Barley is a long hair black and white adult neutered male who is declawed in his front paws. He came to the rescue after being discovered by a woman who was looking to buy a house, and noticed this extremely friendly declawed cats living outside a shed and fending for him. He was abandoned by the people who moved and left with no food or water and barely any shelter in the middle of winter. What made this woman alert a rescue is that Barley had large wounds covered the top of is head and part of his back. His lips and paws were ulcerated, red and sore, causing him great pain, yet still was he was extremely friendly and seemed to look at her with those said that said “help me”.
Barely was provided with vet care when he came to Destiny’s Hope, and it was found that he had a condition called ‘Feline Esonophilic Granuloma Complex”. With proper treatment, Barley is now ulcer free and only bares scars from his previous neglect. His is happy and loving, kneading his paws constantly whenever given attention. He loves to eat but care must be given when his oral ulcers flare up. He needs to be treated with a steroid injection and possible antibiotics and pain medication when he has flare ups. Due to his medical condition, he is not currently up for adoption but may be considered for the right adopter. His monthly medications, vet visits and testing amounts to a considerable financial responsibility. Any donations towards his care would b greatly appreciated.
EGC is not a single disease but it is a group of similar lesions that affect the skin, muco-cutaneous (mucus membrane-skin) junctions and the oral cavity of the cat. The cause is unknown but most cats affected have an underlying hypersensitivity or allergy. This may be a food allergy, atopy (inhalant allergy), or insect allergy (to fleas, flies). Sometimes a seasonal pattern occurs and typically, symptoms wax and wane. Some evidence points to bacteria as a causative agent because antibiotic therapy dramatically improves the lesions or resolves them. There are 3 distinct types of lesions that are recognized. They include 1) the indolent or rodent ulcer, 2) the eosinophilic plaque and 3) the linear or eosinophilic granuloma. All three—or two may occur at the same time. The key to treating these conditions is for a veterinarian to identify the underlying cause. If the primary underlying condition is allergy, treatment will generally involve administration of injectable or oral corticosteroids and removal of the irritant (flea etc.), or a hypoallergenic food trial. Systemic antibiotic therapy is also helpful. For lesions that no longer respond to corticosteroid therapy, other options include immune-modulating drugs, surgical excision, laser therapy, and radiation therapy. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help in some cases. These cats typically require long-term treatment. Some of the treatments have side effects associated with long term use. The treatment goal is to control lesions, not to cure them.
Taken from: http://www.cathealth.com/EosinoGranuloma.htm
Barley
Barley is a long hair black and white adult neutered male who is declawed in his front paws. He came to the rescue after being discovered by a woman who was looking to buy a house, and noticed this extremely friendly declawed cats living outside a shed and fending for him. He was abandoned by the people who moved and left with no food or water and barely any shelter in the middle of winter. What made this woman alert a rescue is that Barley had large wounds covered the top of is head and part of his back. His lips and paws were ulcerated, red and sore, causing him great pain, yet still was he was extremely friendly and seemed to look at her with those said that said “help me”.
Barely was provided with vet care when he came to Destiny’s Hope, and it was found that he had a condition called ‘Feline Esonophilic Granuloma Complex”. With proper treatment, Barley is now ulcer free and only bares scars from his previous neglect. His is happy and loving, kneading his paws constantly whenever given attention. He loves to eat but care must be given when his oral ulcers flare up. He needs to be treated with a steroid injection and possible antibiotics and pain medication when he has flare ups. Due to his medical condition, he is not currently up for adoption but may be considered for the right adopter. His monthly medications, vet visits and testing amounts to a considerable financial responsibility. Any donations towards his care would b greatly appreciated.
EGC is not a single disease but it is a group of similar lesions that affect the skin, muco-cutaneous (mucus membrane-skin) junctions and the oral cavity of the cat. The cause is unknown but most cats affected have an underlying hypersensitivity or allergy. This may be a food allergy, atopy (inhalant allergy), or insect allergy (to fleas, flies). Sometimes a seasonal pattern occurs and typically, symptoms wax and wane. Some evidence points to bacteria as a causative agent because antibiotic therapy dramatically improves the lesions or resolves them. There are 3 distinct types of lesions that are recognized. They include 1) the indolent or rodent ulcer, 2) the eosinophilic plaque and 3) the linear or eosinophilic granuloma. All three—or two may occur at the same time. The key to treating these conditions is for a veterinarian to identify the underlying cause. If the primary underlying condition is allergy, treatment will generally involve administration of injectable or oral corticosteroids and removal of the irritant (flea etc.), or a hypoallergenic food trial. Systemic antibiotic therapy is also helpful. For lesions that no longer respond to corticosteroid therapy, other options include immune-modulating drugs, surgical excision, laser therapy, and radiation therapy. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help in some cases. These cats typically require long-term treatment. Some of the treatments have side effects associated with long term use. The treatment goal is to control lesions, not to cure them.
Taken from: http://www.cathealth.com/EosinoGranuloma.htm