Biting And Hair Loss

[Jblalockk]

Hello,

I’ve taken my cat Cleo to the vet three times now because she won’t quit biting her behind and back legs. At first the vet was saying she was having an allergic reaction to fleas. Each trip to the vet, they gave her an injection of antibiotics to kill the infection and clear her allergic reaction. The vet said after the third trip, it should be all cleared up and she shouldn’t need to return. The injections they gave her would help for a few weeks, and then she would start back with the biting and losing her hair again. She’s been on flea treatment for months now, and I’ve treated the house. I have another cat too, but he doesn’t exhibit these symptoms of itching or biting at all. I checked them both for fleas the other day and didn’t even find one, so I’m not sure why she is continuing to bite herself. I think the next step the vet would recommend would be to take her to the dermatologist, but I can’t afford that right now. Has anyone seen this before or have any suggestions on what this could be?? She’s also up to date on all her shots.

Thank you!!

 

[LTS3]

Possible skin issue due to a food intolerance? Or maybe environmental allergies. What do you feed your cat? Do you use scented candle, etc in your home?

 

[FelisCatus]

Was the injection Convenia?

 

[Jblalockk]

Possible skin issue due to a food intolerance? Or maybe environmental allergies. What do you feed your cat? Do you use scented candle, etc in your home?

I took her to another vet a few months back and they did a skin scrape and didn’t find anything/parasites. I Was feeding her Purina Cat Naturals. Now I’m feeding her the Aldi brand of cat food. I switched her to see if it’d have any effect and it didn’t. I do sometimes use candles in the house but haven’t used any lately. This all started back around October and I might’ve changed her litter, but that’s the only thing that I can remember maybe changing.

 

[Jblalockk]

Was the injection Convenia?

The injection was methyl prednisone 20mg injection.

 

[LTS3]

Does the Aldi food contain chicken or grains? Those are common causes of food intolerance in cats. How long have you been feeding the Aldi food? It takes at least 13 weeks to see if a new food helps or not.

If your cat is having a an allergic reaction to something, antibiotics won't do a thing Vets often give antibiotics as a sort of "cure all" for everything.

Methyl prednisone is a steroid and will temporarily help improve symptoms. The vet really need to find out the underlying cause of why your cat is balding. A veterinary dermatologist would be able to run the necessary tests to determine what the allergy is.

 

[FelisCatus]

The injection was methyl prednisone 20mg injection.

That’s not an antibiotic? It’s an immunosuppressant.

It wouldn’t kill an infection.

Did Cleo possible get something else as well?

 

[Jblalockk]

That’s not an antibiotic? It’s an immunosuppressant.

It wouldn’t kill an infection.

Did Cleo possible get something else as well?

Well the first time I took her to the vet back in October, he had to give her an antibiotic along with the methyl prednisone because she was biting herself so much, she had scabs that were oozing. But he never had to give that to her again. All of the other trips to the vet, he just gave her the methyl prednisone. Both of my cats had fleas, but I was able to get rid of them, and she is still scratching and biting

 

[Jblalockk]

Does the Aldi food contain chicken or grains? Those are common causes of food intolerance in cats. How long have you been feeding the Aldi food? It takes at least 13 weeks to see if a new food helps or not.

If your cat is having a an allergic reaction to something, antibiotics won't do a thing Vets often give antibiotics as a sort of "cure all" for everything.

Methyl prednisone is a steroid and will temporarily help improve symptoms. The vet really need to find out the underlying cause of why your cat is balding. A veterinary dermatologist would be able to run the necessary tests to determine what the allergy is.

The first three ingredients are poultry by product meal, ground yellow corn, and corn gluten meal. I’ve been feeding her that for a few weeks now.

 

[LTS3]

It might be all that corn in the food that is causing a possible reaction. Corn is indigestible filler. Purina Cat Naturals also corn and grains. Can you get a grain-free food from a pet store? Will your cat eat canned food?

Skin Conditions In Cats
11 Key Facts About Food Allergies In Cats

 

[Jblalockk]

It might be all that corn in the food that is causing a possible reaction. Corn is indigestible filler. Purina Cat Naturals also corn and grains. Can you get a grain-free food from a pet store? Will your cat eat canned food?

Skin Conditions In Cats
11 Key Facts About Food Allergies In Cats

Yes I can try that! And I’ve tried to give her some canned food before and she will only eat about half of it and is done with it. Can you recommend a grain free food that is relatively affordable?

 

[frkrhe]

My cat was doing this too. The vet did a tick panel which came back positive to ehrlichiosis and lyme. She had a months worth of steroids and a convenia shot. Still no progress. So we moved onto allergy testing. That came back with about 24 different allergens, including 6 foods to include salmon, venison, lamb, eggs and one other I forgot at the moment. She is borderline for tomato. Her biggest allergen is her own yeast from her body.

So I asked here and started reading and think I have found a dry food she likes (although I am beginning to have a concern about the pea protein) and I am still working on finding a wet food she likes as this brand only comes in a pate form and she is not liking that. We have several vetted rescue indoor kittys, so we have to be careful with food as it is easier for them to all eat the same thing.

She is getting weekly baths with an RX shampoo. It's only been about 2 weeks and (2 baths). I can see slight hair regrowth and no flakey scabby skin. My kitty is 10 years old and has been with me since she was abandoned at about 4 weeks.

 

[leo12]

We have a cat that constantly licked and chewed his back legs to the point he developed a sore on the joint on one leg. We kept taking him back to the vet, he would bandage it and give him more shots. We had to try to keep a bandage on him, which required a collar, t shirt, doughnut, we tried everything. Finally we took him for a second opinion and was told because of the constant licking and chewing he had done so much damage he had to have his leg amputated. We got a third opinion, and she also agreed. After his surgery, we put him on Natural Balance Green Pea and Salmon. We thought we'd try a food without any chicken, or grain, plus we switched to unscented litter. The itching stopped. It wasn't the litter, because we started with the scented one again, so he is either allergic to chicken, or grain. He isn't crazy about the food but eats it. We even got our other cat on it to make it easier. I would definitely try a grain free food, and possibly chicken free, and see what happens. You really have to read the ingredients because even some of the fish versions have chicken in them, there are very few that don't have some type of chicken product, or broth, etc. Good Luck.

 

[LTS3]

Try these:

Healthy but affordable canned food
Affordable canned food?
Cheapest/Most affordable Grain free or healthiest canned food
http://www.thecatsite.com/t/330459/...conomical-way-to-buy-friskies-canned-cat-food
New Affordable PetSmart Brand! =D
4health now has affordable grain-free wet food
Need Cheap Grain-free Cat Food Dry
Performatrin Ultra Grain Free Vs. Instinct Raw Boost Chicken
Whats A Good Grain Free Food?
Grain Free, High Protein And Low Carb Dry


I personally like the Nature's Variety Instinct brand. Some people like Dr. Elsey's and Young Again and Orijen.