Declawing Cats.

Question
Hi. I have a cat and she 2 years old. I got her from the humane society where
they spayed her at a very young age. Because of that she is allergic to a lot of
things and most cat food. When we first got her we decided not to declaw her
because we didn't want too but then as she got older she was always
scratching herself making her bleed. There are also parts on her neck that
wont grow hair anymore because she has scarred them so badly. We then
decided to get her declawed hoping that would help but now sadly she is not
doing very well. Her feet are not healing and are infected with puss. She wont
eat and we have to give her an iv of water since she wont drink either. We love
her very much and I don't want anything bad to happen to her. I was
wondering if you had any idea or some miracle solution to help her heal. I am
really desperate to help her!

Thank You.

Answer
Hi Brittney,

You need to find out what she is allergic to and remove that from her environment.  Many cats are allergic to fish but unfortunately most commercial cat foods have some amount of fish in them.  Look for one that either doesn't have any fish (Friskies has a canned food that doesn't have any) or that it is listed later in the ingredients list, indicating there isn't much of it.  Also, some cats are allergic to flea bites and get something called Miliary Dermatitis, a steroid injection by your vet and a topical flea treatment would help in that case.
Your experience with declawing is not unique.  Your vet should have your cat on antibiotics and you can help by swabbing the area gently with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide to keep it clean.  You've got to get her to eat and drink even if you have to force feed her, she's got to keep her strength up.  See if your vet will give you a special syringe to feed her with and give her chicken or turkey baby food through it.  You could mix in something like "Cat Sure", a liquid supplement for ill or elderly cats that you can get at your pet store.