Aa
Cat licking her hair off - allergies or stress?
My female cat has started licking off her hair on her paws and legs and possibly is starting on her belly - they are long hair and it's kinda hard to tell until a definite bald patch appears. This has been happening since before Christmas. At first I thought it was due to the loss of her beloved "Cat tree" but I got her a replacement - although I'm not sure she likes it near as much. The Vet thinks it's an allergy - probably to food - but I can't get her to eat the $35 per 8lb bag of Green Pea and Duck food I bought for her. She went days without eating and I finally gave in - as I didnt want to deal with those complications too. So, I have just ordered another type of food - Venison and Green Pea - hopefully she'll like that a little better.....and I've ordered the stop itch wipes and lotion from Dr. Fosters and Smith. I am hoping one of those will help. The other issue is that I travel A LOT for my job - often gone at least 3 or 4 days. I started travelling this heavy in September and her hair loss started after Thanksgiving.
Any ideas or things I can try. I was thinking of trying the Feliway diffuser - but after just ordering over $50 of food and itch relief - I am going to hold off before spending $30 on an air diffuser.
Any comments are appreciated.
Any ideas or things I can try. I was thinking of trying the Feliway diffuser - but after just ordering over $50 of food and itch relief - I am going to hold off before spending $30 on an air diffuser.
Any comments are appreciated.
my cats use a human toilet, so no litter at all... its quite cool, and nice lol and my cats r on a grain free diet. they eat taste of the wild: rocky mountain... it has venison, duck.... no chicken.. no fillers... its holistic... and i stooped using baby oil.... it dint help, she just got it everywhere. but i think it might b fleas... flea meds dont repel, just kill... and with a dog, there will always b a flea or 2 that get in... despite the frontline plus... i started brushing my dog with a flea comb after letting him outside to limit the fleas he might carry inside. it seemed to help alittle... shes not licking as much... i will try putting some omega 3 oil in her food, if nothing elce to keep her as healthy as can be. thanks for ur help. calie thanks u too!! =^_^=
forgot to tell you DO NOT USE BABY OIL or any other oil on kitties...please, you can give her some OMEGA 3 fish oil in her diet and this may help, but NO oil externally.
the best omega 3 oil for kitties is by NOW FOODS, KRILL OIL. 1/4 capsule daily.
the best omega 3 oil for kitties is by NOW FOODS, KRILL OIL. 1/4 capsule daily.
hi ari, this is quite a common problem unfortunately. I urge you to read all the previous posts on here theres alot of information to follow.
This is usually a contact or ingested allergy. remember if it is an allergy to flea bites it only takes one bite, the kitty mayNOT have fleas but could have been bitten at some point and therefore has the allergy and thus the skin itch with or without scabs.
so fleas are one component.
this will be a trial and elimination process for you, another could well be litter. she could be allergic to her litter....do you use non perfumed? have you changed brands recently? try a 'natural' litter such as wood shavings to begin with.
Another culprit is a diet that has GRAINS....cats can easily become intolerant of grains, try a grain free diet.
there are many good brands listed on this site...click on the right on 'commercial diets'
www.catinfo.org
If you are feeding dry food, many cats develop an intolerance to the chemical preservatives that are added to this. try can foods.
Lastly if she is eating a chicken based diet change to fish or venison. cats are often allergic to chicken.
when we humans develop an allergy we sneeze or have running noses and eyes....cats can have this too...however their allergies mainly will show up on their skin such as the obsessive licking you describe with or without the sores...
good luck, do lots of reading and try all the suggestions I gave you, with diligence you will find what she is reacting too.
post again anytime if we can help....♥
This is usually a contact or ingested allergy. remember if it is an allergy to flea bites it only takes one bite, the kitty mayNOT have fleas but could have been bitten at some point and therefore has the allergy and thus the skin itch with or without scabs.
so fleas are one component.
this will be a trial and elimination process for you, another could well be litter. she could be allergic to her litter....do you use non perfumed? have you changed brands recently? try a 'natural' litter such as wood shavings to begin with.
Another culprit is a diet that has GRAINS....cats can easily become intolerant of grains, try a grain free diet.
there are many good brands listed on this site...click on the right on 'commercial diets'
www.catinfo.org
If you are feeding dry food, many cats develop an intolerance to the chemical preservatives that are added to this. try can foods.
Lastly if she is eating a chicken based diet change to fish or venison. cats are often allergic to chicken.
when we humans develop an allergy we sneeze or have running noses and eyes....cats can have this too...however their allergies mainly will show up on their skin such as the obsessive licking you describe with or without the sores...
good luck, do lots of reading and try all the suggestions I gave you, with diligence you will find what she is reacting too.
post again anytime if we can help....♥
hi
i have a Egyptian mau/bangle mix(calie), and a 1/2 bangle(cloud).calie has started licking her hair on her lower stomach, under side of her tail (by the base) and all 4 legs down to the paws and up to the solder/hip areas...cloud is 4, and has no problems at all, calie is almost 3, she has been with cloud since she was 8 weeks old, she was clouds buddy since he was lonely after my dog died and stooped eating, they have never left each others side since i brought her home. they have been on the same food since both were kittens ( taste of the wild, rocky mountain), they both are toilet trained for a yr now, the only change is 5 months ago i got a new dog, they all get along great, but the past 3 weeks calie started obsessively licking these areas, loosing hair. all 3 animals r on flea treatment ( revolution) and only the dog goes outside. i have no rugs, a leather couch, i sprayed my bed just incase fleas can live in beds, took a flea comb through all of them, no fleas... no one is scratching... i tried rubbing apple cider vinegar on the areas, she licked it more, i tryed baby oil, that just made her a oily angry cat, and she spread it all over her... and my other cat... i just dont know what else to do... there are no red bumps, no red irritated skin, no dryness, the skin in the bald areas looks the same as the skin with fur... im lost and confused. she has suck pretty fur being a Egyptian mau bangle mix, i hate seeing her like this, my other cat cloud seems worried as well, i see him smacking her when she licks lol its kinda funny to see please help!!!!
i have a Egyptian mau/bangle mix(calie), and a 1/2 bangle(cloud).calie has started licking her hair on her lower stomach, under side of her tail (by the base) and all 4 legs down to the paws and up to the solder/hip areas...cloud is 4, and has no problems at all, calie is almost 3, she has been with cloud since she was 8 weeks old, she was clouds buddy since he was lonely after my dog died and stooped eating, they have never left each others side since i brought her home. they have been on the same food since both were kittens ( taste of the wild, rocky mountain), they both are toilet trained for a yr now, the only change is 5 months ago i got a new dog, they all get along great, but the past 3 weeks calie started obsessively licking these areas, loosing hair. all 3 animals r on flea treatment ( revolution) and only the dog goes outside. i have no rugs, a leather couch, i sprayed my bed just incase fleas can live in beds, took a flea comb through all of them, no fleas... no one is scratching... i tried rubbing apple cider vinegar on the areas, she licked it more, i tryed baby oil, that just made her a oily angry cat, and she spread it all over her... and my other cat... i just dont know what else to do... there are no red bumps, no red irritated skin, no dryness, the skin in the bald areas looks the same as the skin with fur... im lost and confused. she has suck pretty fur being a Egyptian mau bangle mix, i hate seeing her like this, my other cat cloud seems worried as well, i see him smacking her when she licks lol its kinda funny to see please help!!!!
My 6 yr old female DSH has been licking her fur off. I took her to the vet to determine why she was doing this. We found out that she was allergic to flea salvia (flea dermatitis). I have been putting fish oil in her food to help with her coat and some skin & fur vitiams. It helps but I have to keep an eye on her.
many many cats live long and healthy lives just on dry food with lots of water....this is a huge controversial subject. I will include a website(follow all the links on right hand side for even more info)
this Vet gives her opinion(one that I for one agree with)....for a female cat theres not as much an issue IMO. its the males with their small urethra tube that run into huge urinary tract problems if they don't consume enough water,,,,and cats typically don't drink enough to compensate for the dehydrated dry food.
Read her whole website and make your own opinion.....if you have anymore questions post anytime..
http://www.catinfo.org/
I was going to add, both my cats HAD been dry food addicts before one came down with the UTI problems....and that particular one took me months to transition him off dry food, I thought for him it was going to be impossible, but eventually I won! and since than his crystal problems have been rectified....♥
this Vet gives her opinion(one that I for one agree with)....for a female cat theres not as much an issue IMO. its the males with their small urethra tube that run into huge urinary tract problems if they don't consume enough water,,,,and cats typically don't drink enough to compensate for the dehydrated dry food.
Read her whole website and make your own opinion.....if you have anymore questions post anytime..
http://www.catinfo.org/
I was going to add, both my cats HAD been dry food addicts before one came down with the UTI problems....and that particular one took me months to transition him off dry food, I thought for him it was going to be impossible, but eventually I won! and since than his crystal problems have been rectified....♥
You are reading content posted in the Cats Community
Members of our Pet Communities share their Halloween pet photos.
Like to travel but hate to leave your pooch at home? Dr. Carol Osborne talks tips on how (and where!) to take a trip with your pampered pet
Ooh and aah your way through these too-cute photos of MedHelp members' best friends
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
