Monday, March 28, 2016

A Regal Mystery

Cammie’s cold is now gone, she has ceased vomiting, and her appetite is good once more. But she is suffering a third problem, though I don’t think this one is as bothersome to her as the previous two she has had recently.

Now and then, the princess has inflammation appear on the sides of her head. This swelling begins pink and sometimes can grow quite large, though it is usually the size of a marble. The swellings eventually break open and discharge clear puss. They are, I believe, the result of the body fighting an allergic reaction.

To the best of my knowledge, I have narrowed the causes to certain tinned foods. Cammie used to vary her consumption of Fancy Feast ocean whitefish with the same brand’s cod/shrimp/sole flavour. This seemed to cause the outbreak. Fish in general doesn’t bother her, but I think the shrimp in this case does. When she went off her usual tastes, I fed her some Blue Healthy Gourmet tinned food. This started her eating again, for which I was grateful, but she suffered another, similar reaction, which I believe was caused by the food. The flavour I had given her was salmon, and it did not contain shrimp. She has eaten Fancy Feast salmon without a problem arising from it. Perhaps the latter salmon isn’t as ‘salmony’ as the Blue.

Now, she has returned to enjoying her ocean whitefish, and she is eating hard-food again, so I am relieved not to have to experiment with varieties to keep her fed. The reaction, in the form of inflammation, is rather severe this time, but has passed its peak.

When these first started, a long time ago, I asked the veterinarian what may be causing them and the answer was the generic ‘allergic reaction’. I didn’t need a doctor to tell me that. So I thought I would ask fellow cat-owners if they know of something similar.

The inflammation is always on the sides of her head - never anywhere else - usually in the balding patch behind and above the eyes. It is often pink in hue. What is important to note is that Cammie never seems to be bothered by them. She does not scratch them. They are not itchy. They break open eventually of their own accord and sometimes when she scratches in the area; again, they are not itchy and she scratches there no more frequently than would an unafflicted cat. Touching them leaves her untroubled. Her health is not otherwise affected. She will eat well while the inflammation is present. She is not lethargic, is interested in what is going on, can run and climb with her usual vigour.

The last characteristic is that I first noticed something strange in that area immediately after Cammie had had a brief set-to with Josie, years ago. What resulted looked like scratches. Perhaps the original inflammation came from that incident. Perhaps cysts developed. But they come and go; are filled, not with the usual cyst matter, but with puss, and they are caused, or perhaps only triggered, by certain food. It may be that the fight with Josie was only coincidental to the first appearance. After all, I’ve not heard of a cat scratching another simultaneously on both sides of the head.

In any case, now that the princess’s diet is returning to normal, I don’t foresee another outbreak soon. This condition does, however, remain puzzling to me. I don’t believe it is dangerous, but I wouldn’t mind its origins explained.

13 comments:

  1. I'm stumped with this one, but hopefully someone will chime in with ideas/suggestions or even experience with something similar. It's great news she's eating again, btw! Fingers (and paws) crossed for a LONG stretch of good health for everyone!

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  2. I've never heard of this. Thankfully she doesn't seem bothered by it all. Hope all is better soon.

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  3. Our son's dog has some allergies that manifest in her skin. They give her benadryl for it when it flares up. Might your vet tell you of a suitable dose of an antihistamine to help out?

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    1. I'm leery of Benadryl's side-effects, and from what I've read, none of Cammie's symptoms match what Benadryl solves. But I will talk to the vet about the possibility of some form of anti-histamine. Thank you.

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  4. Cammie....we iz all buzzed happee ta heer yur doin sew well; we hope ya stayz that way for like 90 bazillion yeerz..

    we iz sorree we due knot haz any kinda add vize for yur dad.....

    me, tuna, used ta get raw spots a bove de eye, but that waz when sauce waz livin & eye figured it waz from him tryin ta groom me bald !! ♥♥♥

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  5. You are probably correct about shrimp causing Cammie's allergic reaction. Shell fish is a big allergin producer in humans, (right up there with peanuts and bee stings.), so it might cause allergies in cats as well. As for why the reaction occurs only in an area where there was a previous injury, (scratches from a disagreement with Josie), I'm not sure, but I'll venture a guess. Perhaps when that area became injured, it became prone to producing histamine. (Histamine is produced by injured cells, and that's what gives you your allergic symptoms.) It will be interesting to hear the views of the others who follow your blog.

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    1. That makes sense; being a nurse, you would know about it. It links the location and the symptoms.

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  6. I think you've figured it out and it probably is the seafood.

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  7. That is fascinating. To me it sounds like an abscess caused by a wound.. but not the discharge..

    Cats.. every one of them is different :)

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    1. Combined with what Roberta wrote above, I think that may be the answer.

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  8. I remember when you mentioned it before. I have no suggestions about it, but agree that it does sound like an allergic reaction.

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  9. Would this be rodent virus? My Holly has this "Rodent Virus" and I was told it might be related to sensitive skin and allergies. But it seems not much is known about this condition. I am happy to hear Cammie much better.

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    1. I've not heard of that. I will do some research on it.

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