My Cat Slices Himself Open :(

[Bribonetti]

Hi everyone-

I am new to this site but honestly just created an account because I need outside advice.
My cat Onyx is a year old, I got him a year ago from a lady in town who was selling kittens, so I got two- Onyx and his brother.
Shortly after having him, around a few months, my boyfriend and I would come home from work and Onyx would have cut himself on the side of his neck. He has noticeably softer skin than my other cats, his skin is very stretchy and cuts easily. I’d say he scratches himself about just as much as my other cats, but he slices himself open. He has been wearing a cone for months on end, order from our vet, which I hate that he has to wear! Even if we take the cone off for an hour for him to get a break from it, he’ll cut himself.
Now, the reason why I’m posting this is because we are considering declawing. I have never been for declawing, I’m against it and I think it’s sad. However, we are running out of options here. We have tried clipping his nails religiously, doesn’t work. We’ve tried the nail caps, and he bites those off and his nails can still penetrate his skin! Our vet has talked to us and said even he himself is against declawing but would consider it for Onyx because this is a medical concern.
Does anyone have any input on this or has any other solutions we could try? I want to see what anyone else thinks before we make this decision because I don’t want to have this be a mistake when we could’ve tried something else. Any input is helpful, thanks guys!!

Ps- attached are photos of him and his cone, he is the sweetest baby ever

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome, we're really glad you're here!

You've already tried the two things I thought of

 

[lutece]

I am so sorry about your cat's skin problem. That sounds very distressing!

It sounds like he has "feline fragile skin syndrome"? Does the vet have any idea what is causing it?

 

[stephanietx]

Have you tried changing his diet? Could be he is scratching himself due to either food or airborne allergies.

 

[Bribonetti]

I am so sorry about your cat's skin problem. That sounds very distressing!

It sounds like he has "feline fragile skin syndrome"? Does the vet have any idea what is causing it?

Thank you, yeah it can get stressful at time, but the cone usually keeps it at bay! The vet ran some blood tests last time we went, he definitely has some sort of skin disorder. The doctor said the name of it but I can’t remember it right now. The doctor said it’s not from fleas, so medicine for that doesn’t help, and giving him little pills of itching medicine didn’t help either lol. It’s been an ongoing struggle!

 

[Bribonetti]

Have you tried changing his diet? Could be he is scratching himself due to either food or airborne allergies.

That’s actually what we thought at first! Our vet recommended switching to a hypoallergenic food, which was really hard to find. We got him on some for a few months and it still didn’t help, so we ruled out allergies!

 

[Bribonetti]

Hi! Welcome, we're really glad you're here!

You've already tried the two things I thought of

Thank you!! Yeah it’s a tough situation, it’s been a rough ride!

 

[lutece]

It doesn't sound like allergies to me, if his skin is unusually stretchy and breaks very easily. It sounds more like a metabolic problem that is causing his skin to be abnormally fragile. I don't have personal experience with feline fragile skin syndrome, but I understand there are various possible causes.

If he is doing okay with the cone on, I would first try to figure out what is causing the fragile skin condition, before considering declawing. Perhaps there is a way you can treat the underlying condition that causes the skin to be so fragile. Also, depending on the underlying problem, having surgery on his paws might not be medically advisable, because it might be difficult for him to heal properly. So if your vet did tests, I would definitely wait to see the test results before making any decisions.

 

[Bribonetti]

That’s a really good point I didn’t think of! I never considered his skin problem affecting the surgery for that. I will definitely be having more tests done before we make the big decision. Thank you for your input

 

[losna]

This is a long shot, but maybe see if raw goat's milk will help. One of my cats has a whole series of health issues from advanced kidney disease to skin ailments to digestive problems, and she went from vomiting multiple times a day and having oily scraggly fur with loads of dandruff and bald bleeding spots of skin to rarely vomiting at all and soft fluffy fur and skin when we started feeding it to her once a day.

Just make sure it's raw. My vet sells it, though my cat won't touch the brand my vet has LOL so I buy it directly from a farm source.

 

[Columbine]

It sounds like he has Feline Cutaneous Asthenia, aka feline Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. It's a connective tissue disorder where the collagen is abnormally stretchy (I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome myself). The skin issue can be hard to manage. Because of the disorder, wounds are slow to heal too. In people, post surgical stitches generally have to be left in a lot longer than usual to be sure the wound has closed.

There are a few Ehlers-Danlos kitties on Instagram that I follow. (These are a couple - Toby & Quinton (@tummyandgummy) • Instagram photos and videos , Henry IX - (EDS & FIV) (@henryix_) • Instagram photos and videos ).
They have varying severities of the condition. A lot use different types of clothing (bodysuits, bibs etc) to protect sore spots or injuries, and cones too. Because the skin is more fragile you have to keep checking that nothing is rubbing and creating fresh cuts, but it's the approach I've seen. I've not come across an Ehlers-Danlos kitty who's been declawed. In fact, that could make things worse in the long term, as this condition makes joint issues more likely, and declawing generally causes joint and arthritic changes in the long run.

Keeping claws clipped is extra important too, to minimize risk of self injury.

 

[bitkit]

I think if it were my cat I'd shave the area that he cuts and spray him with an anti-itch solution. All I can think of at the moment.

 

[lutece]

It sounds like he has Feline Cutaneous Asthenia, aka feline Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Yes Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is one possibility, but my understanding is that there are also other conditions that can cause fragile skin in cats, such as Cushing's disease and other metabolic problems. Hopefully the lab results will determine what it is.

 

[Columbine]

Yes Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is one possibility, but my understanding is that there are also other conditions that can cause fragile skin in cats, such as Cushing's disease and other metabolic problems. Hopefully the lab results will determine what it is.

Yes, I'm aware there are other diseases that can cause fragile skin, but fragile, ultra soft, abnormally stretchy skin is the hallmark of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or other collagen-specific issues. I agree that the lab tests should give the answers, but some kind of collagen disorder seems most likely to me.

 

[LTS3]

Have you consulted a veterinary dermatologist for additional suggestions and treatments?

 

[Azazel]

Just wanted to add that declawing is just about the same as cutting a human's finger tips off. You'll probably also get added behavioral issues after the declawing because..well.. having your fingers cut off kind of sucks. I don't think it's the solution.

Most vets won't even do it.. and it's illegal in some states.

 

[Willowy]

Also, depending on the underlying problem, having surgery on his paws might not be medically advisable, because it might be difficult for him to heal properly.

That's what I was thinking too. I don't think that's a good solution.

Bodysuits may work---there are a lot available now.

 

[di and bob]

Is there any way to cover the neck area with a cloth, etc. to keep him from getting to it? Is that the only place that he scratches? If not can only his back claws be removed, I don't think cats can scratch themselves with their front claws. You are sure it is him scratching himself, and not his brother biting/scratching him? I agree with the above, try to get tests done and see what the underlying cause is and go from there.

 

[Azazel]

Rather than removing any claws, why not try using cat nail caps? I don’t really like the idea of these either but they’re a lot more humane than declawing.

Soft Paws® Nail Caps for Cats

 

[silkenpaw]

A Azazel The original poster said she tried nail caps but the cat bit them off. The same thing happened to my Zyngi when I tried putting nail caps on him. My Java does great with nail caps. It seems cat-specific.

Bribonetti When my Zyngi had a hot spot on his neck, I made him a thick collar from the stuff I use to reinforce handbags. It’s spongy and soft but has enough body that it didn’t squish down around his neck. To this I attached a bodysuit made from tube bandage with holes cut in it for the front and back legs. If you are at all handy, it’s pretty easy to make. DM me if you are interested. Also, maybe Onyx would prefer a doughnut collar to the cone. Have you tried one?

I think the suggestion of discussing Onyx’s care with a dermatologist is a great one.

Good luck and please let us know what happens.