Exreme licking/overgrooming problem

I have a tortie who's almost 12 years old. About 2 years ago, the vet had to express her anal glands, which traumatized her terribly (she's always been pretty high-strung and antisocial, but it's getting worse as she ages). Ever since, she's had an escalating problem with licking her backside. Her fur is all disappearing back there, and sometimes lately i notice faint little blood spots where she's perched.

My vet seems convinced that it's allergies, but I just don't feel like that's the problem -- she licks any exposed skin repeatedly... including mine. I have to keep my hands and arms covered at night and when I hold her. Is it some sort of OCD?

I've been giving her an anti-anxiety drug, and for a while she stopped and the fur grew back, but now it's started again, and i'm becoming incredibly worried and stressed out about the problem and how to solve it. Does anybody have any ideas??

It sounds like it's habitual.

I had a cat that did this, it started due to the stress of living in a cage and having to nurse while at the shelter, it became habitual.

The trick is to break the habit.
Since she is high strung an e-collar is probably not the best method, but worth a shot.

What I did for mine was buy plain, white, newborn infant t-shirts and had her where them.
Clean, white gym socks with the toe cut out and arm holes cut in may do the trick as well.

It took about two months of wearing a shirt 24/7 to break mine of the habit.

Good luck, welcome to the Cat Site, and please, keep us updated.

it's definitely become habitual. kind of obsessive-compulsive. like it's some kind of self-comfort mechanism.

i've had the e-collar suggested... but i think that might send her over the edge. i try to stop her whenever i catch her licking, but that's only when i'm actually there to catch her in the act.

so how did the t-shirts work for putting them on? since her licking is pretty much just her bottom, i'm not sure what i would do about her going to the litterbox being my main question.

i've gotten some bitter apple spray, which i have to fight to apply, but hopefully that will work. she's an enigma, but i do love her... neuroses and all!

thanks so much for the reply!

Ahh, I misunderstood when you said backside

Perhaps a soft e-collar like this one:
http://www.vetamerica.com/index.asp?...OD&ProdID=1685

hmm. i'm just not sure if an e-collar is an option... she's pretty easily upset by things. (ie. when she had her anal glands expressed, the stress gave her a horrendous case of diarrhea that required vet intervention). yeah, she's a freak. but she's my freak.

hmmm. this situation is pretty confusing. maybe i'll try some more food tests and keep spraying the bitter apple and see if it helps. bah.

but thanks so much for your suggestions!!