This post is about Kipper's brother Gary, who resides with my parents and younger siblings. He is 4 years old, a medium-haired tuxedo who weighs a little over 20 punds. He does have a vet appointment for Wednesday, but I am just trying to get some insight until then.
For several weeks now Gary has been wearing an Elizabethan Collar to prevent him from doing this. He has had this problem before but his hair grew back after wearing the cone for a while and when they took it off he just didn't do it anymore.
What he does is he licks his bum, tail, and front paws until they are bald then scratches his neck and chin until not only are those areas bald, but also bleeding. It seems to be much worse than last time. The hair isn't growing back and if the collar is removed he licks and scratches obsessively. At first they were taking the collar off for feedings but instead of eating he would just "groom" himself, so they leave it on constantly now and he had to learn to eat with it. They have used oinments and creams on the skin itself, and also used an oral kitty benedryl. He slept alot on the benedryl but continued the behavior immediately upon waking up. There doesn't seem to be any kind of visible rash on the skin, though I can't see the skin around his neck and chin because it is completely scabbed over.
No idea what it is, as he didn't have to go to the vet last time this happened. He got out this past spring and was missing for about 3 months. Apparently he had been on their property all along but the area is heavily wooded so they never saw him. The only reason he is home now is thanks to the family dog, who spotted him and chased him up a tree. My dad heard the barking and went outside and when he saw it was Gary in the tree he coaxed him down and brought him in the house. My dad is worried that maybe he got something when he was MIA but I don't think so given that this has happened before.
I should mention that their other cat Roxy (my cat that they won't return
) is fine, and the last time that this happened, Kipper and the third brother Klein (who recently passed away) were around too, and none of them ever had any symptoms. That leads me to believe that whatever it is, it isn't contagious, therefore reinforcing my theory that he didn't catch something while he was outside. It has been months since he came home, too, so it's not that he brushed against poison oak or something either.
Anybody ever have this happen? What did it turn out to be?
I just really hope it's something very minor and non-life-threatening, and preferably something that isn't very costly to treat because my brother and sister may not have a Christmas if it is.
Vibes for Gary and my family.
For several weeks now Gary has been wearing an Elizabethan Collar to prevent him from doing this. He has had this problem before but his hair grew back after wearing the cone for a while and when they took it off he just didn't do it anymore.
What he does is he licks his bum, tail, and front paws until they are bald then scratches his neck and chin until not only are those areas bald, but also bleeding. It seems to be much worse than last time. The hair isn't growing back and if the collar is removed he licks and scratches obsessively. At first they were taking the collar off for feedings but instead of eating he would just "groom" himself, so they leave it on constantly now and he had to learn to eat with it. They have used oinments and creams on the skin itself, and also used an oral kitty benedryl. He slept alot on the benedryl but continued the behavior immediately upon waking up. There doesn't seem to be any kind of visible rash on the skin, though I can't see the skin around his neck and chin because it is completely scabbed over.
No idea what it is, as he didn't have to go to the vet last time this happened. He got out this past spring and was missing for about 3 months. Apparently he had been on their property all along but the area is heavily wooded so they never saw him. The only reason he is home now is thanks to the family dog, who spotted him and chased him up a tree. My dad heard the barking and went outside and when he saw it was Gary in the tree he coaxed him down and brought him in the house. My dad is worried that maybe he got something when he was MIA but I don't think so given that this has happened before.
I should mention that their other cat Roxy (my cat that they won't return
Anybody ever have this happen? What did it turn out to be?
I just really hope it's something very minor and non-life-threatening, and preferably something that isn't very costly to treat because my brother and sister may not have a Christmas if it is.
Vibes for Gary and my family.