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First, I have a vet appointment in the morning. Just wanting to get some thoughts before then.
August 1st I put Revolution on Pyret (spayed female cat). The vet recommended it due to the heartworm problems in the area, and this is the third time I used it. I came home for lunch today, and she has a bare spot about the size of a nickel right between the shoulder blades, where I put the Revolution. Has anyone else had this happen to them? To complicate matters (and part of the reason for the vet visit), it also looks sort of like a bite mark, with a bloody spot in the middle (possibly where fur was pulled out), fairly bare skin with a little fuzz on it, and then a crusty brownish ring further out.
She's not acting that off... still active and playful and demanding cuddles. But she doesn't want the spot looked at too closely, which makes me think it hurts at least a little.
The list of things it could be is just so long... reaction to the Revolution, a bite/scratch from the other cat (although it seems like a strange location for it... not quite nape, and higher on the back than I would expect), spider bite, ringworm, a scrape from something in the house....
The answer from the vet is: this is odd. It doesn't aparently have the classic signs of the several things that it could be (bacterial, fungal, viral, allergic), but is "sort of" like several of them. He's leaning toward ringworm, so I have topical anti-fungal cream to put on her and we are culturing some of the hairs he plucked to make a definitive diagnosis.
This is very common with revolution,thats why I don't like it.I am a vet tech,and our Pfizer rep pushes us to sell this stuff,but I see this reaction too often.Most cats hate this stuff ,and seem to dig at the area where its applied.I believe it is good for what it does,but the bald spot usually never goes away.Most of my cats are old,and probably have heartworms,and there's not much point for me treating this.Revolution is a strong product,and it's up to you if it's worth the pain to your pet.Heartgard makes heartworm treatments for cats,but administering it is a joke. Let us know what you do.
The vet said that reactions to Revolution tend to be more ulcerated, and this isn't at all. I'm a bit concerned about not treating for heartworms. Won't they kill cats the same as dogs? I haven't before this, because I lived in an area that didn't have a lot of heartworm, and really didn't seem to have many mosquitos. I'd get bit maybe once a year. Now, I live in a spot where I will get bitten multiple times between the front door and the mailbox, and heartworm is endemic. I was warned that most cats don't accept the Heartgard, which is why I was going with the Revolution. The dog's on heartworm preventative, and it just seems like the cats need it too.
I would give heartworm preventative if it is a young cat.My cats are very old,and I live in mosquito infested state.Heartgard is too hard to give to a cat.We have clients that bring cats to us,and pay to have a person give their dose to the cat.We have seen cats die for no apparent reason,and the owners would request an autopsy.We found heartworms on a few occastions.If you treat with revolution,you will keep the heartworms from infesting the cat heart,and hopefully your cat will live for a long time.I know it is a hard decision to make,but your vet will most likey say the revolution is better for your cat,than ending up with heartworms.
All right... the culture came back negative. The spot is still bald, but it's not crusty like it used to be, and I think the fur may be growing back. I need to talk to the vet and see where to go from here.
And, having talked to the vet, I am now in a dilemna. Since the fur is growing back and she seems to be fine, we are going to take a wait and see approach until next month, when I am debating about what to do about the heartworm treatment. The vet is suggesting trying it either higher/lower on her back, and seeing if it happens again. If it does, that would be a pretty good indication that it's the Revolution. But that seems a bit cruel to me. On the other hand, apparently cats really don't like the Heartgard, and there's a possibility that it's not the Revolution. And then I ponder skipping the heartworm preventative altogether, only to read that the first symptom of heartworms in cats tends to be sudden death. So many decisions to make before next month!
Froggy,
I'm happy your cat is doing better.
Using the revolution doesn't sound cruel to me if your cat showed no signs of discomfort.
It may not have been the product to begin with, you'll never know until you try it again.
Secondly, I give my cats heartguard. They gobble it up.
It's like a little beef (i think it's beef) soft chew.
I remember when I got my first cat, the vet said that if he didn't want to eat it, mix 1 table spoon of wet cat food with it, smash it up with it and they'll eat it that way.
I never had to do that though...
I wouldn't go without treating for heartworms...that to me would be cruel.
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