Hello:

I've posted before about the allergy my cat has that results in an inflamed eyelid. She scratches it uncontrollably.. My vet gave her a steroid shot and I made an appointment with a skin specialist vet. He too gave her steroids until the cause could be found.. As it turns out, in order to determine the cause, my cat is going to have to go through a painful and expensive allergy test.

I can't yet afford that, so I've asked the vet to prescribe another round of steroids just to give her some relief.. He did - a couple times... He said there ARE consequences of using these steroids, but didn't say what.

Am I killing her by loading her up with steroids? What are the downsides of prolonged use? Is she going to bulk up and win the kitty marathon?

excon

How many rounds has she been through?

How many rounds has she been through?Hi Carol:

I don't know. Five, or thereabouts.

Steve

Were other things tried first (like antihistamines)? Did your vet ever figure out what is causing the allergy?

From vet4petz.com --

Side effects - of anti-inflammatory steroids can be numerous. In dogs and less often in cats, the most commonly seen side effects include an increase in thirst and appetite, followed by an increase in urine production, and possible weight gain.

***ADDED*** Have you noticed any change in her at all (weight, eating habits, sleep, etc.), apart from the eye problem?

P.S. Have the steroids helped at all? Or are we tilting at windmills?

Hello again, Carol:

No, we didn't figure it out yet, if we ever will.. Good to know that all I'll get is a fat thirsty kitty. THAT is already happening... But, I had her on a special organic diet of raw chicken and turkey. She didn't like that and got skinny.. No other medicines..

So, until I can afford the tests, keeping her on steroids is OK?? Unless she blows up, huh?

excon

She may be allergic to something as simple as your aftershave. How long will this round of steroids last, and will it be the last one before the allergy test? Did the allergy start after you got her, or did she have it already?

(I have to eat supper. Will be back soon.)

Hello again, Carol:

It never started because I couldn't afford it. So these steroid treatments are just stopgap measures until I can get the test going... IF I can... It's $500 bucks...

So, this round is going to be over in a week or so, and it'll take a few weeks more for the inflammation to get to a point where I ask for another prescription... But, I'm going to ask, until she scratches her eye out, or explodes.

Steve

Exy, I'm not an expert on Cats, but, having dealt with allergies with both my pets and my people, I can tell you that it's not easy to pinpoint the allergy, even with extensive testing.

Should you get the testing done when you can afford it? Yes, I would. Will you find out what she's allergic to after the tests? It's possible, but not a guarantee.

My husband has had what we think is an allergic reaction for 7 years now. It affects his hands. His hands look like he's a leper. Really! It's painful, swollen, bleeding, cracked, peeling. Not pretty, and not comfortable.

He's been on steroid shots for 7 years now, every 3 months. They've tested for everything on this fine earth of ours, and they still haven't figured out what the problem is.

I'm sure it's something at his work, because that's when this started happening. But what? We don't know.

So, the only option is the shots. So far they haven't affected him in a negative way.

The only thing that would bother me about the steroids is that it's not a solution, or a cure. It's only a temporary fix, something to make her comfortable until you can get to the bottom of what's causing this.

So yes, ask for the tests, hope they find the problem, but don't be too concerned about continuing the shots until you can afford to get the testing done.

Aside from a few facial tics and peeing his pants whenever we run the microwave, hubby is fine with the shots. I'm kidding! ;)

Steroids solve a lot of problems, but can create new ones. The side effects in cats are not numerous, but pets can still experience some changes. Side effects in cats include:

Increased appetite
Increased thirst and frequent urination
Weight gain
Sodium retention, resulting in fluid retention
Breathing difficulties
Irritability
Aggressiveness
Liver disease
Kidney disease


Found here: Steroid Treatment for Cats (http://www.vetinfo.com/steroid-treatment-for-cats.html)

Steroids are less dangerous for cats than they are humans. Continued use is very dangerous in humans.

Exy, ask your vet if you can give the kitty antihistamines like ChlorTabs.

Hello kitty lovers:

Just an update. After this last round of steroids, the allergy didn't come back, and her eye is fine. I don't know why - but I'm sure happy. I thought you'd want to know.

excon

I am so glad, excon! When any kitty is sick or unhappy, WG feels terrible.