rmbrruffian replied: "Yes, I have. I am a former CVT and the owner of a cat with food (Poultry) allergies. She also probably has IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease). She has never BEEN diagnosed with IBD, but on the recommendation of the Veterinary Internist I used to work for, I have treated her as an IBD patient. The bad part of both these conditions, the poultry allergy and the IBD, is her diet. Trying to find a food that does NOT have poultry in it is nearly impossible. Eating ANYTHING other than her special diet can cause a flare up of the IBD, which is always vomiting and regurgitation. Fortunately for me, she doesn't get diarrhea. She does, however, have chronic constipation. When she has a flare up, I have to start her on Prednisone. Her vet, whom I also used to work with, prescribes enough for me so that I can get her started as soon as she has a flare up. You are probably concerned about giving your cat steriods. Steroids, which prednisone is one, are a type of anti inflammatory. They reduce inflammation in the body, and by reducing that inflammation, helps the body heal itself. The over use of steroids can cause severe side effects, however; when used properly, they will help. If you are giving your cat prednisone for Flea Allergy Dermatitis, there are other things you can do, (and SHOULD do) other than giving steroids. Making sure your cat does not have fleas would be the biggest thing. If, on the other hand, your cat has some other sort of allergy, steriods will help. As to the side effects, excessive thirst and urination are the most common effects. If your cat goes outdoors to urinate, you will have to be vigilant. Your cat may start urinating in the house, because of the steroids. Make sure your cat has easy access to litterboxes and keep them cleaned. Cats have less problems with long term use of steroids than dogs do. Dogs can become very ill from prolonged use. It can shut down the adrenal glands, which help produce steroids in the body. That is why, when animals or humans are given steroids, they must be given a decreasing dosage. This is so that the adrenal glands don't shut down from the shock. By giving artificial steroids, the adrenal glands produce less of their own steroids. If the synthetic steroids are stopped abruptly, the adrenal glands aren't producing and sends the body into distress. By using a decreasing dosage, the adrenal glands can be brought back to the level of production that they were at before the steroids were started. Since your vet has prescribed steroids for the sneezing, has he suggested seeing an allergy specialist? There are specialists that can do allergy testing and find out what your cat is allergic to. It is, however; QUITE expensive. And sometimes there are simple reasons for the allergies. One cat that was a patient of ours had terrible sneezing, eye discharge, and other signs of allergies. The cat finally came to the Internist I worked for, who was one of the foremost Diagnosticians in Veterinary Medicine. She finally figured out that the source of the allergy was because the cat would sit in the bathroom with the owner in the mornings while she was getting ready for work. The cat was right behind her when she applied her HAIRSPRAY. The cat had a huge sneezing fit. After that, the owner kept the cat out of the bathroom while she was getting ready, and the allergy symptoms went away. My cat has been on daily steroids for about 8 months now. She has been having problems with increased vomiting and loss of appetite. She is doing fine on the steroids. If you have other questions, that I haven't answered, I can e-mail you."