Agatha and allergies

[nlbarber]

Agatha got hauled to the vet this morning, to her distress. She has started over-grooming around the base of her tail, and as a previous episode of over-grooming lasted well over a year and at its worst had removed all the hair she could reach from one side, I wanted to catch it early.

This time the vet spotted actual signs of an allergic reaction (which she didn't show before that I recall) both where she's removing hair and under her chin. He gave her a shot of a steroid which should easy the allergic reaction for 3-5 weeks, hopefully past the time that the allergen is present. And also, hopefully, breaking her cycle of over-grooming.

In penance for taking her to the vet, I was sentenced to providing a lap for a long afternoon's worth of cat naps, and to provide head scritches on demand. She demands lots of head scritches. It was a nice way to spend a lazy Columbus Day holiday, actually.

Comments

[filkferengi]

Did cuddling the cute kitty help alleviate some of the work-related stress? I hope you both get some relief soon.

[nlbarber]

Oh, yes, cat-scritching, the comfort book I was reading, and the 4-day weekend all helped with the stress level...

[kk1raven.livejournal.com]

I've had problems like that with a couple of my cats after feeding them food with red dye in it. The first time it happened, it took me a long time to figure out what the problem was. The second time it happened, I realized it pretty quickly, since I noticed that the dry food that used to be brown was now red. If you don't know what she's allergic to, it might be worthwhile fo switch to food that is free of artifical dyes and flavors and see if that helps.