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#1
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Cortizone
My kitty has horrible allergies and scratches herself raw. I've
changed her food, put her on kitty prozac, changed detergents, etc. but nothing works except cortizone injections. I just had to start giving her injections again this year because things are blooming and she started scratching again. Yesterday she was miserable, scratching and scratching. After her shot yesterday, today she's so much better! No scratching. My vet let me know that these injections over time can lead to other problems and wants to monitor her closely. I'm worried that she'll have other problems in the future but nothing else seems to give her quality of life *now* other than the injections. Does anyone have any thoughts on what problems could occur from these injections and how long it would take them to develop? |
#2
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"Laura M" wrote in message ups.com... My kitty has horrible allergies and scratches herself raw. I've changed her food, put her on kitty prozac, changed detergents, etc. but nothing works except cortizone injections. How does cortizone work differently than Depo Medrol? I know they are both steroids, but Depo is the one I use for my cat, and it works great to control her allergic skin reactions. She gets a couple of shots a year. |
#3
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Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is
indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. |
#4
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Laura M wrote:
Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. When my Luna was younger she had cortizone shots, too. And yes, we were warned that it could cause future problems such as diabetes. I had to make the decision that it was something she needed NOW and worry about the future...in the future. Pam |
#5
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Laura M wrote: Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. Laura, My Mimi has had eosinophilic granuloma since birth. She gets these injections every time she has an outbreak (sometimes more frequrently than others - she has gone over a year without one, sometimes). She is now 13 and is still in great health. Over time cortisone-derivatives can affect the liver and kidneys, but you have to weigh the cost-to-benefit ratio of using such drugs. You really need to keep an eye on the kitty and make sure the injections are necessary - and don't over-medicate. Other than that, it sounds like a reasonable treatment plan to me. And as always, if you have real concerns, discuss them with your vet - make sure there isn't an alternative treatment you would be more comfortable with. good luck, -L. |
#6
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Laura M wrote:
Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. They certainly can be, particularly used that often. Diabetes is the big one. I am so sorry your kitty has allergies that bad. What other controls have you tried, as far as determining the source of the allergies and removing as many as possible? When I adopted her from the shelter Cheeky had bad asthma and EGC (that thing they call "rodent ulcer" but she has the linear granuloma kind that raises itchy bumps on the basks of her legs). The Depo controlled both problems for about three months per shot. Then I changed cleaning services and stopped wearing a perfume I wore fairly often, and suddenly she could go from July to March with no shot, no bumps, no asthma attacks! Do tell us more about her condition. Several others here have had cats with allergy problems and asthma. |
#7
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kitkat wrote:
Laura M wrote: Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. When my Luna was younger she had cortizone shots, too. And yes, we were warned that it could cause future problems such as diabetes. I had to make the decision that it was something she needed NOW and worry about the future...in the future. Pam Pam, what did Luna have to have them for? |
#8
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Mary wrote:
kitkat wrote: Laura M wrote: Sorry I wasn't clear. I used the generic "cortizone" word but it is indeed Depo Medrol. Problem is, my kitty needs these shots every 4 weeks from about now until October. Ugh. I've heard they're detrimental to future health. When my Luna was younger she had cortizone shots, too. And yes, we were warned that it could cause future problems such as diabetes. I had to make the decision that it was something she needed NOW and worry about the future...in the future. Pam Pam, what did Luna have to have them for? She would over-groom herself...tugging at the fur on her chest/bib area and leaving some small bald spots. She still toes the tug, but we havent given her shots in years. After discussing with the vet, we decided not to continue the shot treatment because what she was doing just wasnt that bad. some cats over groom and i'd rather have her do that than have the shots. she never groomed herself raw or anything...so it wasnt super serious. at the time though, it did help. i think she just sorta outgrew the severity. |
#9
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I've tried changing food, changing detergents for my bedding (which she
loves to lay on), changed perfume, etc. It seems to be weather-related. Poor thing, she scratches herself raw. I hate to have her get to the point where she has to wear The Cone. This time I caught it just before she scratched herself raw. She's nice and comfy now...no scratching. It seems like I'll have to keep a close eye on her so I don't over-medicate for no reason. The vet seems to think he needs to give her blood tests every so often while giving her these shots. My vet seems to squeeze all the visits he can out of me. I like him and the office but he's very expensive--they all are in this area. Ugh. |
#10
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Laura M wrote:
I've tried changing food, changing detergents for my bedding (which she loves to lay on), changed perfume, etc. I think doing without the perfume altogether would be a good idea. I really liked wearing Alfred Sung's "Pure" but I like my kitty better. It seems to be weather-related. Poor thing, she scratches herself raw. I hate to have her get to the point where she has to wear The Cone. This time I caught it just before she scratched herself raw. She's nice and comfy now...no scratching. Then you are doing something right! Is she eating canned food, dry food, or both? I feed my cats both, but used to only feed them dry. When I started Cheeky on mostly wet food she improved dramatically. And that was not even quality wet food. It might have to do with improved hydration helping with the dry skin, I don't know. It seems like I'll have to keep a close eye on her so I don't over-medicate for no reason. The vet seems to think he needs to give her blood tests every so often while giving her these shots. My vet seems to squeeze all the visits he can out of me. I like him and the office but he's very expensive--they all are in this area. Ugh. Well, just be assertive and go when you think you need to. Ask him about supplements for dry skin. Also think about unscented litter, that was the fourth thing that helped my cat: changing cleaning products, stopping wearing perfume, feeding wet food and changing to unscented litter. Good luck, I know it's hard to watch them suffer that way. |
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