My cat has eosinophilic granuloma. What are affordable treatments?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Zorro. An esinophilic granuloma needs to be diagnosed by a surgical biopsy. There is typically an underlying allergy such as to something in the cat's diet, environment or even fleas that trigger this reaction. The lesions can be aggressive and typically need extensive treatment. In some cases, diet modification is needed as well as anti-inflammatory or even immunosuppressive therapy. I recommend seeking a second opinion with another veterinarian to be sure you have an accurate diagnosis. Then Zorro can receive the best care. I hope this information helps!

Hi there and thank you for posting! Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex sometimes occurs due to an underlying cause such as a flea allergy, other environmental allergy, or a food allergy. Steroids and antibiotics are commonly used as well as trying a hypoallergenic food and getting Roxy on a flea preventative to rule out a flea allergy as the cause. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Steroids generally used are Prednisolone or Depo-Medrol. If Steroids can not control the lesions, we often go to Atopica ( cyclosporine ). For the antibiotic, I would start either with the amoxicillin/clauvalonic acid or one of the cephalosporins ( Covenia if available to you). You might also investigate using a hypoallergenic diet for cats, such as one with a novel protein or one made with a hydrolyzed protein. Science Diet & Royal Canin are very popular ones here. Hope this helps. Take care.

Poor kitty! Unfortunately he needs to see a vet to be treated. This condition often requires oral or injectable steroids for treatment, which is not available over the counter. If cost is a factor in your ability to get him to the vet, you can refer to this site for ideas on how to help with the cost http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_veterinary_care.html

Oh goodness! Poor Gizmo! Often looking under the microscope at a quick smear of the fluid from the lesion can give your veterinarian a good idea if eosinophilic complex is possible. If the cells do not support that diagnosis then a biopsy may be recommended. Often these lesions also have a secondary infection so often I use antibiotics as well as steroids to resolve the lesions. Often a hypoallergenic diet may also be helpful. Best of luck and I hope he improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I'm so sorry to hear about Tetra! That is a tough disease to manage and I know it can be so frustrating. The problem is, we often have no idea what triggers a flare up. It can be anything from something blooming outside to someone lighting a cigarette inside, to one tiny mite/flea/mosquito/ant bite to a tiny piece of something dropped on the kitchen floor, even stress or illness can sometimes contribute to a flare up ...you get the idea. In all honesty, you are doing basically everything I would recommend, though I would add on the omega 3's. I usually recommend about 130 mg of fish oil per pound daily. (Work up to this dose though because it can cause some soft stool if you start off too high.) I haven't heard of the canned food thing but certainly ask the dermatologist/internist if that might help. Unfortunately, many of these cats are on Atopica for quite some time but hopefully with the immunotherapy, etc. you can hopefully stop in time. Of course, consulting with a board-certified dermatologists or internists can be very helpful. Best of luck to you and Tetra

Hello. It is very difficult to diagnose a skin problem just by looking at it, & certainly harder by a picture. If this is similar to what your other cat has, then I might be suspicious of a mange mite called Demodex gatoi. I would first talk to your vet about treating both cats ( & any others in the house ) with Bravecto, just to rule this out ( it is also great for fleas). For EG, some cats will respond nicely to occasional steroid injections. You can also do a hypoallergenic diet trial to rule out a food allergy. Antihistamines sometimes will control symptoms, especially Certirizine ( your veterinarian can recommend a dose ), & some cats are being treated with a relatively new medication for allergies in dogs called Apoquel. So, once your veterinarian has confirmed what the skin lesions are, treatment can be started. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.