Kitty Is Miserable Help!!

Jln9915

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My cat is about a year old. Since about 6 months she has had this issue with scrathing and biting herself soooo much it's so bad now that I have had to cone her most of the time (it stops her from licking and scrathing her head bloody) however she can still reach her body. She constantly has fresh wounds mixed with old wounds and alot of her hair keeps falling out I tear her for fleas even though shes indoors I put her on a grain free diet and she been to the vet all they do is give her medicine and tell me to try this or that. He said she has flea allergies but she doesn't have fleas anymore and she still keeps doing it. I feel so bad I just dont know what to do. I've tried treating for mites I have some spray that is suppose to soothe the skin and shes on a.special diet as well as flea medicine. Also has the ointment from the vet to basicly keep her skin from getting Infected. At thos point I feel realy bad for coning her as she is so unhappy while she is wearing it but last time I trimmed her nail I let it off for an hour and she tore herself up again. Is there anything I can put on her paws so they shes not able to scratch herself? Or maybe somethin for her body and head that I can put on her son she couldnt scrath the areas?
 

MissJupiter

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Since she is an indoor cat, she might be stressed, anxious or may have developed a compulsive disorder for biting and scratching herself. The best thing to do is keep her busy if that's the problem. If not she may have pain in the areas she is scratching and biting or because of her flea allergies she might have skin irritation even though the fleas are gone. I'm not an expert but I hope this helps a little, thanks.
 

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Get a second opinion and an allergy test. If you are certain it is not fleas, there may be something else. It may even be psychological. I have to agree that living with a cone on most of the time would be horrible!

Two of our nine, Simon and Tara, are allergic to fleas. They are indoor only, but fleas have a way of getting in, especially in the late fall. They will have scabs coving their backs for a couple of months after treatment, even after a mild flea outbreak.

One of our nine, Fennimore, took to licking his belly hair rather suddenly. We tried a baby onesie turned the wrong way with a hole cut for his head after the hair licking caused constipation. When we put it on him, he acts as if we have taken his soul. Allergy and skin tests have shown no issues, so the vet thinks that it is phycological. There were no major stressors at the time it started. We have tried the hot spot spray. It has not helped.

You could try the onsie trick and some nail covers.
 

Kflowers

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Or she may have a food allergy. Some cats are allergic to chicken, which is unfortunate because most cat food has chicken in it. You can always try and elimination diet. Pick one ingredient, as you have already done by going grain free and try to eliminate that from her diet. For example, chicken read the ingredients careful many foods that don't contain chicken meat contain chicken broth and /or chicken fat. It can be subtle. My cat throws up when she eats food with chicken meat in it, but can tolerate food with chicken broth and chicken fat in it. (The vet gives me the raised eyebrow on this, but I'm the one cleaning up the rowlf.) Any ingredient can cause an allergy so this may take awhile.

Itching, scratching is frequently caused by allergies. My cat is also allergic to fleas, but when she gets a flea she gets little bumps. That's how I can tell the difference. Your cat may have different symptoms.

Someone who is better at diet should be here soon. In the meantime, please check the threads in Cat nutrition for more detailed help.
 

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Maybe an allergy to something in the air? Have you tried an air filter? Preferably a HEPA filter.

If you can get the previous wounds properly healed you might want to try some Vitamin E oil on them. I've seen it at Kroger grocery stores, if you have one near you, and also at Vitamin Cottage/Natural Grocers. Make sure it's really Vitamin E oil; if it isn't extremely viscous (thick, sticky, slow moving when you up-end the bottle to watch the bubbles move to the other end) they've just mixed a bit of Vitamin E into some other oil, probably olive oil. You can also get it by simply buying Vitamin E in gelcaps and piercing the gelcap with a pin so you can squeeze the Vitamin E out.

Margret
 
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Jln9915

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Could stress cause it even if shes been indoors her whole life? I'm currently on the lookout for a new vet for her I would have never of thought to use a baby onsie haha good idea. I have been looking at the nail covers for quite some time now just easnt sure if they actually worked or I'd they were easy to chew off. Yes I tried the hot spot spray too and it didnt help at all. I feel so terrible for her shes always scabby and I'm sure her wounds hurt something terrible. I use advantage and then the flea pills you give them everyday as well
 

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Olive oil is very soothing for dry skin, try it on your hands and see. Be aware that some cats love the taste and will lick it off.

Nail covers? I can tell you about those. Sweet Gum was a rowdy, slice and dice singleton, so while I still had feet we got the vet to put the nail covers on her. Despite what your vet or other people may tell you, if you could put the nail covers (soft paws) on by yourself you wouldn't need them. With your cat's injuries you don't want to risk getting the glue in one of her wounds.

They last about a month, because the claws grow. And because your cat will dedicate a good bit of time to trying to remove them. Which will keep her from scratching during those hours. SG looked at her nail covers, tapped them on the floor, and sank them into the sofa. This happened approximately 5 minutes after getting home from the vet visit to put them on.

They are rounded and will keep your cat from cutting her skin, I think. You may lose some furniture, but the greater purpose may be achieved. Again, get the vet to put them on her. SG was lightly sedated for it. It wasn't expensive, even though the vet didn't approve. She is and was indoor only. Your cat will not be able to climb trees with them on.
 

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Hi. So sorry that so far nothing you have done is working. Another vet is a VERY GOOD idea - along with all of the suggestions above, especially those from Elphaba09 Elphaba09 . The poor baby needs to be checked for allergies, of all kinds. If she has flea allergies, there is a very good possibility that she has allergies to the flea treatments as well.

I don't think it is stress - although as of right now that could be contributing to her issues, since she is surely stressed out by all the itching.

@Mamanyt1953 - and I trust her advice - supports using German chamomile tea bags (found in grocery stores), steeped in water, cooled, and then applied with cotton swabs as a soothing and healing agent that will help settle down some of the itching.
 

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This 'If she has flea allergies, there is a very good possibility that she has allergies to the flea treatments as well. " is so unfair.

But, yeah, another vet is a good move.
 

Elphaba09

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Could stress cause it even if shes been indoors her whole life?
Yes. While all my cats have spent some part of their lives out in the wild, Fennimore (and his siblings Willow and Pip) were babies when we found them. They are all now almost five, so it is unlikely that they recall anything stressful from before they became indoor only. Fennimore is the most laidback cat I have ever encountered, but something caused him to start the licking.

Like K Kflowers 's cat, my cats with the flea allergy get bumps and scabs. I found one flea on one cat (Astrid) a month ago. I knew to look because Simon and Tara had the bumps caused by fleas. (I am sure that there were a lot more than the one in the house! It was obviously just a mild case in the house.)

Our cat Estella is allergic to plastic, but she loves licking plastic. That often causes her to get a rash and her lips to swell. Sometimes, she will get sores on her mouth. She does not scratch and bite herself like your cat, but plastic may be something to consider as a source.
 

FeebysOwner

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This 'If she has flea allergies, there is a very good possibility that she has allergies to the flea treatments as well. " is so unfair.
??? From my experience with many cat owners, this has been the case many times. It's just something else to check and consider...
 

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To anyone who might know: Might sulfur lime dip or colloidal silver help with the current skin irritations? We alternate between dabbing colloidal silver and chamomile tea on Simon and Tara.
 

FeebysOwner

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Not that you said it, FeebysOwner FeebysOwner but the unfortunate reality. It is unfair that that is the way it is that the thing that can get rid of the fleas can also cause allergeries in cats who are allergic to fleas.

Sorry I wasn't clear.
Thanks. Appreciate that. And, oh so true - same thing for some of the 'dang' medications used to treat ailments.

Either way, I HOPE it is something relatively simple for J Jln9915 to rectify.
 
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Jln9915

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Thank you for all your answers I never thought about the flea medicine causing it vet never said anything about that :/ I'll have to try the tea I'm willing to try just about anything to get her feeling even alittle better
 

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Hi Jln. From what you have posted it sounds like your vet is not really sure what is causing the itching and is trying to treat for multiple potential causes. Others have given you some things to think about in terms of cleaning your home to eliminate allergens and fleas. Just thinking about the food allergy angle, can you tell us what food she is eating right now?
 
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