|
Post by bitbyter on May 19, 2013 9:46:58 GMT -5
Yep, I've removed the cuddle cube and am going to double check that the brand of laundry detergent I use hasn't changed ingredients. The other thing I am thinking of is that I use "World's Best" cat litter which is corn based. I know corn can cause a lot of allergy issues and was wondering if anyone had heard of it affecting pets as a contact allergen?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on May 19, 2013 15:35:10 GMT -5
It's always possible. To find the culprit, just change one thing at a time.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on May 19, 2013 15:37:42 GMT -5
Have you been using those new Tide gel packs? My son has never had any allergy to Tide but is violently allergic to them. I don't know what they changed but he found himself covered in huge welt type hives that took days to shrink down (of course he never thought to just change his bedding {sigh}) I'm glad that you've found out that it is an allergic reaction though it's no small consolation making the horrible guessing game as to what it might be. It does sound like a contact allergy rather than an ingested one. ciao
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on May 19, 2013 17:25:07 GMT -5
No I use a green laundry detergent (zero phosphates, no scent, hypoallergenic, etc). They recently changed their bottle though so I'm going to compare it to an old one I still have to see if maybe they changed their formulation. Also, I talked to my vet about it today and he said it could be something as common as a pollen since I've had the windows open for about a month (though I still think it is something she is contacting with her paws as that is the prime symptom site). I'm going to pick up some of the blue buffalo walnut litter tomorrow and see if that makes a difference.
I'm just soooo glad it isn't anything more serious and that I've got something I can give her to treat the symptoms.
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 4, 2013 12:11:57 GMT -5
Well, things have gotten worse with Wilma. At this point I'm having to dose her with Children's Benidryl every other day and she is wounding herself with all the scratching. I've ruled out a food allergy as they have gotten nothing but mice for the last 5 days. All the bedding has been washed three times in my old laundry detergent and double rinsed so I hoping I have gotten out all the new detergent. Switching out the litter to the Blue Buffalo Walnut to see if that helps. I just feel so bad for her and helpless to get to bottom of what is causing it. She is at the vet today for skin scrapings and biopsies to rule out scabies (mites) or a fungal infection. Everything still points to an allergy but I am so frustrated that she is suffering and I can't find a cause.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2013 12:36:13 GMT -5
Hmmm that is frustrating. The vet can do an allergy panel, but it would only test food and environmental allergies (indoor and outdoor).
Try doing a vinegar rinse in the washing machine.
Also have YOU changed shampoos, hand lotions, etc. lately? If you hAndle her a lot, it's entirely possible it's coming from you.
You may want to ask your vet about longer term allergy solutions. They have prescriptions that work better than Benadryl. You might need a combo of antihistamine, steroid, and skin medication at least for a while to fight this thing
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 4, 2013 12:47:22 GMT -5
Nope, nothing has changed that I use (other than the laundry detergent that I switched unintentionally but that has been corrected). When I go to pick her up tonight I am going ask about other medication options. I really don't want to use the Benadryl long term as it is basically sugar water + antihistamine. How much vinegar do I use to rinse their bedding?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2013 16:00:58 GMT -5
I just put the vinegar into the washing machine, so about a laundry capful or however much you detergent you would normally put in. Then put the machine on the "rinse" cycle.
Also be careful of the dryer sheets. Most people don't think about it but they are scented. Bounce makes scent free ones called Bounce Free.
I would definitely recommend asking the vet that. Allergies in animals suck but there are a lot of really good animal drugs on the market now that help make their lives a lot more comfortable.
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 4, 2013 21:08:32 GMT -5
I don't use drier sheets. One of the most toxic items you can have in your home.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 5, 2013 0:54:15 GMT -5
Fingers crossed something comes up from the skin scrapings. I know with one of our dogs it took several months and a number of scrapings before a definitive diagnosis of sarcoptic mange was made. Hoping it doesn't take nearly as long for poor Wilma
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 5, 2013 9:58:36 GMT -5
They did several scrapings and took three biopsies so I have my fingers crossed. Everything still points to an allergy of some kind, I just want to rule out mange, fungus foot rot and mite foot rot. It is mainly her ears and feet that swell (ears & feet), blister and crust over when they heal(feet only). There doesn't seem to be any permanent damage being done so far but it is happening more frequently and the episodes seem to be getting worse (never had blisters before and the swelling is always bad now). I don't want to keep giving her the benidryl as it has so much sugar in it. My vet said he'd look into it but said that it was the only anti-histamine he was aware of for an animal with such a low body weight.
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 5, 2013 11:31:19 GMT -5
It's the only one I'm aware of as well. Might also be time to take this to the Ferret Health List. They have a number of vets on there who *might* have more ideas.
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 5, 2013 12:13:31 GMT -5
How do I get onto the ferret health list?
|
|
|
Post by Sherry on Jun 5, 2013 13:28:22 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by bitbyter on Jun 13, 2013 10:41:07 GMT -5
So I got the biopsy results back from the vet today. They took 2 biopsies. The first showed exactly what we though it would, classic allergic reactions. The second show abnormal hair follicle development which he said could be a very early precursor to Adrenal Disease. With this information I think I am going to get her implanted with Des as a preventative. Going this route how often will I have to get her re-implanted (6 months, yearly, longer)?
On a positive not, she has been allergy symptom free for over a week. This means it was either the laundry detergent that I inadvertently switched to or she developed an allergy for Worlds Best Cat Litter (since switched to the Blue Buffalo walnut litter).
|
|