Question:
My 15 month old, Shadow, was determined to have "environmental"
allergies. He had oozing sores all over his face and under his chin
from where he had scratched himself raw. After experimenting with food
and deciding it wasn't a food allergy, the vet gave him a shot of
cortisone about 6 weeks ago. Shadow is now sore-free, his skin is
completely clear, no more itching...it's been a real miracle! My
question is, how long do the shots last? Is it possible it was just a
temporary problem resolved by the medicine...that he won't have to get
more shots? I'm just curious because I know steroids can have some
nasty side effects. Anyone who's had cats with allergies and steroid
shots?
Answer:
Our 1 year old cat had allergies but instead of cortisone, we decided to try a
holistic vet and homeopathy. Her allergies cleared up and no side effects from
cortisone. My belief is that the cortisone just suppresses the allergies, so
they'll probably come back. Cortisone may seem like a miracle but it doesn't resolve anything ... it
stops the symptoms as opposed to treating the cause. Since Shadow's immune
system is now being suppressed, he will be more vulnerable to other
infections and the like. There are potential side effects as well (weakening
of muscles including the heart, stress on the kidneys, diabetes, etc.) Your best bet would be to seek the assistance of a homeopathic vet and work
at finding the cause instead of simply masking the symptoms. Generally when
the shot wears off the symptoms come back worse than ever so don't delay.
