Cats Paddy's pads (plasma cell pododermatitis)

[Debbie-Spain]

My cat Paddy (diagnosed with plasma cell pododermatitis-"pillow foot" or "mushy pad disease") had his blood tests yesterday. He was negative for FIV and FeLV, and all his other values were within normal ranges except total proteins, which were very high (9.8 but not sure if we use the same scale in Spain as you do). Glucose was a bit high but the vet felt that was simply due to the stress of going to the vet and having blood taken. He says the high proteins indicates some kind of viral infection, so I have asked for a FIP test to be done too which will take a few days as it goes to an outside lab. He doesn't appear to have any other symptoms so I'm really hoping it's not FIP but felt it was best to check.

Vet says corticoids not a good treatment option because of possible virus, so we have started with the doxy this morning. At least all Paddy's kidney/liver values were fine. The doxy course is 6-8 weeks, vet used doxy in last case he saw but only for 3 weeks with no response. Depending on how Paddy responds I may get another analysis done halfway through the treatment to check it's not affecting anything else.

I haven't taken photos yet but the vet did because he said it was such an unusual case (just what I needed!).

Bendy, if you read this, I really have a feeling that the virus that may be lurking there could be related to calicivirus but don't know how that could be checked. I can't find any info anywhere on a possible relation between the two conditions.

I'm half scared about whether the treatment will work and what will happen if it doesn't, or if there is something we have missed, and half pleased about the fact that he was negative for FIV and FeLV. Pleased too because I managed to get the first pill down him without too much difficulty.

Will post any updates...may help if anyone comes across another case

Debbie

[critters]

I'm glad for the -/- FIV/FeLV; that's a start. Good luck with the Doxy!

[Bendy Kitty]

I wouldn't bother with the FIP test.
It doesn't really test for FIP, it tests for exposure to coronavirus. there are thousands of corona virus, FIP is a mutation of one of them. There is a lot of disagreement over what the resulting titers mean. there have been cats with high titers who were fine, and cats who were diangosed (by necropsy) with FIP who had low test titers.

We'd say its a bad paw virus, and experience here suggests it is linked to calici. It could be that fighting the calicivirus weakens them in just the right way for this other virus to set in.
wow, use of doxycycline over there is very different from here! We do a 10 days course.

anyway, Wheatie's veyr painful foot did clear up. give Paddy lots of smoochies & shrimpies, soon he'll be walking around again

bendy

[Debbie-Spain]

Hi Bendy

I wasn't really sure about the FIP test myself, I know it is kind of controversial as to whether it is of any use at all, but given the lack of other symptoms and the fact that there is obviously something jeopardising his immune system, I decided to go ahead with it anyway.

Here we'd normally do doxy for 10 days too (and I would usually look for any alternative to doxy). But for plasma cell pod the only recommended treatment that appears to exist (see link) is 6-8 weeks, as only a small percentage of cats show improvement after 3-4 weeks but a much larger one after 6-8 weeks. Even so, the pads can take many months to heal.

Another thing I have found out is that hamsters suffer from pododermatitis when low quality sawdust or woodshavings are used for their bedding. I use wood pellet cat litter in the litter trays because other cat litters cause asthma attacks in two of my other cats. When wet it does turn into sawdust, and I am wondering if that could be a factor. But I don't know what to change to in order to check that possibility (I brought the wheat type from Germany but it is of a similar texture.)

Anyhow, Paddy is taking his pills like a good buy and he does actually seem a little more lively.

Will let you know if there is any change.

Thanks again

Debbie



Plasma cell pododermatitis