Help for an itchy cat?

[BrattishTaz]

I have a cat that will go bald from scratching every year. The vet gave her a cortizone shot and the symptoms disappeared until the next year. She has seasonal allergies. Her symptoms are weight loss, scratching, bald spots, and vomiting (hairballs).

She had to have surgery a couple of years ago and the vet told me to give her Benadryl liquid to keep her groggy while she recovered. That year I noticed the allergy symptoms were gone. The Benadryl worked wonders! I don't remember the dosage but your vet or local animal hospital may be able to tell you. It is very easy to administer liquid meds with a dropper.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

I would change to a grain free diet asap.

 

[equine623]

I read through the replies quickly so forgive me if I missed this...but is there any chance this is a behavioral thing? A response to stress I mean. You mentioned your work schedule increasing and then this happened, perhaps they are related. Sometimes a drastic change in routine or life habits will show like this. Your stress from your father's situation could be responsible for this latest episode.

Just thought I would throw it out there as food for thought.

Best of luck, Toby is lucky to have you

 

[jennh]

Quote:
Ringworm is not a true worm; it is a fungal infection of the skin. Deworming medications are useless for it. However, athlete's foot creams and vaginal yeast infection creams generally work well (I prefer the former unless it is close to a mucous membrane). Ringworm generally comes along with very obvious scaley looking, irritated skin however, so if the OP isn't noticing that I would be inclined to think it is something else.

The skin condition can be a number of things. Flea allergy is very common, so I would first check for that. Even if he stays indoors, if you have any pets that go outdoors, the cat should probably be on a monthly flea preventive if he isn't already. If there are no fleas, the second most likely thing I could think of would be a food allergy. They are fairly common in cats and are often linked to either "fillers" or protein items. Trying a grain free food or food that is corn/soy/wheat free, or alternately buying a limited ingredients diet that uses an alternative protein may help, as may supplementing the diet with omega 3's. General allergies (seasonal/not diet related) are also possible and can often be treated with over the counter feline allergy medicines or an appropriate dose of benadryl - and topical feline anti-itching sprays may help as well. Finally, there are a number of medical conditions ranging from bacterial and fungal infections of the skin (these usually have a foul odor and discharge, however), thyroid conditions, cancers, and a number of other problems could be the cause, so if you rule out flea dermatitis, food allergy, and environmental allergy it might be time to worry and perhaps ask a friend or family member about some financial help for kitty to see the vet.

Good luck, I hope he feels better soon.

I agree with Ingrid. I have an ALMOST 20 year old Himmy that was constantly scratching herself. She had no fur left on her neck, and was also scratching near her back. I took her to the vet. She said it was a food allergy and the only way to find out what she was allergic to was through process of elimination. Cats are apparently very allergic to wheat and fish. I stopped the fish, still scratched. Stopped the wheat gluten, she's fine. She was allergic to wheat gluten. You should see me in the grocery store reading cat can labels

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
A temporary change in food may help determine if that is the problem. It doesn't help if the allergy is from oak pollen. The OP needs to find out what is in the air at the time of year the symptoms present.

 

[BrattishTaz]

Quote:
Ringworm is not a true worm; it is a fungal infection of the skin. Deworming medications are useless for it. However, athlete's foot creams and vaginal yeast infection creams generally work well (I prefer the former unless it is close to a mucous membrane). Ringworm generally comes along with very obvious scaley looking, irritated skin however, so if the OP isn't noticing that I would be inclined to think it is something else.

The skin condition can be a number of things. Flea allergy is very common, so I would first check for that. Even if he stays indoors, if you have any pets that go outdoors, the cat should probably be on a monthly flea preventive if he isn't already. If there are no fleas, the second most likely thing I could think of would be a food allergy. They are fairly common in cats and are often linked to either "fillers" or protein items. Trying a grain free food or food that is corn/soy/wheat free, or alternately buying a limited ingredients diet that uses an alternative protein may help, as may supplementing the diet with omega 3's. General allergies (seasonal/not diet related) are also possible and can often be treated with over the counter feline allergy medicines or an appropriate dose of benadryl - and topical feline anti-itching sprays may help as well. Finally, there are a number of medical conditions ranging from bacterial and fungal infections of the skin (these usually have a foul odor and discharge, however), thyroid conditions, cancers, and a number of other problems could be the cause, so if you rule out flea dermatitis, food allergy, and environmental allergy it might be time to worry and perhaps ask a friend or family member about some financial help for kitty to see the vet.

Good luck, I hope he feels better soon.

I agree with Ingrid. I have an ALMOST 20 year old Himmy that was constantly scratching herself. She had no fur left on her neck, and was also scratching near her back. I took her to the vet. She said it was a food allergy and the only way to find out what she was allergic to was through process of elimination. Cats are apparently very allergic to wheat and fish. I stopped the fish, still scratched. Stopped the wheat gluten, she's fine. She was allergic to wheat gluten. You should see me in the grocery store reading cat can labels

It makes you wonder how they would survive outside. My cat is allergic to oak pollen, ragweed, and rats!

We had to get rid of the pet rats.

 

[GhostRider65]

It most likely is some kind of allergy,
Start adding ACV to his water, it will help his system rid itself of any poisons/toxins, bath him if possible with baby shampoo, or all natural if you have it, rinse him with an infusion of yellow dock root, mixed as a tea and diluted with water, local health food store should have it. If your thinking its a food allergy, try an all natural organic food bag for a week, if no change it' might be flea bites as someone suggested but you should be able to see them on his belly near where his little dangly things use to be. So If I think of anything else I will post to ya. Kim

 

[lngrid]

I'm sorry I haven't been clear about what kind of food Toby eats. Here's a link to a page showing the ingredients and nutritional analysis of his current food. Here's a link to a page showing the ingredients and nutritional analysis of the only other food he's eaten as long as I've had him.

Basically, he's been scratching when he was a stray, eating dirt-covered crawlies, and when he he's been with me, eating luxury kitty food.

He's done it in summer, autumn, winter and spring, and the only thing in the air at all those times has been nitrogen, oxygen and air pollution.

He's done it when he slept under whatever filthy shelter he could find, and when he sleeps in my own bed.

It could be fleas, except that he's not itching where fleas tend to congregate, but I'll put Frontline on him. Then I'll save up to get him to a vet and i'll keep you all posted about what's going on with him.

Thanks again for caring about us and offering your time and advice.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Flea allergy really is an *allergy*, the places where it most afffects the cat are *not* really the places where fleas most congregate.

Want me to quite-possibly save ya the price of Frontline?

Get a flea comb. (Well ok, if you don't HAVE a flea comb, you will have to buy one -- but do NOT buy one of the big long-handled metal-teethed ones, get the cheapest one you can find, probably 99 cents, which will be plastic with super fine closely-set teeth. IME that does a better job finding flea dirt than the metal ones do.

Then sit the cat on a white bedsheet, white table, or piece of white paper. Comb the fleacomb thru the cat's fur, all the way to the skin, at various points on the cat but concentrating especially on the belly and groin (between hindlegs). Every few combings, clean the comb off onto the white surface you're on. There will be cat hair of course, and possibly a few miscellaneous pieces of other stuff if your housekeeping practices are like mine LOL, but what you're looking for is little black specks, like finely ground black pepper you'd put on your food. If you find ANY, you have fleas and thus it could be flea-allergy (some cats are very allergic to almost no fleas). If you are thinking 'gee, those could just be little black pieces of dirt instead, right?" the test is to dampen your finger and smear/squash them across the white paper you're on (do not do on bedsheet). If this produces reddish smears, them was flea turds

If you thoroughly flea-comb your cat, closely inspecting the fur off the comb for leetle black specks and finding none whatsoever, then there is really no point in Frontline.

Good luck, hope you get it sorted out,

Pat

 

[2cool4you]

I can't really add much more on the itchy issue than what other people have said, however I do have a suggestion for cheaper cat litter. My older cat developed asthma and the vet said that cat litters have too much dust in them and it causes asthma. They recommended switching to a feline pine or newspaper cat litter but that stuff is really expensive. However my feed store has pine pellet bedding for horses and it's $4.99 for a 25lb bag and as long as I scoop the poop regularly the stuff lasts long and is good on odor control. You only need a couple of inches that can last a week or more as the pellets expand into a sawdust like consistency. My cats love it and they have had no respiratory problems and the pine pellets are cheaper than a tub of fresh step or any other premium cat litter. In fact I save at least $40 a month on cat litter easily. Of course I have 4 cats so I use more but it is a cheap alternative that I find to be healthier.

Also a side note, children's liquid benedryll can be given too and it comes in a liquid so you could mix it with water or his wet food if you can't be there to give it to him.