I am looking for Poison Ivy relief tips. Apparently, dd, 14, got it from the cat - picked the cat up and rubbed her face against the cat and now it's all over one side of her face, her neck and both of her arms. I've got benadryl cream and oral antihistimines. I've been giving her oatmeal baths and frozen towels to apply as well. Any other tips?

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 09:19 am:

You are using an antihistamine cream, oral antihistimes, and oatmeal baths. Beyond that, you'll have to call the doctor. If it doesn't start clearing up by tomorrow morning, that's what I'd do. I had a really bad case of poison ivy about 10 years ago and I was absolutely miserable.

Now, who is going to give the cat a bath? Seems to me that until you get the cat's fur clean, you run the risk of having this happen again. (This is one of the many, many reasons I don't believe in letting housecats go outside for any reason.)

By Sunny on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 09:35 am:

There are products made especially for treating poison ivy. Your local drug store should have them, though they are a bit expensive. I believe one manufacturer is Tecnu. There is also a product that prevents poison ivy that can be applied before going outside or in areas known for having ivy, oak or sumac.
My 13 year old son has had poison ivy 3 times in the past year and we've had him wash with dish soap (to remove as much oil as possible) and use the cream. He now swears by it.

By Sunny on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 09:57 am:

I found the product we use most often.
Ivy Complete
There is a store locator at the top of the screen.
I hope your DD gets relief soon!

By Imamommyx4 on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 10:34 am:

If it is really bad, you may need to see a dr and get something like a Medrol Doespak.

Over the Counter there are several really good products. You may need to ask your pharmacist because some of them are kept behind the counter but sold without a prescription. I'm not familiar with Ivy Complete but I suspect it is similar to a product we use called Ivy Dry. It is wonderful and lasts about 8 hours between applications.

Just be extremely careful about getting it close to the eye area.

Also, if at anytime you suspect or know that a person has been exposed to any of the poison ivy, sumac, oak wash asap with clorox and warm water mixed 1 part clorox to 3 parts water. That should help tremendously in decreasing the degree of reaction to it. I'm not sure about washing the cat with the mixture. You might want to call the vet about that.

But if in doubt at all, call the dr.
Good luck.

By Tayjar on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 10:35 am:

Don't hate me for giving you this advice but it has to be done. My DS gets poison ivy at the drop of a hat, usually 7 to 10 times a year. Oh joy.

1. Call the doctor. You will get a prescription for a stronger cream. It will help you daughter heal very fast. If it is infected, they may even have to give her an antibiotic.

2. Keep putting the Benedryl cream on every hour. Use the 2% OTC instead of the 1%.

3. Here's where you will start to hate me. You will need to wash your DD's bedding & clothing & towels she has used in the hottest water you can to get rid of the poison ivy oil on them.

4. Wash off door knobs & other surfaces she or the cat may have touched with a mild bleach solution.

5. Wash the cat. You may have to take it to a groomer to get it completely clean.

6. Where does the cat sleep? Wash that bedding, too.

In other words, anywhere the cat has been, you will need to wash. Anything your daughter touches on a regular basis will need to be disinfected. Poison ivy tends to stick to everything. And, you may have to do this cleaning for several days.

Good luck. I feel for you and your DD.

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 01:13 pm:

Dora, I agree with your advice and think you are absolutely right.

By Colette on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 01:41 pm:

thanks - I am bringing her to the dr because she's now having trouble swallowing.

I have two cats and I don't know which one is the culprit. I can hardly wait to give them both a bath.

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 04:12 pm:

Colette - I would have the vet do it. Really. Unless your cats are extraordinarily tolerant, this is not something you should do at home. I have done it with one cat (out of the 20+ I have had the care of), and even that was not always easy.

By Colette on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 04:22 pm:

Well, we just got back from the dr. He said, if no one else in the house has it then it's probably not the cat (thank God), and then dd remembered she fell off her bike and landed in some bushes so..I think that's probably where she got it. He put her on prednisone.

Ginny, you are right about having the vet do it. I gave one of my cats a bath many years ago when she came to close to a skunk and I never want to have to do it again!

By Crystal915 on Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 06:19 pm:

Colette, big hugs to your DD, poison ivy stinks!! Here's a humorous thought for you, when we give the cats a bath Nate wears his fire fighting gloves. They're water-proof and can withstand the heat of a burning building, so we figure they can withstand the clawing.

By Karen~moderator on Friday, July 1, 2005 - 07:41 am:

Colette, I am just seeing this - I'm glad to hear you brought her to the doctor. How is she today? Years ago my oldest son, who was VERY allergic to poison ivy, had it so badly, including on his privates and in his mouth and lungs. He ended up having to see 3 doctors, including a urologist because of swelling and he couldn't go...... I blamed myself for the longest time because we waited a couple of days, we had no idea poison ivy could be that bad. You did the right thing, taking her in.

By Colette on Friday, July 1, 2005 - 11:25 am:

Thanks Karen, the prednisone seems to be helping it.

By Kaye on Friday, July 1, 2005 - 12:00 pm:

Glad to hear things are better.

I read a joke once about how to bathe a cat, I believe the general idea was to put the shampoo in the toilet, toss the cat in, close the lid and flush...then be out of the way when opening the lid! rofl.