TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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The condition is not common, nor is it easily contracted. The simple precaution of washing up after handling seems to work for me, and avoid exposing any open cuts to the peat. Likewise, the dust from sphagnum and silica sand should not be inhaled.
I had heard nothing of this until I read the CP FAQ by Barry Meyers Rice, which promptly scared me a good deal as my cat had a rash on his stomach which he licked at nonstop (til the hair came off). I contacted Barry and he told me it was rare but could be a possibility due to my originally using US sphagnum. I now use the cleaner NZ sphagnum (whether it really is or not who knows).
So, after over $1000 in vet bills and locating a vet who know what Sporotrichosis is and would actually listen to my story and run the appropriate tests. It turns out it wasn't that, they still don't know what it is exactly.
But other than that I haven't had any problems with sphagnum.
The behaviour of licking non-stop sounds very familiar. We have a cat that does that. Turns out she has an allergy to fleas. One flea bite (ie. just before her next advantage application) is enough to set her off for over a year.
When this happened we took her to the vet where she was given a cortizone injection to stop the itching so it has a chance to heal without her licking constantly. Then we started overlapping the advantage applications by 2 days and all has been well since.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (swords @ Feb. 26 2003,12:35)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I had heard nothing of this until I read the CP FAQ by Barry Meyers Rice, which promptly scared me a good deal as my cat had a rash on his stomach which he licked at nonstop (til the hair came off).[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Swords,
Wow, my cat's doing the same thing lately. He's been licking this one spot so much it's raw now...i keep cleaning it with peroxide and putting some ointment on it, but everyday it looks like he's gone through another layer of skin. Hmmm, i'm gonna look into this before I spend another grand on his medical bills. He just got his cast off too.
Compulsive licking is pretty common in cats and dogs. Animals with flea or other allergies are prone to it. My dog will do that too. He is allergic to flea bites (thank god he hasnt had fleas since he was a puppy) and lord know what else...he licks and scratches constantly and keeps ear infections. Once some animals start licking...they can't stop. Paw licking is a common activity. An allergy usually triggers it.
Be careful with cortisone. My dog took it for years for his itching but it can cause liver problems...and also pancreatitis.
Fortuantely Banjo (our kitty in question) has only had to have 2 cortizone shots in her 8 years of life. The overlapping of the Advantage treatments seems to have solved the problem.
Thats good. Most of the cronic mutilaters do it when stressed from their owners being gone anyways, but ever since I started keeping a talley of animals with the issue, it go scarry. The worst thing any of my pets has had is my dog licks her paws when trying to calm down from playing, but I got her off of it enough so that she switches to the carpet long befor any were on the fur or worst occurs (hey, it works, a little strange but it kept her from becoming an addict, lol)
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