Poor Balding Boy

[RoMay]

Let us start with a bit of history. My roommate adopted a cat named Loki. While a normal looking kitty he has allergies to chicken and almost anything not containing just meat. He will get bloated and really miserable-Bloody (literally) constipated. We spent a lot on vet bills (over $500) in the first year trying to keep him tip top... AND my other roommate seeing Loki just had to adopt a kitten named Lola and brought in ring worm.

The treatments to say the least brought a lot of trauma to Loki. You even move towards a bottle he starts to panic. But that went away and he got over it. My roommates kitten Lola though also got diagnosed with feline herpes and always sounds like darth vader and sneezing/coughing. Lola is always biting and harassing poor Loki. I have pictures of holes she's put in his head.

Now with Loki's current problem. Loki keeps scratching and licking bald spots. We are having problems here finding a vet who will treat him rather then saying "oh it's ring worm agian". It's not the same, nothing like what was before. Plus ring worm likes me and Loki sleeps with me a lot and I have no rashes. We've been at this for months. When we can get Loki to stop licking or scratching he starts quickly healing.

Lola does not have this problem, only Loki

So can anyone here give us a bone to actually approach a vet and be like HEY look for this. Rather then traumatizing this poor cat more. Plus my savings is gone, hers is gone. This cat already used it so knowing what to aim for will really help.




Loki in all his lazy glory. You an see a bald patch on the front leg I end up playing with.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Below are some links to a couple of articles in possible skin conditions - some are not relevant, while others may be, so bear with reading through them to see if you can get some ideas on what to propose to your vet.

If your vet is not willing to pursue other options, it might be time to consider another vet. You can get copies of all of Loki's records so the new vet can have them.

You might also want to check the current foods you are feeding Loki and make sure none of them contain even a little bit of the items you already know he is allergic to.

5 Common Cat Skin Problems | petMD

Cat Skin Problems : Causes of Feline Skin Conditions.

P.S. Cute video!!!!

 

[verna davies]

It could be that with everything Loki has had to deal with lately he is stressed. Stress can often cause fur to thin and itch. I am presuming that you have checked for fleas. You could try a Feliway plug in. This often helps calm them and is not expensive. I'm sure others will post here soon.

 

[RoMay]

FeebysOwner thanks, yeah we've sat here, before I came to this forum looking up anything and anything on kitty conditions. Sadly a lot of vets around here are stubborn and can't help but to think every cat skin ailment is either mange or ring worm.

And we very much control what Loki consumes. Wish I could find his pictures when he first came home he literally looked like he was about to explode.

V verna davies we'll have to order that. I'm willing to try anything to make him happy. But some of these reviews of fire hazard is really worrying. Maybe plug it in when we're around to watch it.

 

[FeebysOwner]

There are other calming products for cats, such as Bach Rescue Remedy which are drops you can rub into a cat's ear. Some people use this to help calm a cat before a vet trip. Not all calming products work on all cats, so you might have to experiment some. You can search the internet with "calming products for cats" and see the varying options.

Also, you can buy grocery store chamomile tea bags (no additives), brew them in water, cool the liquid and dab them on the spots with cotton balls. The tea has both soothing and healing properties - to help take away some of the aggravation of how those spots might feel to him.

If the cats are indoor only, you might want to remind the vet - since ringworm (once it has been cured and gotten rid of) or mange is not too likely to happen to indoor only cats. Since these types of skin conditions are usually contagious, you might also want to stress to the vet that Lola doesn't have any issues.

 

[RoMay]

There are other calming products for cats, such as Bach Rescue Remedy which are drops you can rub into a cat's ear. Some people use this to help calm a cat before a vet trip. Not all calming products work on all cats, so you might have to experiment some. You can search the internet with "calming products for cats" and see the varying options.

Also, you can buy grocery store chamomile tea bags (no additives), brew them in water, cool the liquid and dab them on the spots with cotton balls. The tea has both soothing and healing properties - to help take away some of the aggravation of how those spots might feel to him.

If the cats are indoor only, you might want to remind the vet - since ringworm (once it has been cured and gotten rid of) or mange is not too likely to happen to indoor only cats. Since these types of skin conditions are usually contagious, you might also want to stress to the vet that Lola doesn't have any issues.

They are indoors for their sake and the sake of wild life in the area.

I've been thinking about calming products and TBH it's something I have not done yet. I think I really need to look into it now. It would be nice if it would sooth his nerves.

Also I did try the camomile thing, made him smell good and his fur really soft but as soon as it dried he started licking agian. I'll try it again, maybe this time apply it while he's sleeping. XD

 

[rubysmama]

If your vet is not willing to pursue other options, it might be time to consider another vet.

Do you have cat only vets in your area? They might be more open to your concerns.

 

[RoMay]

I was here before mentioning my roommates cat Loki and his licking bald spots. We tried the pheromone thing and it didn't work. In matter of fact Loki has gotten aggressively worse. Almost completely around one paw, base of his tail, down his legs, and almost completely left side. Basically he's now got bald spots all over where he can reach. Most spots are just bald spots other then the lack of hair the skin looks normal. There are a sores on his side but he keeps licking it more often then other places. I'd take more pictures but he's not liking me to much right now. In matter of fact he's nipped me tonight as I was inspecting the spots.

And we gained a new yowling cat outside so maybe we just got a cat with really bad anxiety.

We are wanting to take him to the vet but we are STILL waiting on our taxes. Since Loki's previous medical bills have wiped out our savings.

 

[verna davies]

It sounds as if he needs to go sooner rather than later. Are you able to discuss a payment plan with your vet. Some are willing to offer monthly payments or something similar.

 

[RoMay]

It sounds as if he needs to go sooner rather than later. Are you able to discuss a payment plan with your vet. Some are willing to offer monthly payments or something similar.

Thing is we have to go to a new vet since our vet is just going to say ring worm rather then trying to solve this.(It's not skin is clear and the other cat in the house is not affected with this) We need to see a vet who will see teh whole picture instead of one single thing. As for vets with payment options we have none that we can find.

This is California we are talking about here.

I feel bad making this guy wait but he's already cost us over 500 bucks getting him a healthier kitty. I'm expecting he's probably going to cost both our taxes solving his bald issue.

 

[neely]

I'm sorry for what your roommate and you are going through with Loki. It sounds like you may need to consult with a veterinary dermatologist. Regarding finances for a new vet I thought you might find this Article helpful which if you scroll down discusses funds that can help pay for vet bills by state:
No Money For Vet Care? How To Find Help And Save Your Cat's Life

I wish you the best of luck and hope you can get both help and an accurate diagnosis for Loki soon.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
In case you haven't gotten these suggestions before, can you deter the outside cat(s) with a motion activated sprinkler? Or try citrus peels and even citrus scented furniture polish sprayed liberally (be sure to use gloves and good ventilation if you spray it indoors first) on cloths and distributed here and there. Really as needed.

Try chamomile tea (use the little bags, no loose leaf), brew it, cool it and apply to all the itchy areas with a clean cotton ball or similar. The tea is anti fungal and anti bacterial, will ease the itch and if he licks any, it is safe.

Also, try some music, there's an app called Relax My Cat and there's MusicForCats . com.

 

[RoMay]

Thank you to everyone.
I'll share this with her and see if we can get things moving with the poor guy. He actually fell asleep near me so here are some spots. I lift up his shirt to see any bald spots. Of course it's on the other side. He's a deep sleeper but don't think he'd stay asleep if I flipped.

PS: Yes he's snoring.


and on a positive note found a baby video of Loki. Yes I am parked so no worries about me crashing.

PS: Yes he likes car rides.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[RoMay]

Little update on Loki. We were still delayed trying ot get finances when I was getting him foods and talking to a petstore employee when a cat rescue lady popped up. She excused herself for bumping in and she stated she was familiar with Loki's issue. I showed her Loki's video and she was able to guess were all the bald spots would be before they appeared.

I was so floored by the fact she could aim at Loki's issues and habits that I forgot to get her name.

Long story short it looks like stress and diet. She recommended Jackson Galaxys stress relief. Also he'd probably thrive better on wet food away from preservatives. So Loki is going to have a vet visit soon but we are trying anti stress first. This was agreed apon so we know if it is stress related for this little guy (okay this fatty isn't so little).

We seem to making progress finally towards fur again. However when the neighbors yowling cat comes out he regresses.

About this time of his balding one of the roommates brought in a yapping dog and the same neighbors male cats began peeing on our door.

SO if he continues to grow back his hair under the shirt we'd probably have to move on to more long term stress measures. Since all attempts to rid of the neighbors cats failed.

Another plus is this little guys been sleeping better. He doesn't twitch so much in his sleep.

 

[Furballsmom]

this little guys been sleeping better.

awww, I'm so glad to hear!!

 

[calico man]

Let us start with a bit of history. My roommate adopted a cat named Loki. While a normal looking kitty he has allergies to chicken and almost anything not containing just meat. He will get bloated and really miserable-Bloody (literally) constipated. We spent a lot on vet bills (over $500) in the first year trying to keep him tip top... AND my other roommate seeing Loki just had to adopt a kitten named Lola and brought in ring worm.

The treatments to say the least brought a lot of trauma to Loki. You even move towards a bottle he starts to panic. But that went away and he got over it. My roommates kitten Lola though also got diagnosed with feline herpes and always sounds like darth vader and sneezing/coughing. Lola is always biting and harassing poor Loki. I have pictures of holes she's put in his head.

Now with Loki's current problem. Loki keeps scratching and licking bald spots. We are having problems here finding a vet who will treat him rather then saying "oh it's ring worm agian". It's not the same, nothing like what was before. Plus ring worm likes me and Loki sleeps with me a lot and I have no rashes. We've been at this for months. When we can get Loki to stop licking or scratching he starts quickly healing.

Lola does not have this problem, only Loki

So can anyone here give us a bone to actually approach a vet and be like HEY look for this. Rather then traumatizing this poor cat more. Plus my savings is gone, hers is gone. This cat already used it so knowing what to aim for will really help.

View attachment 273867 View attachment 273868


Loki in all his lazy glory. You an see a bald patch on the front leg I end up playing with.

You said he has allergies which could be causing the biting and scratching but didn't say if the vet gave him any medication for this. Lulu has allergies and was also biting and scratching but luckily no bald spots. She is taking Prednisolone (steroids) and the biting, etc. is gone. This is inexpensive and could be worth a try. Like others have said, seems like it's time to try another vet. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[RoMay]

You said he has allergies which could be causing the biting and scratching but didn't say if the vet gave him any medication for this. Lulu has allergies and was also biting and scratching but luckily no bald spots. She is taking Prednisolone (steroids) and the biting, etc. is gone. This is inexpensive and could be worth a try. Like others have said, seems like it's time to try another vet. Good luck and keep us posted!

Loki has the allergies and his licking was and probably still partly related. Poor guys inards go all sad and stopped up when given the wrong thing to eat. Yes, we are in plans to see a new vet. The one we went to has no intention to look into Loki's issues. We also plan on going ot a cat specialty clinic, but hoping to determine a bit whether or not some of his issues is due to stress. Though yeah, we're still going to have to pin point all the boys allergies. But if oing things for stress starts helping him we can start on a road with a new vet to destress the kitty.

Lulu the other roommates cat is a long haired calico with feline herpes not allergies. She bites and scratches cause she's a little pain. Her owners (different then Loki's) do nothing for her herpes. Such an evil cat an weighs half Loki's weight.

 

[calico man]

Loki has the allergies and his licking was and probably still partly related. Poor guys inards go all sad and stopped up when given the wrong thing to eat. Yes, we are in plans to see a new vet. The one we went to has no intention to look into Loki's issues. We also plan on going ot a cat specialty clinic, but hoping to determine a bit whether or not some of his issues is due to stress. Though yeah, we're still going to have to pin point all the boys allergies. But if oing things for stress starts helping him we can start on a road with a new vet to destress the kitty.

Lulu the other roommates cat is a long haired calico with feline herpes not allergies. She bites and scratches cause she's a little pain. Her owners (different then Loki's) do nothing for her herpes. Such an evil cat an weighs half Loki's weight.

I meant my cat Lulu has allergies; funny how we both have Calico Lulus! Good luck with the new vet!

 

[RoMay]

Wow it's been awhile since I updated last. For awhile nothing changed about Loki cept a huge pile a vet bills. Recently things changed though. Really looking back at it our old vet was just ripping us off. I finally convinced Loki's other mom to take him to another vet. If I am going to pay for the bills I am not paying for someone who is doing nothing when Loki started consistently started pooping blood.

I was looking at one semi expensive cat specialist clinic, she accidentally booked it at another cat clinic. Won't lie we arrived we had a do we go in moment. We did anyways, and was greeted by the clinic cats (two who were up for adoption). The place was very open and as Jackson Galaxy would say "catified". This vet practices in both holistic and conventional cat medicine which was interesting.

Long story short Loki does have anxiety and he is on prosac now as well as those pheromone plug ins and probiotic. 300 dollar vet bill about 60 dollars on it on cat stuff for Loki. The had Catit cleaner and the pheromone plug in starter kit.

FYI he was 16.8 pounds and by the fat on his ribs vet wants him to loose 2 pounds.

Poop cleared for a few days then returned. We called the vet she told us not to worry and keep an eye out to see if it gets worse. Little snippet this vet is okay with people calling with questions. Well 2 weeks later we were back at the vet Loki really pooping blood. Happier cat now, he plays now and doesn't try to murder the new puppy, but poop still a problem. Another vet with the clinic decides to run a blood allergy test. Which the vet was telling us would be the first in the many years the clinic was open... Well we knew Loki was a special chonker.

BTW Loki now down to 16.2. He likes camping out on the scale which is similar to a box. XD

They gave him a steroid pill, and he's back on spoonful of yogurt to get his tummy going (chance we discovered when he eats yogurt he is less likely poop blood).

Test shows he has an allergy to sweet potatoes, salmon (which we never gave him either) He also has an allergy to mold, dogs and humans. I admit I took the results laughing. So no more sleeping with humans in the time being. Monday we go back to decide if we give him shots or allergy pills. My credit card is screaming bloody murder but so long as we at least get his insides happy I'll be happy. We took WAY to long to get to this point.

Thinking back I should have done more to record Loki's story. It was a long time getting here and goes to show how some vets are so busy chasing the same things they don't look at others.

And that's pretty much it for now, I hope this made sense. I am not really great at writing things out.