone* Is this thing on? :mrgreen:

 

[Amy&TrixieCat]

I don't have any first-hand pred experience myself, but we do have some members who do use it for asthma. It's one of those "you gotta do what you gotta do" things when you're dealing with multiple health issues, and they just adjust the insulin dose accordingly.

Hopefully someone who has actually used pred with their FD kitty will come along with a little more solid info than that!

Have a great evening, Missy!!

 

[Sienne and Gabby (GA)]

There are any number of conditions where a cat needs to be on a steroid or some other medication that may have an effect on BG levels. There is definitely a possibility that Kitty will need to rent a condo here. However, insulin can be adjusted around the medication and if it means that Kitty needs to go back on insulin in order to not be miserable, I think putting her on the pred wins.

If there is anything you can do to prevent the fleas from returning, I'd consider it. Otherwise, I don't know how you manage the problem if you can't get rid of the fleas.

 

[Missy & Kitty]

It's one of those "you gotta do what you gotta do" things when you're dealing with multiple health issues, and they just adjust the insulin dose accordingly.

Yeah, that's true. The vet seemed to think that Kitty's diabetes was triggered by the prednisone shot he gave her a few weeks ago, and it finally wore off, so now her BG is back to normal. She was still eating dry food at that time, so maybe with this lower dose and feeding her LC canned food, I can keep her numbers down. *crossing fingers*

If there is anything you can do to prevent the fleas from returning, I'd consider it. Otherwise, I don't know how you manage the problem if you can't get rid of the fleas.

You're right; I'm about to order some DE for the house and nematodes for the yard.

Thank you guys for the input! I'll get a quick BG reading from Kitty before I give her the 1cc dose. Now that I think about it, maybe I ought to wait until the morning to give the dose so I can monitor her better. Yeah, I'll wait until the morning for the first dose.

 

[Ann & Tess GA]

There are some more natural things to do to keep Kitty flea free and therefore dermatitis free. Tess would get bad dermatitis if even a few fleas invaded the house. We probably carried them in on our clothes since she is indoor only.

If they have been in the house eggs laid in carpeting or upholstered furniture can lay dormant for months until the right situation arises for them to hatch. WE hauled all the furniture out, cleaned the carpets, vacuumed every crack and crevasse of the upholstered furniture and dusted w/ diatomaceous earth before moving it back in. So far no problems! ANTI-JINX!!! We also give her a vitamin B treat that is supposed to repel fleas. FLEA TREATS I hate putting the drops on her, and they can still get bitten. Theses seem to work, but not if the cat goes outside. Emma has had few fleas w/ the treats, but she has gotten some so I put the drops on her.

 

[Missy & Kitty]

WE hauled all the furniture out, cleaned the carpets, vacuumed every crack and crevasse of the upholstered furniture and dusted w/ diatomaceous earth before moving it back in.

Yeah, unfortunately, that looks like what I'll have to do. I have a pretty big house (technically, it's my Dad's house..but still)..not looking forward to that. My babies are worth it though. I would much rather do natural remedies than flea medicines. The side effects of those things are just scary.