pulling fur out

hi all , I hope somebody can help , my female cat is pulling her fur out on her tail and around her legs for some time now ive been to the vets many times with this but they have not come up with any ideas at all. sometimes she stops and i think her fur is coming back but then she starts again. now my male has started doing it also???They are both in doors cats and are frontline wormed every month ,no signs of any fleas or droppings at all???They are both very happy cats and love each other ,sleep together all the time, so no stress. any ideas on this would be very helpfull.THANKS

I'm sorry I don't have any personal experience to give you, but the fact that the other cat has started to do it makes me think it's not just behavioral. Has the vet looked for skin conditions other than fleas? Fungal infections or food allergies could irritate a cat enough to pull out fur.

Are your cats related?

Could it be the litter, they might need a good bath, or see below.

http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache...nk&cd=19&gl=us

Answer
I do have many suggestions for you. I'll walk you through my usual work up for a skin problem - basically everything possibly medical needs to be ruled out prior to making a diagnosis of psychogenic alopecia (stress overgrooming).

There are 4 basic reasons why a cat may be "overgrooming" -
1. Urinary discomfort - either a urinary tract infection, crystals, or a condition called interstitial cystitis.
2. External parasites
3. Skin allergy
4. Psychogenic alopecia ("stress grooming" - really it's more like OCD in a person - they are "compelled" to overgroom and no one really know why).

So - the medical diagnostics I would recommend are a urinalysis to make sure his urine is clear of anything that may possibly cause discomfort and check for the following external parasites: mites, ticks, lice, cheyletiella, ringworm. I think, however, that an allergy is far more likely in your cat's case.

Soooo - on to allergies:

In cats, allergies are caused by either fleas (most common), food intolerance (usually the protein source in the culprit), a contact type allergy (for example to cat litter, but usually the skin is red and irritated), or something inhaled (for example, a ragweed allergy in a cat is more likely to cause itchy skin than sneezing).

The pattern of hairloss your describe is typical of a flea allergy. You should try a different flea preventative, as Advantage is not always 100% effective. If your cat is flea allergic, then even a single flea bite can cause a big reaction. Try switching to Revolution or Frontline. A contact allergy is less likely because your cat's skin is not irritated, and environmental allergy is very rare. So this leaves food allergy.

With food allergy, normally this is an "intolerance" to a protein source that the cat has been previously exposed to - most commonly chicken, beef, seafood (the most common ingredients in commercial cat food). Cats can also be allergic to fillers and corn in their food. The most accurate way to determine if your cat has a food allergy is to put him on an "elimination diet" This is a diet that consists of a novel, single protein and little else. He would need to be on the diet for 6-8 weeks and receive no other food - no treats, no flavored toothpaste, no flavored heartworm chews, etc. If his hair starts to regrow, then we know it is a food allergy and you can gradually start introducing other protein sources.

Only after all medical causes are ruled out can you call it stress-related. Just remember, psychogenic alopecia is very rare. If your cat does have this condition, there are medical and non-medical interventions you can discuss with your vet.

Best of luck to you and your kitty,

Dr. Jen

no there not related there is about 6 months between them.yes he looked at her skin and said it looked clear?i feed them both on felix or whiskers.could there be something in that to cause irration?vet never said anything about that.i have a third cat but he is fine no probs at all. they get on to. thanks for your help.

Originally Posted by LOUBYLOU

no there not related there is about 6 months between them.yes he looked at her skin and said it looked clear?i feed them both on felix or whiskers.could there be something in that to cause irration?vet never said anything about that.i have a third cat but he is fine no probs at all. they get on to. thanks for your help.

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I would change the food to a premium brand just to rule out it's not the food. After the recent recall, can't be too careful when it comes to their food. Some vets know squat about cat food.