Cat keep scratching at face and ears

[Nabiha]

Please forgive me if the formatting is weird, this is my first post on this forum

My cat is a year old. When I first got her, I noticed she would scratch at her eyes, mouth, chin and ears alot to the point that the fur would come off. I took her to the vet and they told me she has an allergy to something (they couldn’t and still can’t confirm what it is). We tried switching her food (at least 10 times now) and that didn’t work. I got rid of scented products that I use that might cause her allergies to flare up, that didn’t work. We got an allergy test done and it came back saying no external factors are the cause. The vet usually gives her an allergy shot and she’s fine for a month, but then the scratching starts again. The vet is refusing to give any more shots because they said my cat might get diabetes or cancer if I keep doing it. The scratching has started again, and although it’s not as bad as it usually is, I have no idea what to do to stop it from happening in the first place

Below is an old image that usually shows how bad it is

 

[FeebysOwner]

Can you give us more specifics?

What are these 10 different foods that have been tried, and how long was she on each one of them? Has she been put on novel proteins, and if so, what ones? What did they test for in terms of allergies that came back with no external factors?

They have given your cat steroids, most likely Prednisolone, and long-term use can cause diabetes as well as heart issues. Have they tried antihistamines instead?

These questions are a starting point, and hopefully some more information will give members other things to consider as possible solutions.

Btw, your post/formatting is just fine!!! And your poor kitty is darling!

 

[iPappy]

Hi, along with what FeebysOwner mentioned, does she go outside at all? (Even in a catio or on a leash)? Do you notice her itching anywhere else at all, even if it doesn't create wounds like this? And, does she do this year round, or is it worse during certain times of the year? Also, what type of food and water bowls are you using? Do you use scented litter? Candles? What about laundry detergents? And BTW, she is a beauty! I hope you can get this figured out.

 

[silent meowlook]

The best thing you can do is get an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. They are much more knowledgeable about skin than regular vets.

 

[Nabiha]

Can you give us more specifics?

What are these 10 different foods that have been tried, and how long was she on each one of them? Has she been put on novel proteins, and if so, what ones? What did they test for in terms of allergies that came back with no external factors?

They have given your cat steroids, most likely Prednisolone, and long-term use can cause diabetes as well as heart issues. Have they tried antihistamines instead?

These questions are a starting point, and hopefully some more information will give members other things to consider as possible solutions.

Btw, your post/formatting is just fine!!! And your poor kitty is darling!

10 was an exaggeration, but we (my family and I) tried a huge assortment of different wet foods to (attempt) to see which ones didn’t cause a reaction. This is my first ever pet, so I didn’t know I should’ve made her stick to one food for 6-8 weeks and just ended up buying different brands when we first got her. The vet suggested a salmon dry food, but my cat refused to eat it, so then they suggested Royal Canin selected protein PD. We did it for 6-8 weeks, it didn’t help. We’re trying a new one, Royal Canin again but it’s the veterinarian allergenic one. It’s been 4 weeks and my cat seemed fine, but the scratching started up again last week-ish. I’m not sure if it’s a novel protein, but we did try salmon and she didn’t eat it. The protein PD had duck so that was new, but it didn’t help.

I’m not 100% sure what they did for allergies, as my mom was the one who took my cat to the vet the last couple of times. But she said they basically tested for outdoor things; pollen, grass,birch trees, etc. I’ll get some more specifics when I can for that, but that’s all I have for now for the allergy bit. We tested her last month and the vet said no external factors were causing her itching

I have not suggested antihistamines because my mom is the one that usually takes her to the vet because I have classes during the day, but the next time we take her (which might be soon because I think it’s getting worse) I’ll definitely bring it up

I’m not sure how relevant this is, but one of my dad’s coworkers actually has a cat that came from the same litter as mine. Apparently they had the same problem as mine but they didn’t do anything about it. Now their cat is fine and doesn’t scratch anymore. I considered trying it, but it makes me upset whenever I see my cat all scratched up

 

[Nabiha]

Hi, along with what FeebysOwner mentioned, does she go outside at all? (Even in a catio or on a leash)? Do you notice her itching anywhere else at all, even if it doesn't create wounds like this? And, does she do this year round, or is it worse during certain times of the year? Also, what type of food and water bowls are you using? Do you use scented litter? Candles? What about laundry detergents? And BTW, she is a beauty! I hope you can get this figured out.

I take her outside sometimes, but it’s rare and far in between. I took her outside on a leash yesterday but she stayed on the patio and laid down. The last time I took her outside before that was in the middle of August.

my cat usually scratches under her chin, the sides of her mouth, in front of her ears, and, very rarely, behind her ears. She usually does it around her eyes like in the picture but she (thankfully) hasn’t done that. Her scratching seems to be constant. It usually happens whenever the steroid wears off, which means it starts up again every month

I use metal food and water bowls that I clean every second day. I use unscented litter. Sometimes I use scented candles but I keep her away from whatever part of the house I’m using it in. I use Gain detergent, im not sure if that scent is strong enough to trigger anything

 

[Nabiha]

The best thing you can do is get an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. They are much more knowledgeable about skin than regular vets.

im not sure if we have any in my city. Do you think veterinary hospitals have that kind of service?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I’m not sure how relevant this is, but one of my dad’s coworkers actually has a cat that came from the same litter as mine. Apparently they had the same problem as mine but they didn’t do anything about it. Now their cat is fine and doesn’t scratch anymore. I considered trying it, but it makes me upset whenever I see my cat all scratched up

Maybe you can prompt them to tell you more. They may have changed something and don't connect that to the cat getting better. And find out how long it took their cat to get better once they had him/her.

Do you think veterinary hospitals have that kind of service?

Usually, vets who specialize in dermatology are part of a specialty group, and they may or may not be part of a vet hospital. We can look up what is in your area if you tell us your city, state location (assuming you are in the US).

 

[iPappy]

Nabiha it really sounds like you have done so much for her already. She is very lucky to have you.
I do find it interesting that your cats litter mate had the same thing, but has since stopped. I'm a pet groomer. I groom 3 Bichon Frise's from the same litter, and all 3 of them have allergies. The one who used to be the worst affected is now as close to allergy free as she's ever been. It's very strange.
acvd.org | Find Dermatologist | Veterinarians with specialized training in skin, ears, and allergy
This might help you locate a dermatologist in your area. I do know they can be costly. They might be willing to do phone consultations with you vs. in person. I have worked with vets remotely, they may be willing to work with your local vet if that's the route you decide to go.

 

[Nabiha]

Maybe you can prompt them to tell you more. They may have changed something and don't connect that to the cat getting better. And find out how long it took their cat to get better once they had him/her.

Usually, vets who specialize in dermatology are part of a specialty group, and they may or may not be part of a vet hospital. We can look up what is in your area if you tell us your city, state location (assuming you are in the US).

i Don’t live in the US actually. I’m Canadian unfortunately but I appreciate the offer

 

[iPappy]

i Don’t live in the US actually. I’m Canadian unfortunately but I appreciate the offer

acvd.org | Home | Veterinarians with specialized training in skin, ears, and allergy

Please disregard the link in my last post!

 

[FeebysOwner]

i Don’t live in the US actually. I’m Canadian unfortunately but I appreciate the offer

Look up 'specialty vets' near me on the internet. Also, your vet should be able to give you some contacts too.

 

[silent meowlook]

acvd.org | Home | Veterinarians with specialized training in skin, ears, and allergy

 

[Fergusboy]

Do you use flea control on your cat? Some cats are very allergic to flea bites. I have a couple of cats that over groom and get bald spots every summer. Putting flea control on them seems to help. I use Advantage, since it's a topical treatment.

 

[Peaches&Mango]

Adding a post to this to follow along, as have exactly the same issue with one of my cats! Only one of the 4 that has issues, tried multiple different brands of wet food and dry food, some of which very expensive high quality, our usual isn’t the cheapest option to begin with anyway but no luck with change there. No household sprays, different hand soaps and detergents for our clothes, he’s been on steroids (prednisone), antibiotics, allergy relief gel, all cats completely indoor, no flea issues within the house, sterling silver bowls and metal stands, tempered glass feeding placemat all regularly cleaned. Nothing has helped, and he’s just getting worse. Every time it starts to clear up with daily care, the itching from the scabbing sets him off scratching again and he rips the scabs off and causes it to all begin again. It’s recently extended to his neck as well as he caught it accidentally and of course once that scabbed up he scratched again, and kept scratching it further. It’s an area he can reach with the cone on so no way of stopping it and the vet just doesn’t know how to help any further than what we’ve tried.
It’s been happening almost a year now and season/weather doesn’t seem to have any difference. We are at a complete loss as have no issues with the other cats which are mum, dad and sister so all related! I just want to be able to help him get better as he lives in the cone and seems miserable
I hope we can find something for our babies! I’m going to look into a specialist vet now

 

[Nabiha]

Not sure if updates work here? But I got Leo’s results back from her allergy test. She’s allergic to most of the stuff in our backyard, so the vet said she can’t sit near open windows facing outside (because the pollen from some plants can get carried in the breeze and she can breathe it in) and we can’t take her outside anymore without giving her allergy medicine. My mom suggested Antihistamines to the vet after I saw that on here, and they basically said “oh that’s right! That’s something we could’ve done!” (And my mom was pissed because she hated coming back every month to give Leo her steroid shot when we could’ve done that. Also, Leo hates the vet and she needs to her a medication that makes her sleepy before she goes there). But anyways, we basically got some reactine and she should feel better soon, thanks for everyone who gave me tips!

 

[Nabiha]

Do you use flea control on your cat? Some cats are very allergic to flea bites. I have a couple of cats that over groom and get bald spots every summer. Putting flea control on them seems to help. I use Advantage, since it's a topical treatment.

She actually gets it once a month, so I don’t think it was fleas