itchy skin. help!

Tiger has some lost fur on her face, broken whiskers and keeps obsessively scratching behind her ears. She even has little cuts on her ears from her toenails.

The vet doesn't think it's ringworm so we're thinking maybe a food allergy.
I bought her Natural Balance venison and green pea food.

In the meantime is there any cream to put on her skin so she'll stop itching and tearing apart her ears?

We were desperate so we used a little hydrocortisone cream on her ears tonight.
But tomorrow I'll go to the natural pet store and see what they have.
Any advice?

Poor Tiger... It also may be stress related because she just moved in with us two weeks ago and was spayed last weekend and had to spend two nights at the vet. (no fun..)

Unfortunately with a food allergy i think you just have to wait it out. My cat has the same issue right now. To help soothe kitty you can get the feliway stuff, that may help. I don't know if you know what it is but people swear by it. Worth a look. Good luck with the food! Let me know how it goes. I am looking for answers myself to what is affecting my Fiona.

Hopefully someone else with experinace will come along to help you. I know Gizmo's human has dealt with severe allergy probelms.....hopefully he'll come along.....

I am sure the vet looked, but was she checked for an ear infection? That was my first thought. If it is enough to where there is fur loss then it is probably an allergy. Stick with the Natural Balance Vennison and Green Pea. That is the first one I always recommend and so far it has produced great results.

Originally Posted by Jen

I am sure the vet looked, but was she checked for an ear infection? That was my first thought. If it is enough to where there is fur loss then it is probably an allergy. Stick with the Natural Balance Vennison and Green Pea. That is the first one I always recommend and so far it has produced great results.

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as for creams ask about OTC cortaid types( check with your vet that is what mine told me)

thanks for all the advice.
How long does the change of food take to help?

Unfortunately I think I switched too abruptly because on the day I switched to the venison food, both cats vomited.

So now I'm mixing it in with their old food (Nutro) which is fine and maybe eventually I can give only the venison.

a few cats are allergic to venison but a number are allergic to peas... did they eat Nutro wet food>>??

gradual is best

depending on severity ... a few days to a few weeks for results

it's the dry Nutro. Which they love.
I have my suspicions that the problems started when I fed them Purina One for a week when we were out of Nutro. It started a few days after that.

Is over the counter hydrocortisone cream for humans safe for cats?

I put some on the places she's itchy - behind her ears and under her chin so she'll stop scratching her fur off and making herself bleed! Poor baby..

It seems to help. I just hopes it won't hurt her tummy is she swallows some.

the culture came back and it's not ringworm. yay!

She's going to the vet Tuesday to see what it could be.
Maybe he can give her a cream or an Elizabethan collar to break her bad habit of scratching her head till it bleeds....

how is she doing on the venison???

Originally Posted by sharky

a few cats are allergic to venison but a number are allergic to peas??

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really? I have always had good luck. That particular food has always done a great job on cats with allergies from what I have known. I think if a cat has allergies, the likelihood of them being allergic to ingredients in the more common foods would be highest. Vennison and Peas are two ingredients that aren't in the commonly fed foods. I would stick with this food awhile longer, do it gradually until it is switched completely and then give it a few weeks of only eating the vennison and peas and see.

Originally Posted by Jen

really? I have always had good luck. That particular food has always done a great job on cats with allergies from what I have known. I think if a cat has allergies, the likelihood of them being allergic to ingredients in the more common foods would be highest. Vennison and Peas are two ingredients that aren't in the commonly fed foods. I would stick with this food awhile longer, do it gradually until it is switched completely and then give it a few weeks of only eating the vennison and peas and see.

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they are nt as uncommon as you would think .... they are in dry only fed cats but many high end wet foods contain peas ( it actually is the number one veggie allergie) so many animals have been exposed.. it is the front line as far as allergy foods and I do suggest it before going Rx or more drastic...

two of my three girls are allergic too venison

Originally Posted by sharky

how is she doing on the venison???

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We're still mixing it with dry Nutro, because when I switched too soon she vomited.
She seems a little less itchy, but it's probably too soon to tell....