Lip Lesions on a Cat

[SpicyPRE]

The pics are kinda horrific so not posting, but I need help figuring out how to help my cat. We have been to 2 different vets, changed feed dishes from stainless to ceramic, changed food. Both vets gave a shot of Convenia and a steriod. 2nd vet sent us home with prednisolone, which has helped but not resolved the lesions. I have not tried the cyclosporine mentioned in the below article. Any other ideas?

My cat is a female Maine Coon. We have 2 other Maine Coons who dont have the lesions.

Article with details for those with questions -

Rodent Ulcer in Cats (AKA OMG Why Does Your Cat’s Mouth Look Like That?!)

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Does your cat’s lesion look like the one in the photo (all the way across the lip) or is it a smaller lesion on one side? Asking because the first cat I had with FeLV had, as her first symptom, a small lip lesion that grew in size.

Even if photos are bad, maybe if we can see them, it will help us figure out some things to suggest.

[2DogsFarm]

Jingling for your kitty to get a cure for this ASAP!

That said, I now have to decide whether to tell my Self-Proclaimed Cat Expert friend, who gifted my cats with plastic ergonomically-shaped bowls for Christmas, that those bowls are a danger.
She’ll be here tomorrow & will zero in if the bowls aren’t displayed in use.
Or just quietly remove them after she leaves.

I’m sure she’s using these same bowls for her own cats, but if I bring up the potential danger, pretty sure she’ll pooh-pooh it.

FWIW: she’s also anti-vax, though she had COVID last Winter, flies the I’VE NOW GOT ANTIBODIES! flag.

[4horses]

I had a cat with that. She eventually passed away of old age. She would get injected with dex, it would shrink down, then we would do a tapered course of oral steroids and discontinue treatment. Then it would come back. Finally it moved to her tongue and there was some concern it was cancerous (but we never pursued testing). It never really became a major issue - didn’t get worse or spread and would always shrink with treatment then come back later on. She always ate well and eventually passed away at age 15 after having that condition for several years. It never seemed to bother her and once I was fairly certain it wasn’t cancer, I just didn’t worry about it. Now she did have dental disease in later life and perhaps that lump on her tongue contributed to that in some way, but again she was an old cat.

I would say she was 6 or 8 when she started getting the granulomas on her lips and probably about 10 when we found the lump on her tongue.

You may want antibiotics if steroids alone aren’t working. But in general it doesn’t seem painful. Just watch inside the mouth as well if it ends up on her tongue or elsewhere. My vet did mention surgery but I couldn’t imagine doing surgery on her tongue and having it not get infected… Sometimes leaving things alone is better than aggravating them.

[SpicyPRE]

Here is a picture of poor Pokeys face

[SpicyPRE]

I feel so bad for her but she seems OK with it.

@Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom I am not concerned about FeLV as she was tested before I bought her as she was transported via plane to me. She and her sister and now a kitten are not exposed to other cats.

[SpicyPRE]

Thanks for sharing your experience as it sounds exactly the same. Pokey is now 4 and it shrinks with treatment and then comes back.

[SpicyPRE]

definitely put the cute plastic bowls away after your friend leaves!

[CHT]

Meh, if they are well made, they aren’t a danger. I have a cat with skin issues who sees a dermatologist, and she actually recommended the Moderna plastic dishes (because they are easy to clean). She has no idea why plastic is vilified - she says there is no non anecdotal research to support it being an issue, rather they issue is ANY dish that isn’t cleaned or is otherwise able to trap bacteria.

@SpicyPRE do you have access to a vet dermatologist? Your cat might need to go on a novel protein diet to see if food is an issue. There are a few underlying conditions that can also make a cat more at risk of skin issues - but none of them have a cure, so not sure how much value there is in doing the testing. I wonder if stress causes flares? Could treating for stress help with the skin issues?

[2DogsFarm]

Done!
Plastic dishes replaced w/ceramic.

@CHT appreciate the info, but these aren’t well-made. Bases fall off every time I pick them up… To wash, because they get dirtier more often than the ceramic ones I was using. Those get wiped down daily & washed weekly.

Friend called off the visit as she’s sick “up all night coughing”
Coincidentally, her unvaxed self went to a largeish family GTG for Christmas, where a niece’s husband stayed home because he got sick Friday before.
I think COVID may come into play.
Or she may have Long COVID from her infection last Winter.
I’ll never know because I can’t raise the issue with Denier

[SpicyPRE]

latest vet mentioned stress as the lip has become worse since getting the kitten…he is a very busy little boy!

[SpicyPRE]

thankfully she stayed home rather than come to your house coughing all over you!

[4horses]

A limited ingredient diet might help. I like instinct. My allergy kitty was on that for a long time. Hound and Gatos canned food is pretty limited in ingredients as well. You want a protein the cat has never had before.

[3PonyFarm]

Poor little baby!

[Angela_Freda]

When I needed a novel protein I found Dave’s pate, pork food that my cat did well on.

A couple times in my life, but only a couple and years apart, I’ve had what I assume was an allergic reaction that resulted in duck lips. Nothing else reacted. So weird and never did figure out what it was. But it looked like this cat.

[lcw579]

One of my cats has always suffered from rodent ulcers. Timmy gets his mostly in his lower lip so his chin swells. He gets a course of prednisone and an antibiotic when he’s having a really bad flare up. Timmy did have surgery once to remove a granuloma when it just didn’t respond to treatment and was rather large. We think a foreign body got in there when he was grooming himself and scratched it open.
Timmy is a treat addict so I did notice that the Temptation treats with dyes in them seem to make them worse. So I try to go with more natural treats. Of course his brother is a kidney cat and Temptation treats are best for him. But we make it work.

[ratherberiding1999]

Second the dermatologist suggestion. Did the convenia (antibiotic injection) seem to help? Have they tried an anti-fungal? You could also ask about allergy testing, these eosinophilic ulcers can be caused by food and environmental allergies, and they can be screened on a blood test. Or could try a food trial of a novel protein or hydrolyzed protein diet- food allergies are usually caused by the protein source, so changing to a new protein or hydrolyzed (the protein is broken down so small that it doesn’t act as an allergen anymore) can help. Also make sure you’re using a flea/tick preventative- bites can trigger an immune overreaction. If your vet thinks your cat is a candidate for the cyclosporine, you might want to give it a shot, it’s an immunosuppressant. Steroids help but can have side effects from prolonged use and it’s just a “bandaid” not a permanent fix.

[SpicyPRE]

Yes, the convenia did help. We have also tried prednisolone, which did not help. I did a trial of rabbit only and did not see much change. What I am trying now is a new litter. I have never treated any of my pets for fleas/ticks as its not really much of a thing where I live. I need to get my cat back to the vet and will ask about the cyclosporine and blood work. Thanks for the feedback!