Small Rash on Cat with Pandora Syndrome

scarolive

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Hi there! I adopted a wonderful 12 year old cat about a month ago and was informed when we adopted him that he had "Pandora Syndrome" and that due to his anxiety, he would chew his fur off around his bum. The fur loss has gotten increasingly worse over the past month and I absolutely already have a vet appointment scheduled for him in a week, but I noticed the other day that he had a small rash-looking area on the fur loss area and honestly, I'm getting worried it might be more than his Pandora Syndrome and he might have allergies or something. I have attached a photo and would appreciate any feedback or ideas to hold us over until his actual vet appointment.

Also any advice on how anyone has helped their anxiety-ridden cats would be greatly appreciated! We feel as though we give him as much love and care as we possibly can and I also got a Feliway plug-in for him, as I've heard that helps, but he's chewed so much more fur off since we got him and I'm just at a loss.

Thank you!

rash.jpg
 

DreamerRose

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Thank you for adopting this old guy! He deserves the best for living this long. And welcome to you to the Cat Site! There are lots of cat lovers here to share with you.

I'm glad you have the vet appointment because to me it looks like there is an underlying reason he's chewing. It looks like some kind of rash that is possibly very itchy, and that's why he's chewing the fur. Get a flea comb and use it to see if he has fleas. Those red spots could be flea bites. It will also scratch his skin and give him some relief. The vet can advise you the best way to treat it.
 

FeebysOwner

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Hi. Because stress is what is thought to be behind Pandora's Syndrome, the licking/chewing he is doing could be escalated to the point that he is causing the rash through his own saliva and the irritation to the skin from chewing so much. Given that he has only been with you for a month, he is still adapting to his new life and the stress is probably at an all time high. I would guess it is highly likely that this rash is connected. I've included a link below about Pandora's Syndrome, in case you haven't already seen it. It suggest that all kinds of manifestations can come from this syndrome, including skin issues.

You could try other calming products, such as Bach Rescue Remedy which are drops you can rub into his ear to see if that helps more than the Feliway in terms of helping to calm him. Not all calming products work on all cats, so Feliway (and Bach, for that matter) might not be effective for him. Do a search on the internet for 'cat calming products' to see if there are others you might want to try.

You could also try to ease some of the discomfort from the rash by using chamomile tea - use standard grocery store tea bags which are typically German (you don't want English, and it should not contain any flavorings/additives), brew one in water, cool the liquid and dab it on the area with cotton balls or a soft cloth. The tea has both soothing and healing properties, and is safe should he lick the area. You can also administer the tea orally, as it has also been used as a calming agent. You can give 3 teaspoonfuls up to 3 times a day via syringe or medicine dropper.

Pandora Syndrome in cats
 
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