# Sticky  Feline Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis



## Caiti

Hi Guys,

Really need some help here. My 10 month old kitten has just been diagnosed with feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis. Has anyone else here experienced it? There's not alot of info surrounding it as it's rare and difficult to treat. My vet has suggested a few things but I'm against a fair few of them for obvious reason:

1st option: treat with long term steroids. She will likely need them long term whenever she has a flare up (around 6 months at a time). She has steroids a few weeks ago which didn't touch it and I'm uneasy about long term steroid use.

2nd option: Gabapentin has been shown to be affective, but again I don't want to drug my cat and have her in a constantly sedative state, that's no way to live.

3rd option: Declaw her back left leg, the sore on her neck is made 10 times worse because of self mutilation. I'm quite against this option as I think it's cruel, but if I have to I will.

4th option: try feeding her just a dry food diet with Hills Science or RC sensitive skin. I'm not going to feed her overpriced rubbish that is no good for her - this isn't really an option.

If none of the above works the vet has said we need to consider having her PTS, she is so miserable and in pain all the time so the thought had crossed my mind. She's currently wearing a medical pet suit to stop he scratching but she's even more miserable in that. 

Sorry for the long post, but I've tried so much and nothing works.

Anyone got any recommendations for a good quality dry food, I'm currently looking at Thrive, Orijen or Purizon. My OH is a butcher so I will also try giving her a few meat scraps as a treat.

Thank you!


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## Guest

Hi I'm so sorry to hear this. It's an issue which has been discussed on this forum before. Have you tried searching the historic threads? I'm tagging @chillminx as she might be able to help. I totally get why you are uncomfortable with all the options. Re gabapebtin. I'm not sure it puts the cat in a sedative state, more a less anxious one. It may be worth trying just to see how she reacts. There is also the possibility of seeing a specialist who may have better ideas. I have a link to the Google book for Small Animal Dermatology. I'll try and find it for you. What I know is this. For any inflammatory idiopathic condition, human or animal, bringing down inflammation is key. Do you give her fish oil? I'm wondering if there might be a nutritional deficiency. There was someone on the forum who recommended a wonderful probiotic immune boosting supplement from Belgium which helped his cat. I'll have to look it up for you.


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> Hi I'm so sorry to hear this. It's an issue which has been discussed on this forum before. Have you tried searching the historic threads? I'm tagging @chillminx as she might be able to help. I totally get why you are uncomfortable with all the options.


I had a quick look but couldn't see anything, but I'll give it another look. Thank you


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## Guest

Caiti said:


> I had a quick look but couldn't see anything, but I'll give it another look. Thank you


No worries. I've just added some extra info to my post. I'll do some digging myself. I know exactly what it's like to have a miserable cat. It makes the owner twice as miserable.


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> No worries. I've just added some extra info to my post. I'll do some digging myself. I know exactly what it's like to have a miserable cat. It makes the owner twice as miserable.


Thank you so much. I'll look into the immune boosters aswell. Unfortunately she's a really fussy cat and only seems to like RC kitten wet food or whiskas, which will be no good with all the grains and other nasties in it. I have a cupboard full of things like feringa, bozita and animonda carny that I tried her on with no luck!


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## Caiti

Also I don't give her fish oil, is that something I should try.


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## Guest

Caiti said:


> Also I don't give her fish oil, is that something I should try.


It's anti inflammatory for sure, for humans and animals. There is a minor risk that she may be intolerant to it but it is very minor as even cats who are intolerant to fish are reacting against the protein and there is no protein in oil. So if it were me I would try it. You can get cat friendly fish oil on Amazon. When I gave it to my boy his coat improved dramatically. Try and make sure it has high levels of Omega 3 (not Omega 6).


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## Guest

Caiti said:


> Thank you so much. I'll look into the immune boosters aswell. Unfortunately she's a really fussy cat and only seems to like RC kitten wet food or whiskas, which will be no good with all the grains and other nasties in it. I have a cupboard full of things like feringa, bozita and animonda carny that I tried her on with no luck!


Keep on trying. It may well be she is reacting against the additives. Eventually after a lot of wasted food (we tried the Zooplus route too!) our boy was happy to eat Waitrose Chicken and Duck which was very high in meat protein with minimal fillers. Don't give up.


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## Caiti

Thanks for your help, will get some fish oil and see if that helps. She does like fish so maybe if I mix that in with some if the better foods I have she will actually eat it!


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## Guest

They seem to like the oil as it is so you might not need to mix it. I feel so many idiopathic inflammatory conditions have either a stress or nutritional origin. Time and again in human medicine this has found to be the case (eg IBD).


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> They seem to like the oil as it is so you might not need to mix it. I feel so many idiopathic inflammatory conditions have either a stress or nutritional origin. Time and again in human medicine this has found to be the case (eg IBD).


Just ordered some from Amazon so fingers crossed. I considering stress as well, but I can't think of anything that's causing her stress. She lives with me and her sister and is probably one of the most spoiled cats ever! Also have a feliway plug it so if it is stress she is a very wired cat


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## pipski

Hi Caiti
Can you post up full details of her diet.
Any diet changes; how long ago it started, etc.
And some photos or details of the affected areas.

Hi again - have just seen your other post and photos. Just wanted to say that Hibiscrub shouldn't be used on broken skin.


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## Caiti

pipski said:


> Hi Caiti
> Can you post up full details of her diet.
> Any diet changes; how long ago it started, etc.
> And some photos or details of the affected areas.
> 
> Hi again - have just seen your other post and photos. Just wanted to say that Hibiscrub shouldn't be used on broken skin.


Hiya. Her diet is variable at the moment because I'm trying to find wet food she likes. The dry food is a mixture of purina one kitten and lilys kitchen. I was also giving her RC dry but I ran out of that a few days ago and I'm loathed to buy more due to its terrible reviews.

With the wet food, she loves RC kitten in jelly so I occasionally give her that, other ones I rotate are purina one nutri savour (I think this is turkey based?), animonda carny (I think this is beef?) and smila chicken. I'm yet to find something she will eat consistently, she tends to like something for a few days then go off it again!

The main sore is on the left side of her neck, there were a few other sores around her head and between her shoulder blades which have now healed, this one is alot more persistent. Here is an extract from the email I got from the vet:

"PATHOLOGY:Focally extensive, severe ulceration with serocellular crust formation and dermal fibrosis - suspected feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatosis"

They are still waiting on the allergy test to come back.

I stopped using the hibiscrub a few weeks ago after realising its so bad. Quite annoyed at my vet for suggesting I try it!


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## Summercat

Hi,
I am not familiar with the particular condition but have seen hypoallergenic diets help cats with chronic respiratory infections. It is not the same I know but wonder if may be worth a try.


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## Tigermoon

Caiti said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> Really need some help here. My 10 month old kitten has just been diagnosed with feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatitis. Has anyone else here experienced it? There's not alot of info surrounding it as it's rare and difficult to treat. My vet has suggested a few things but I'm against a fair few of them for obvious reason:
> 
> 1st option: treat with long term steroids. She will likely need them long term whenever she has a flare up (around 6 months at a time). She has steroids a few weeks ago which didn't touch it and I'm uneasy about long term steroid use.
> 
> 2nd option: Gabapentin has been shown to be affective, but again I don't want to drug my cat and have her in a constantly sedative state, that's no way to live.
> 
> 3rd option: Declaw her back left leg, the sore on her neck is made 10 times worse because of self mutilation. I'm quite against this option as I think it's cruel, but if I have to I will.
> 
> 4th option: try feeding her just a dry food diet with Hills Science or RC sensitive skin. I'm not going to feed her overpriced rubbish that is no good for her - this isn't really an option.
> 
> If none of the above works the vet has said we need to consider having her PTS, she is so miserable and in pain all the time so the thought had crossed my mind. She's currently wearing a medical pet suit to stop he scratching but she's even more miserable in that.
> 
> Sorry for the long post, but I've tried so much and nothing works.
> 
> Anyone got any recommendations for a good quality dry food, I'm currently looking at Thrive, Orijen or Purizon. My OH is a butcher so I will also try giving her a few meat scraps as a treat.
> 
> Thank you!


I've not experienced this specific issue but something similar with one of mine. Hers was almost certainly triggered by an allergy, in particular an allergy to chicken which is probably the most allergenic food items for cats. I treated my girl with Steroids which worked well but not if she ate something she was allergic to, as she'd still have breakouts. In my girls case the steroids needed to be given daily not in short term treatments. She was on a very low dose and had she not had an addition issue I would almost certainly have increased the dosage to see if it kept the lesions under control better. 
With regards to Gabapentin, this is commonly used in pain relief for cats and has been shown to be effective. While sleepiness can happen, not all cats have this issue and a slow steady introduction to the drug can avoid it altogether.
In my mind the above treatments are far preferable to an animal who is otherwise living in a state of constant itchiness and/or pain. That must be an utter misery. 
Declawing is a complete no. Keeping the claws clipped along with special pet boots or paw wrapping are fair kinder, and if recovery occurs doesn't leave the cat with the pain and disablement of the declawing operation.
Most sensitive cat foods are based on chicken ... one of the most likely candidates for allergic reaction, followed by beef. I would try an elimination diet to see if you can get the issue resolved without needing long-term drug therapy, but I certainly would not discount using medication in a case like this.


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## pipski

Hi Caiti,

The skin condition of the cat I mentioned in my post / that you replied to https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/is-this-ringworm.536182/ has improved.

I had been feeding her for few days when I posted on here, then I found out that in fact she'd left home and had been fending for herself for a month. 
So I upped her diet somewhat, and she began to improve after a few days. Still lots of areas of hair loss but the red marks, spots gradually disappeared. I took photos to record her progress. 
So I don't think it was ringworm but malnutrition, and probably stress.

I'll post up details of her diet later. 
I was going to suggest improvements / changes to your cat's diet may help. 
And
I know this is nuts but what about trying *medical grade Manuka honey* on them. I was Googling around - as you do… I came across an article:

*Successful Treatment of Severe Ulcerative Dermatitis and Bacterial Septicemia*…*in a Lake Sturgeon* (Acipenser fulvescens) *!!! *https://www.vin.com/apputil/content/defaultadv1.aspx?id=6251913&pid=11397
I was about to leave the page pronto when I had a quick look. They used Manuka honey. The patient / fish in question was approx. 32 years old!

*Oxford Health Formulary NHS Wound Management*
http://www.oxfordhealthformulary.nhs.uk/docs/Oxfordshire Wound Management Formulary April 2015.pdf?UID=5208680682017451318
Go to - "FIRST LINE OPTION: MEDICAL GRADE HONEY" - in the article

Medical grade Manuka honey is not expensive - might be worth a try? *Advancis Medical D7709 Activon Manuka Honey Tube 25g -£4.49 *
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Activon-Medical-Grade-Manuka-Honey/dp/B003O31U86

 Anti-bacterial, effectively kills harmful bacteria
Anti-inflammatory 
Eliminates odours without masking them 
Osmotic effect, drawing harmful tissue away from the wound bed 
Maintains the ideal moist wound healing environment 
 
Plus some good / interesting reviews.

Will check back with details of her diet later 
p.s._ Idiopathic_ means of unknown cause so "Feline Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis" means feline skin ulcers of unknown cause".


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## Caiti

Hi Pipski and Tigermoon,

Firstly, I'm really glad your neighbourhood cat is getting better and being cared for.

Just took a delivery of a few different dry foods that the best of the best, Orijen, Arden Grange and Taste of the wild. Will find the one she likes best and stick with that for a little bit. If her skin improves then I'll look at introducing some wet food in slowly over a few months to see how she goes.

That information on manuka honey is really interesting, will definitley give it a go! I just bought her an anxiety coat, because not only does it protect her neck from constant scratching, I also read she might be self mutilating out of stress and making it worse. So far so good!

Will be making a few changes one at a time over the next few weeks and keep my fingers crossed.

Thank you for all the help guys


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## pipski

Hi Caiti, 
I'll write up something on the diet changes I mentioned - it's been on my mind, so sorry just haven't had the time, but I will get to it. 
I'd really like to know if the Manuka honey helps - hope so, and let us know.


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## Guest

Manuka is great. But you need to get the appropriate strength or it may not have an effect. There’s a rating called Unique Manuka Factor to help you work out the right quality.


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## Guest

And this is an immune booster someone recommended on another thread which might help address a nutritional deficiency:

https://www.viyoreinforces.com/cat


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## Caiti

pipski said:


> Hi Caiti,
> I'll write up something on the diet changes I mentioned - it's been on my mind, so sorry just haven't had the time, but I will get to it.
> I'd really like to know if the Manuka honey helps - hope so, and let us know.


Thank you, I'll get some when I can get out to the shops and let you know!


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> And this is an immune booster someone recommended on another thread which might help address a nutritional deficiency:
> 
> https://www.viyoreinforces.com/cat


Thank you, I will order it now


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## Guest

Caiti said:


> Thank you, I will order it now


I hope it helps. As with all supplements try in very small quantities first to test for tolerance and reaction.


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## Guest

There’s no suggestion of IBD is there as prebiotics (as opposed to probiotics) aren’t suitable for cats with IBD? 

The Viyo product has prebiotics.


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> There's no suggestion of IBD is there as prebiotics (as opposed to probiotics) aren't suitable for cats with IBD. The Viyo product has prebiotics.


Nothing to suspect or suggest IBD, her litter tray habits are perfectly normal, thankfully.

It's been 24 hours of giving her just a single grain free dry food along with the fish oil supplement and the difference is amazing. She doesn't itch anymore, she's rolling around and purring happily and back to playing with her sister like normal. I hope she stays like this, and if I was the diet change I am shocked it happened so quickly!

For now I'm just happy to have my old kitten back, even if only temporary


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## Guest

Wow amazing! I’m so pleased! This has made my day

I wish we could ditch the dry food though! Even grain-free!


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> Wow amazing! I'm so pleased! This has made my day
> 
> I wish we could ditch the dry food though! Even grain-free!


I'm hoping to eventually! Once she's all healed up I'm going to try introducing some simple wet foods in to see how she goes


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## Guest

Caiti said:


> I'm hoping to eventually! Once she's all healed up I'm going to try introducing some simple wet foods in to see how she goes


Brilliant! Keep us posted. Maybe a pic or two when she's better


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## Caiti

Few photos as promised, Quinn and the offending sore spot now! She is back to her old ways rolling around trying to get attention. It made me so happy seeing her earlier lazing around in the sun and playing with her sister, she seemed like the happiest cat ever! This has been going on for about 2 months now and I didn't realise just how poorly she was, she was obviously very miserable and probably quite sore, so I'm so relieved that she isnt suffering now.

I'm going to try a raw diet soon, so I know exactly what goes into it. A local shop stocks Natural Instinct commercial raw food so I will start with that. @pipski if you have any recommendations or advice let me know, or anyone else for that matter!

Also going to attach a picture of the sore when it was bad for anyone that might have a similar issue and be reading this thread in the future. She had these all over her head and neck 

Thank you for all your help guys, you helped me get my cat back


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## pipski

Hi Caiti,
Brilliant that the Mighty Quinn is doing so well! She looks lovely. Hope she continues to improve. (I thought those suggestions from your vet were very aggressive and radical to say the least).
Hope the Manuka honey will sort out those nasty looking open wounds / ulcers. Medical grade Manuka honey, not supermarket.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As promised:
As I said, not specifically about your cat's skin ulcers - this relates to the cat I mentioned in my post -- https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/is-this-ringworm.536182/ -- but you might be able to cherry pick some stuff to help your cat: 

Patches of hair loss around front of neck and head - red marks (at first I thought it might be ringworm!)
Also large areas of hair loss - belly, inner legs; in places hair looks coarse and brittle;
Foot pads are hard, dry, grey and rough, rather than soft, shiny and black.
Found out she had left home and had been fending for herself for the passed month.

------------------------------------------------------------

I fed her a good quality, high protein wet food (from the 'Zooplus larder' Macs, Feringa, ETC…) slaked down with a bit of *water* as it's quite dense.
I also add a few other things to bump up the protein and to help with skin and wound healing and also the hair loss.
The red marks / broken skin disappeared in a few days. So figured it was *probably undernutrition /malnutrition*; deficiency of protein fats, vitamins and minerals etc. and stress. Hoping that the hair will slowly grow back.

Most of these I have already for my cats or in my larder:

Some *raw egg yolk* (I end up with lots of egg white > white egg white omelettes)
*Salmon oil* (for Omega-3; good for skin sand coat, reduces itching, dry skin and inflammation)
A good pinch of *brewers yeast* (B vitamins for stress)
I noticed the pads on her feet were very rough and dry (as I described above) - a sign of zinc deficiency I think. Zinc is also needed for* wound healing*.
Oysters are very high in zinc. Braising steak, minced beef, organ meat; chicken legs are other sources, I think sardines are too (?)

*Half an oyster* mashed into her food with one meal. I bought tinned smoked oysters in olive oil (supermarket), they are quite smoky so I mash it in.
A little bit of *chopped braising steak *or* bit of minced beef*
Occasionally a little bit of liver
*Extra bit of oil/fat*:

Sometime a bit of goose fat.
A dash of sunflower oil (source of linoleic acid /an essential fatty acid; to maintain a healthy coat and skin)
Or a teaspoon of sardines in sunflower oil.
Lack of hydration affects wound healing:

*Lactol* - A few desert spoons each day. It's a nutritious milk formula for orphaned kittens or sick/convalescing cats.
Water is available. As well as adding a bit to slake down her wet / canned food.
She gets several meals a day so I vary what I add to the main meal (of Macs or Feringa etc) sometimes I add a bit of sardine instead of the beef etc. or an extra bit of oyster… I just keep a mental note.
She was so hungry / starved of protein etc., that for a good few days she ate huge amounts at each sitting and licked the plate clean. And 4 or 5 meals a day. After a few days she then left a little on the plate - I took that to be a good sign, that she was more satiated on a little less. Each meal she now leaves a little more - so hopefully she'll gradually settle to a few smaller meals a day.
--------------------------------------------------------
*Importance of good nutrition*:
*Protein* is needed for hair and hair growth. Hair is 95% keratin (keratin is a form of protein); apart from the obvious hair loss, I also noticed some areas of hair that look brittle.
Also noticed a reddish tinge to her black hair - a sign of taurine deficiency.
And the red patches / broken skin.
Zinc important for wound healing and the formation of new skin tissue. And both taurine and zinc found in certain meat-protein / protein need for wound healing.
*Zinc deficiency causes hair loss, skin ulcers*, and areas of skin thickening and cracking, particularly over joints and on foot pads, think vit A, biotin and EFAs also needed.

Take home is - *Cat's need a good quality protein, meat-based diet*.
and
*Hydration *is a crucial part of *wound care. *
"…a lack of fluids creates delays in just about every aspect of wound healing, and if an injury doesn't maintain proper moisture, epithelial cells that work to migrate over repaired tissue will not be able to cover the wound at a normal pace, leaving it more susceptible to open air and infection." A lack of moisture at the wound's surface will halt cellular migration, decrease oxygenation of the blood and vastly delay the wound treatment process. Hydration is a crucial part of *wound care.*
Dehydrated skin can also become dry and fragile.

------------------------------------------------------------

*A few articles to highlight the importance of nutrition re: wound healing /skin*:

Nutrition, Skin, and Cats - https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-skin-and-cats
These are articles about *human* *pressure* ulcers/nutrition rather than your cat's type of ulcers:

Pressure ulcers (pressure sores) and diet: Food Fact Sheet https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/pressure-ulcers-pressure-sores-diet.html
The Role of Nutrition for _*Pressure Ulcer*_ Management https://journals.lww.com/aswcjournal/Pages/collections.aspx?collection=Topical
 ------------------------------------------------------------


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## Guest

Wow @pipski what an amazing response - it will be of so much use to others!

@LinznMilly can we make this a sticky thread please?

I think it is a great source for anyone dealing with Feline Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis


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## LinznMilly

Douglas' Dad said:


> Wow @pipski what an amazing response - it will be of so much use to others!
> 
> @LinznMilly can we make this a sticky thread please?
> 
> I think it is a great source for anyone dealing with Feline Idiopathic Ulcerative Dermatitis


I don't know very much about cats, so I've stickied it for now and will ask @lymorelynn to have a look at it.


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## Caiti

pipski said:


> Hi Caiti,
> Brilliant that the Mighty Quinn is doing so well! She looks lovely. Hope she continues to improve. (I thought those suggestions from your vet were very aggressive and radical to say the least).
> Hope the Manuka honey will sort out those nasty looking open wounds / ulcers. Medical grade Manuka honey, not supermarket.
> 
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> As promised:
> As I said, not specifically about your cat's skin ulcers - this relates to the cat I mentioned in my post -- https://www.petforums.co.uk/threads/is-this-ringworm.536182/ -- but you might be able to cherry pick some stuff to help your cat:
> 
> Patches of hair loss around front of neck and head - red marks (at first I thought it might be ringworm!)
> Also large areas of hair loss - belly, inner legs; in places hair looks coarse and brittle;
> Foot pads are hard, dry, grey and rough, rather than soft, shiny and black.
> Found out she had left home and had been fending for herself for the passed month.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> I fed her a good quality, high protein wet food (from the 'Zooplus larder' Macs, Feringa, ETC…) slaked down with a bit of *water* as it's quite dense.
> I also add a few other things to bump up the protein and to help with skin and wound healing and also the hair loss.
> The red marks / broken skin disappeared in a few days. So figured it was *probably undernutrition /malnutrition*; deficiency of protein fats, vitamins and minerals etc. and stress. Hoping that the hair will slowly grow back.
> 
> Most of these I have already for my cats or in my larder:
> 
> Some *raw egg yolk* (I end up with lots of egg white > white egg white omelettes)
> *Salmon oil* (for Omega-3; good for skin sand coat, reduces itching, dry skin and inflammation)
> A good pinch of *brewers yeast* (B vitamins for stress)
> I noticed the pads on her feet were very rough and dry (as I described above) - a sign of zinc deficiency I think. Zinc is also needed for* wound healing*.
> Oysters are very high in zinc. Braising steak, minced beef, organ meat; chicken legs are other sources, I think sardines are too (?)
> 
> *Half an oyster* mashed into her food with one meal. I bought tinned smoked oysters in olive oil (supermarket), they are quite smoky so I mash it in.
> A little bit of *chopped braising steak *or* bit of minced beef*
> Occasionally a little bit of liver
> *Extra bit of oil/fat*:
> 
> Sometime a bit of goose fat.
> A dash of sunflower oil (source of linoleic acid /an essential fatty acid; to maintain a healthy coat and skin)
> Or a teaspoon of sardines in sunflower oil.
> Lack of hydration affects wound healing:
> 
> *Lactol* - A few desert spoons each day. It's a nutritious milk formula for orphaned kittens or sick/convalescing cats.
> Water is available. As well as adding a bit to slake down her wet / canned food.
> She gets several meals a day so I vary what I add to the main meal (of Macs or Feringa etc) sometimes I add a bit of sardine instead of the beef etc. or an extra bit of oyster… I just keep a mental note.
> She was so hungry / starved of protein etc., that for a good few days she ate huge amounts at each sitting and licked the plate clean. And 4 or 5 meals a day. After a few days she then left a little on the plate - I took that to be a good sign, that she was more satiated on a little less. Each meal she now leaves a little more - so hopefully she'll gradually settle to a few smaller meals a day.
> --------------------------------------------------------
> *Importance of good nutrition*:
> *Protein* is needed for hair and hair growth. Hair is 95% keratin (keratin is a form of protein); apart from the obvious hair loss, I also noticed some areas of hair that look brittle.
> Also noticed a reddish tinge to her black hair - a sign of taurine deficiency.
> And the red patches / broken skin.
> Zinc important for wound healing and the formation of new skin tissue. And both taurine and zinc found in certain meat-protein / protein need for wound healing.
> *Zinc deficiency causes hair loss, skin ulcers*, and areas of skin thickening and cracking, particularly over joints and on foot pads, think vit A, biotin and EFAs also needed.
> 
> Take home is - *Cat's need a good quality protein, meat-based diet*.
> and
> *Hydration *is a crucial part of *wound care. *
> "…a lack of fluids creates delays in just about every aspect of wound healing, and if an injury doesn't maintain proper moisture, epithelial cells that work to migrate over repaired tissue will not be able to cover the wound at a normal pace, leaving it more susceptible to open air and infection." A lack of moisture at the wound's surface will halt cellular migration, decrease oxygenation of the blood and vastly delay the wound treatment process. Hydration is a crucial part of *wound care.*
> Dehydrated skin can also become dry and fragile.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> *A few articles to highlight the importance of nutrition re: wound healing /skin*:
> 
> Nutrition, Skin, and Cats - https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/nutrition-skin-and-cats
> These are articles about *human* *pressure* ulcers/nutrition rather than your cat's type of ulcers:
> 
> Pressure ulcers (pressure sores) and diet: Food Fact Sheet https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/pressure-ulcers-pressure-sores-diet.html
> The Role of Nutrition for _*Pressure Ulcer*_ Management https://journals.lww.com/aswcjournal/Pages/collections.aspx?collection=Topical
> ------------------------------------------------------------


Hi @pipski,
Thank you so much for your response! There's alot to go over but I will sit down a plan some meals for her. Just put down a bowl of animonda carny for her and her sister and neither of them have touched it. Any tips on how to get them to actually eat different foods?! I don't want to starve them but was told sometimes you need to to make them understand and eat new foods!


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## pipski

Hi @Caiti,

Try sprinkling 2 or 3 / a few finely crushed "Dreamies" (those crunchy kibble-like cat treats) over their wet food. As you've got lots of dry kibble which they like, try crushing a few pieces of those, or perhaps a more generous sprinkling. And then try the Dreamies.

I have a few of those small foil trays "Sheba" [gravy, jelly or pâté] and some sachets of Felix for emergencies/in case I need to get them to eat if they lose their appetite for some reason - e.g. stimulate their sense of smell to get them to eat if they have a cold/blocked or dry nose.
I get the gravy ones, it's very smelly, which they love.
I never feed them a whole tray or sachet. I just put a couple of teaspoons sort of on or lightly folded though their regular wet food, one sniff and they wolf all it all down.
Once in blue moon they get it as a treat.

As they are kittens perhaps try a teaspoon or so on a bit of their wet food.

Or perhaps cut up a little bit of raw meat to add to their wet food. Though they might eat that first and leave the wet food.

_"she tends to like something for a few days then go off it again!"_
Do you put her food down at set times then take up the plate when she's finished it?
I leave their food down for them. Sometimes they eat, sometimes they don't - but they will come along later and eat it when they are hungry.


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## Caiti

pipski said:


> Hi @Caiti,
> 
> Try sprinkling 2 or 3 / a few finely crushed "Dreamies" (those crunchy kibble-like cat treats) over their wet food. As you've got lots of dry kibble which they like, try crushing a few pieces of those, or perhaps a more generous sprinkling. And then try the Dreamies.
> 
> I have a few of those small foil trays "Sheba" [gravy, jelly or pâté] and some sachets of Felix for emergencies/in case I need to get them to eat if they lose their appetite for some reason - e.g. stimulate their sense of smell to get them to eat if they have a cold/blocked or dry nose.
> I get the gravy ones, it's very smelly, which they love.
> I never feed them a whole tray or sachet. I just put a couple of teaspoons sort of on or lightly folded though their regular wet food, one sniff and they wolf all it all down.
> Once in blue moon they get it as a treat.
> 
> As they are kittens perhaps try a teaspoon or so on a bit of their wet food.
> 
> Or perhaps cut up a little bit of raw meat to add to their wet food. Though they might eat that first and leave the wet food.
> 
> _"she tends to like something for a few days then go off it again!"_
> Do you put her food down at set times then take up the plate when she's finished it?
> I leave their food down for them. Sometimes they eat, sometimes they don't - but they will come along later and eat it when they are hungry.


Hi Pipski, I feed her at set times. Normally around 8am and then again around 6pm (sometimes earlier or late depending on when I out). I did add some of their dry food today but didn't crush it up, so it probably has no affect. Will start slowly and build up to it.

Will be going to the shop at the weekend to get some Natural Instinct raw food to try them on, but will start slowly with this. I.e most dry food with a teaspoon of wet and increase the quantities over time.

Thank you


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## pipski

Caiti - yes, try crushing and sprinkling them over.
-------------------------------

If they don’t eat it 8am, I’d leave the plate down for them - rather than removing it -as they may come back later in the day to eat it.
One of my cats (she’s 9 ½ now) has always been the last to come and eat, if ever, she’s been like that from birth. Or she often has a sniff then walks away. But I just leave it down for her and she grazes throughout the day. I also leave food down for her at night.

My cats will eat their canned food straight from the fridge, but some cats might find it more appetising if it’s a bit warmer - they can smell it better.
Not sure what people do - add a bit of hot water/or in the microwave?

You can put a few bits of raw meat on their plate of ‘complete’ wet food. I think you can add up to 20% without unbalancing it - someone else will know for sure.


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## Caiti

Hi Pipski, done a little research and have just bought some Natural Instinct complete raw food - seems to have gone down well so far! I also bought some Applaws which they both loved - although it's only complimentary so doesn't address the wider issue.

Hoping eventually I'll be able to up the raw food to the max quantity and stop the dry food completely apart from the odd treat or days when I'm out all day. It's like having 2 mini crack addicts at the moment!


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## Chloe Adams

Hiya, 

I am unsure whether or not you have decided on the best treatment route to take with your cat but as I can see that people are commenting recently, I thought I would share my advice also. I have been in a similar situation with my cat and I seeked advice from Cave Veterinary Specialists. They are amazing at what they do, the advice they give and the treatment service they offer! I really hope your cat is okay and you find a solution to her condition. 

All the best x


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## Caiti

Hi Chloe,

Thank you for that, I will keep them in mind if it flairs up again.

At the moment she has no issues, the only tiny flair up I saw was after I gave her lamb so I've cut that out completely and all seems good!

Shes a fairly sensitive little cat, so I think some of her issues were also stress related. After putting lots of feliways around and more toys to keep her entertained, that seems to have gotten alot better aswell.


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## Guest

Interesting research on the topic:


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## Caiti

Douglas' Dad said:


> Interesting research on the topic:


Remember reading that at the time. Can't help but think it's a load of rubbish, she's probably one of the most spoiled cats I've ever had. Not saying it can't be caused by poor welfare, but it details isn't in this case.

After months of being well we have another flare up. She's fine in herself, eating and drinking normally. I've just bought some Manuka honey as recommended and I will keep you updated as to how it goes. Also got some Colloidal Silver spray which was also recommended to me. Hopefully this works


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