3 year old domestic pulling his hair out leaving an open wound

[kamijo]

As the title says I have a 3 year old fixed domestic short hair male who has been for the last 3/4 months been bitting and pulling his fur out leaving a large open wound. We've taken him to 2 different vets who have given us wound care instructions, septic powder and told us to keep him in a sweater and give him calming treats. So far no one wants to put him on any stress meds and the sweater was working for awhile until it would start sticking to the wound and we had to stop using it for fear of infection. I'm at my limit on what to do here. We have other cats who he gets along with and his twin brother is always by his side.

What can I do to try and stop this behavior? My husband is looking at maybe re-homing him if things don't get any better due to him always having this leaking open wound on his back. He's begun to not want to be touched at all due to having to put the powder on the wound.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Even though his twin is always with him, are you sure he isn't being exposed to something in his environment? As with food sensitivities, no two cats will react the same way and he may be more sensitive than his twin or the other cats.

Speaking of food, have you tried a food change with him? Have you given him a different litter?

Can you put him in a cone so he doesn't lick the area?

Is there something that's changed in your household? Again, every cat won't react in the same way to changes. Are there feral/stray cats outside? Other animals? Are you in an apartment where there are other animals? Someone may have just moved in with a dog, or parrot, or new baby...

 

[kamijo]

Hi!
Even though his twin is always with him, are you sure he isn't being exposed to something in his environment? As with food sensitivities, no two cats will react the same way and he may be more sensitive than his twin or the other cats.

Speaking of food, have you tried a food change with him? Have you given him a different litter?

Can you put him in a cone so he doesn't lick the area?

Is there something that's changed in your household? Again, every cat won't react in the same way to changes. Are there feral/stray cats outside? Other animals? Are you in an apartment where there are other animals? Someone may have just moved in with a dog, or parrot, or new baby...

We feed them all grain free food, normally Rachael Ray. Before that we feed them grain free but I can't remember the name.

As for litter we use Special Kitty, we've always used that for our 15 year old cat.

We did have a roommate move out at the beginning of the year and they don't visit anymore. He wasn't super close to them but they had been living there since we got him at 4 weeks old.

The cone scares him so much that he just lays crying and won't eat or do anything with it on. We do still have it. It's so hard to see him upset.

The neighbors are moving and other then them we are the only ones living on our road. There are stray dogs and a fox that has taken to going after our chickens at night which we've taken to locking them up at night. Could the fox be upsetting him?

 

[Furballsmom]

Could the fox be upsetting him?

Could be, or maybe the neighbor's moving has caused another animal that was hanging out there to come over to your place?

In any case, are you utilizing just RR's kibble for them, and no wet food? Try giving him a canned food like Merrick Backcountry, or Natural Balance.

Is the litter their unscented version?

 

[Furballsmom]

Here's a list of calming products, maybe there's a different one from what you've been using that helps him more;

Only Natural Pet has a calming product called Just Relax Calming spray with essential oil (catnip oil).

There's this one, be sure and scroll all the way down the page;
Bach Flower Remedies - Rescue Remedy Pets Dogs Cats Horses Birds

Richard's Organics Pet Calm-this one is drops that you put on the tip of the tongue. Also, HomeoPet Anxiety Relief, Head to Tail Calming, Relaxivet Quiet Moments Cat treats, GNC Calming formula, and there is Calm-o-mile, Sentry calming collar, Natures Miracle calming spray, Vetri-Science's Composure is another item to look at, Pet Remedy - UK (it has valerian) is yet another, as is Essential Pet Pet-eze, Pet Organics No Stress, Only Natural Pet (brand and website) has other calming products, Pet Naturals also has one I believe, and there are others.

Lambert Vet Supply is a website to look at, and of course chewy, also there's Petwishpros, animaleo, 1-800-petmeds, Petco and PetSmart, and other pet stores.

There is also a product called a lickimat which could be helpful, as cats can be calmed by the process of licking. The LickiMat - Food Puzzles for Cats

This post talks about some other products;
Calming Treats For A Very Picky Cat

 

[kamijo]

Could be, or maybe the neighbor's moving has caused another animal that was hanging out there to come over to your place?

In any case, are you utilizing just RR's kibble for them, and no wet food? Try giving him a canned food like Merrick Backcountry, or Natural Balance.

Is the litter their unscented version?

They did have a dog and now that it's gone that's when all the other dogs came up.

Just RR food. We don't really do wet food much but I will get some from the brands you said and try it out.

Yes, unscented.

 

[Furballsmom]

Maybe a different cone? Have you tried either of these?

 

[Furballsmom]

that's when all the other dogs came up.

This plus the fox could definitely be causing him stress. Hopefully one of the calming products I posted above helps

 

[Furballsmom]

Anyway, there are a few variables involved here, I think, with a few possible solutions for you - hopefully one or more helps your baby.

Let us know how things go and what happens !

 

[kamijo]

Anyway, there are a few variables involved here, I think, with a few possible solutions for you - hopefully one or more helps your baby.

Let us know how things go and what happens !

Thank you! I'll look first thing Friday for some calming items to use and some wet food to try.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH, hi! Furballsmom sent me a PM about this, wondering if my favorite remedy could help here, and I believe it might. I'm going to suggest chamomile tea, both internally and externally. Buy a box of plain, unblended chamomile tea from your grocery store. Brew a cup and chill it in the fridge. Divide into two separate containers, one for external, one for internal. Externally, use it as a wash on the area, applying very gently with a soft cloth. INTERNALLY, draw up three teaspoonfuls into a syring or medicine dropper and administer orally three times a day. If he is over 10-11 pounds, go up to three TABLESPOONFULS, three times a day.

Externally, chamomile is antibacterial and anti-fungal, as well as wonderfully soothing to pretty much ALL skin ouchies and surface wounds.

Internally, it is gently calming, without being sedating.

I recommend buying the tea bags because ALL commercial chamomile tea is made from German chamomile, which is medicinally active and is safe for cats in those dosages. ENGLISH chamomile is pretty useless medcinally, and is actually toxic to cats. Since the two look very much alike, buying the tea bags takes the guesswork out of it.

 

[LTS3]

Just RR food. We don't really do wet food much but I will get some from the brands you said and try it out.

There might be something in the Rachael Ray food that isn't agreeing with the cat and the symptom is itchy skin which may turn into a wound as the cat scratches. Grains aren't the only cause of food sensitivities. Chicken, gums, and other fillers can also cause skin problems.

A different brand of food is one easy step you can do right now. Try a limited ingredient type diet to start. Here are some brands:

BLUE Basics® Limited Ingredient Cat Food | Blue Buffalo
Limited Ingredient Diet - Grain Free Cat | Merrick Pet Care
Cat Food - Limited Ingredient Diet - Kohapet
Instinct Limited Ingredient Diet | Instinct Pet Food
RAWZ | 100% Rendered Free Cat Food
NutriSource Pet Foods

Give the diet at least 13 weeks for any improvement in the skin issues. Only feed the LID diet during the food trial so other foods / treats / etc won't skew anything.

Skin Conditions In Cats - An Essential Guide - TheCatSite

"Skin conditions in cats" is a crucial topic every cat owner should understand. Recognizing that a cat's skin, like ours, is their largest organ underpins its significance in their overall health. The role of a cat's skin stretches beyond its furry appeal. It acts as a protective barrier against...

thecatsite.com

 

[FeebysOwner]

Other than Furballsmom , I don't think anyone else mentioned searching for environmental causes. I know it is difficult since 3/4 months have passed, but it would be worth it for you to go back in time in your head to recall what, if any, changes were made to his food and/or his environment when this started. There is likely to have been some sort of change that caused him to start biting and pulling at his hair. In addition to food changes, water/food dishes, different flea treatment, it could be a change in clothing detergent/softeners, perfumes, new carpeting/rugs/flooring/bedding materials, etc. - you get the idea.

 

[kamijo]

Thank you everyone. So far he's still licking a bit but with the calming drops we got he hasn't been pulling. I'm hoping this stays and improves. During thanksgiving petco here was having a sale so we got a different brand of septic powder and with just one use of that the wound has stabbed over for the first time in months.

I'm praying this continues but if not we will try more calming aids.

We were also able to have our old roommate back during thanksgiving and he spent the whole time in her lap. Sadly she can't take him with her as she has a 1 pet only apartment and she already has a dog.

 

[Furballsmom]

Thanks so much for the update!

 

[CATFEVER]

Let me first say we have had this problem. We changed our food to purina true instinct and the problem stopped. I hope you will give it a try.