Cat Skin Biopsy - has anybody had this done?

HollyWoozle

HollyWoozle

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 August 2002
Messages
4,035
Location
Beds/South Cambs
www.farandride.com
The saga of our sweet senior rescue cat and her skin allergies continues and to cut a long story short, we suspect food allergies but haven't quite figured it out yet. The vet we saw today proposes a skin biopsy under anaesthetic at a cost of £900. 😵‍💫 She is insured but I am very honest and anything relating to her skin/allergies is excluded on her policy as it was already an issue when we got her from the charity.

Has anybody had a cat have this done and was it at all helpful? Vet did go on to say that the treatment is often steroids anyway so we could just give her steroid pills and see what happens. I feel in a pickle as I dearly want to help her but where do you draw the line? She ideally also needs a dental and she is also stiff and would benefit from Solensia. Was £100 today for a steroid injection and some antibiotics and can I really afford £900 for a biopsy, the dental work (which you might as well do when she is already knocked out), solensia, then a lifetime of steroids? Obviously we did know she had skin issues when we took her on and I am committed to finding a way forward for her, but I also don't have unlimited funds. I do think it can be managed via diet if we can get it right as it's very much ups and downs.
 
That is my inclination at the moment - to try steroid tablets and just see what happens. We have tried a hydrolised elimination diet... we do have some options still to try food wise but don't want to keep switching them without giving things a try if you know what I mean.

Basically I just feel bad saying no to what the vet proposes and want to check I am not mad for trying other things first!
 
I agree with AA,and would honestly try a low dose of steroids first, and stick to one hydrolysed diet for 6 weeks. You might also consider removing dried completely for a while if you can, to see if that makes a difference.
Skin issues are a pita and i've been there myself. In my case I spent a fortune on food, vets and meds when all I needed to do was remove all Felix food from her diet
 
HollyWoozle said:
Thanks @Shady. I did wonder about trying a wet food instead of a dry as everything has been dry so far really.
Click to expand...
It's worth a go Holly, some cats just can't drink enough to compensate, and stay borderline dehydrated which results in dry itchy skin . I would try single source novel wet like rabbit, horse( sorry), venison etc. There are quite a few both in vet brands and others like Mac's for example. Have a really good search and pay close attention to ingredients.I know it can get very expensive trialling different foods , but sometimes you hit that one that works, and that is much better than having to resort to long term steroid use.
The alternative option is to take the hit on the skin biopsy in the hope it nails the problem, and for £900 I would want to know it would do that.

As an aside, I have had two years trying to get to the bottom of digestive issues with one of mine. I tried every food I could find, wet and dry. So many poo and blood tests, different meds and scans etc. At the end of all this he ended up on steroids anyway and Proplan Hydrolysed dry, plus vitb12. It's not perfect, but he is so much happier and can now keep weight on. He will need regular blood tests though and will probably have a shorter life.
 
Thank you, that’s really helpful. I don’t mind throwing a lot of money at it food-wise but somehow the prospect of a £900 bill with no guarantee of finding the answer seems a bit daunting.

I will try a wet option as you’ve suggested. In the meantime we have to go back to the vets on Monday for a recheck anyhow… they gave her a steroid injection yesterday and some antibiotics against infection (although no signs of any infection as yet). Her skin has always been very dry/dandruffy so you are right to point out the hydration factor.

Well done for finding a way forwards for your boy. I felt embarrassed about the state of Luna’s skin when I took her yesterday but we can only do our best.
 
I did think of trying it before and then worried about a fish allergy, but she has eaten some fish before and I don’t think it made things better or worse, so probably it isn’t that. I’ll look at that, thank you 😀
 
HollyWoozle said:
I did think of trying it before and then worried about a fish allergy, but she has eaten some fish before and I don’t think it made things better or worse, so probably it isn’t that. I’ll look at that, thank you 😀
Click to expand...
Worth looking at coconut oil too...on her, not in her! try on a small patch maybe. Vitamin deficiency also worth concidering. xxx
 
Are you sure it’s not allergy to flea bites? Our rescue cat has this in a big way. He will scratch his skin off if it gets out of hand. He has never had fleas and is always treated with preventatives but one flea gets on him, bites, dies because of the flea treatment and that sets off the allergic reaction.
After years of our vets trying to help him we now have an excellent solution which is a spot on anti flea treatment from the vets called Felpreva every 3 months and other pets need strict flea control too. It’s made a massive difference. Some summers he needs a steroid injection too but at least it’s not alll year round now.
 
It is possible @dreamcometrue but unlikely I think. She doesn't go outside now, is treated with Nexguard Combo and has never shown any sign of fleas (and we have no other pets). Vets don't think it is that either but I am spraying the house and sorting her bedding etc. again to be doubly sure. She always has an underlying level of irritation though but this is now disappearing with steroid treatment and she is regrowing all her hair now.

Thanks for the thought though! :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top