Why does my cat's allergies keep coming back after vet visits?

Question

My cat is showing allergy symptoms (scabs around eyes, nose and lower back) and runny eyes and nose. We have taken her to the vet who thought it was a food allergy, she was given an injection and pills which did significantly help her. After finishing the pills she began to show symptoms again, we took her back to the vet who then said it was a flea allergy, he gave her two injections and more pills. She improved again, check up went well but now she has runny eyes and nose again after 5 days. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 9 years and 5 months old | 6 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

I hate to hear Autumn is not feeling well. Pets with chronic skin conditions generally have allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Comfortis. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Therapy could include a drug called Atopica or immunotherpy. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Autumn wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Runny eyes and nose are not always associated with allergies. Sometimes this could be related to persistent herpes infection. Make sure Autumn has been tested for Felv/FIV within the last 6 months to rule out immune suppression from a virus. Sometimes Lysine for cats can help and a really good diet (again, I recommend Royal Canin or working with a nutritionist) to help strengthen the immune system. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Why does my cat's allergies keep coming back after vet visits?

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