Help identify ... my Birmans Belly Issue

merfin70 · Jan 24, 2010

Hello all. I'm looking for a hand in figuring out an issue with my Birman. He's been licking two spots for weeks now, one on his belly and one on his thigh. He's licked away most of the hair. The spots now have little red scabs/sores. They get a little better if I can keep him away from them but then he'll sneak off and lick again when I'm not looking. I took him to the vet who said it might be stress related as we just moved him from NY to Atlanta and so his life has been a bit turned upside down. The issue did start around the time we started packing up the house.

He's a 3 year old indoor only cat. Most recent blood work, fecal sample and vet check all came up normal and healthy.

Any ideas from the pics what this might be? Largest is about the size of a pencil eraser head or smaller.

addiebee · Jan 24, 2010

I'm no vet - I have to say that upfront, but it looks allergic to me. Are there fleas in your new home and you don't know about it?

sharky · Jan 24, 2010

It does appear to be an allergy ... Time to visit the VET again or maybe a new one... also Food lady has lots of good things to think about

the_food_lady · Jan 24, 2010

Poor kitty,

so you've been to the Vet and he just attributes it to the stress of the move? Could be but could be an allergy, too - either a contact allergy, something in the environment or food allergy.

Poor kitty must be itchy to these areas, thus the licking. Didn't Vet at least prescribe or suggest some kind of antihistamine for that? Must be horrible to to be so itchy that you're licking yourself raw

I'd call up the Vet and ask for something.

Anything change like detergent you wash bedding (that cat might lie on) or cat bedding with? A change in diet? A change in LITTER?

Is it possible that in your new place, the previous owners cleaned the carpets with some type of cleaner/chemical that your cat is reacting to? (some of the chemicals for cleaning carpets are pretty harsh, which is why I only use a company that does STEAM cleaning; no chemicals. If it's possible carpets cleaned with chemicals (and most carpet cleaning companies use these), I'd find one that cleans with STEAM ONLY and have carpets done again..... Or maybe they sprinkled the carpet with those scented powders that you vacuum up? Or sprayed Febreze all over them?

Any chance your new place has fleas you don't know about; like a result of the previous owner/pets?

xocats · Jan 24, 2010

Welcome to TheCatSite,
Birmans are beautiful cats.

The above poster had some good points.

If the rash has not been checked by a vet, I would have that done.
Maybe there is a medication that would help.

Other members might have some ideas for you.
Please make yourself at home.

addiebee · Jan 24, 2010

the_food_lady;2810319 said:
Poor kitty,

so you've been to the Vet and he just attributes it to the stress of the move? Could be but could be an allergy, too - either a contact allergy, something in the environment or food allergy.

Poor kitty must be itchy to these areas, thus the licking. Didn't Vet at least prescribe or suggest some kind of antihistamine for that? Must be horrible to to be so itchy that you're licking yourself raw

I'd call up the Vet and ask for something.

Anything change like detergent you wash bedding (that cat might lie on) or cat bedding with? A change in diet? A change in LITTER?

Is it possible that in your new place, the previous owners cleaned the carpets with some type of cleaner/chemical that your cat is reacting to? (some of the chemicals for cleaning carpets are pretty harsh, which is why I only use a company that does STEAM cleaning; no chemicals. If it's possible carpets cleaned with chemicals (and most carpet cleaning companies use these), I'd find one that cleans with STEAM ONLY and have carpets done again..... Or maybe they sprinkled the carpet with those scented powders that you vacuum up? Or sprayed Febreze all over them?

Any chance your new place has fleas you don't know about; like a result of the previous owner/pets?[/QUOTE]

That's what I was thinking. See above. In any regard, I fully agree he needs to go back to the vet - if this one just shrugged it off, get a referral to another one. For instance - we have members on here where ONE flea bite caused a BIG problem cuz the cat was allergic to the bite.

merfin70 · Jan 24, 2010

Thanks all for the advice and tips. Sounds like some additional info is in order so here you go, though it also sounds like I need to find a new vet !! I just moved to Atlanta and so had to go to a new vet who indeed did just kind of shrug and tell me to put poor Caesar into a eCollar until it went away. I was a bit disappointed as the vet came highly recommended.

While I guess it could be fleas it's doubtful. We moved from the old house to my parents house for 2 weeks. They don't have pets so its doubtful he could have gotten fleas there. Neither Caesar or his sister have ever been outside.

A contact allergy is certainly possibly as it is a different environment and I don't know what they clean with. The new house never had pets and I did a thorough cleaning before we moved in. Again anything is possible in terms of fleas but I would doubt it.

Food has been consistent throughout and is the same as what I have fed him and his sister since I got them 3 years ago. No changes in litter either. Same as always.

Is there any kind of cream I should try to alleviate the itching or should I go straight to a new vet? If I do have to go to the vet, I need to find a more attentive one before Caesar licks himself bald.

Here is Caesar and his sister Cleo.

the_food_lady · Jan 24, 2010

Gorgeous kitties !!!!!!!!

I would definitely start off by getting a completely new Vet. Any Vet who's only suggestion is an e-collar and nothing more in terms of actual steps to identify cause of itchy areas and treatment of same, is a crappy Vet, IMO. How horrible for a cat to have an e-collar on and be very itchy but can't scratch, I can't even imagine. While I do fully believe that an e-collar has it's place, for sure, in helping to prevent a cat from continuing to lick the affected area.....some kind of topic treatment surely is in order to help with the itching. I'm not a Vet and don't know of all the Veterinary ointments out there but I have used Panolog in the past for irritated, itchy areas on cats; it contains antibiotic plus a mild corticosteroid to help with the inflammation/itching. There must also be creams that contain an antihistamine? Or even ask the vet about giving kitty some Benadryl liquid.....or even ask if a topical Benadryl cream might be beneficial to the areas, for the itching.

As it's on the belly and one hip, it would make me wonder if this isn't a contact allergy ---- though with all of that thick long fur, one might wonder how any actual surface could really make contact with the skin through all the fur?

Where does kitty often lay? One or 2 areas more than others? favorite spots?

I have a cat Fuzzy who had a period of several months where she would scratch and scratch and we could never figure out the cause. She's long haired. It would break my heart to hear her furiously scratching at the sides of her head. Never saw a rash, food allergies ruled out. I suspected it could have been inhalant allergy from various scented candles i was using. Stopped using them and her itching seemed to stop. Vet also suspected it could have been stress, too, though nothing in my home had changed so stress didn't seem to make sense...........he did tell me that stress can cause itching.

The fact that your kitty's areas are like red dots.......I think that's significant, you don't usually see this.

You should check the yellow pages of your phone book to see if there is a "cat only" Vet practice in the area (cat clinic). I think the Vets there would be a lot better and have more specific expertise with cats than just a regular Vet who treats many species.

QUESTION: so where these areas are, is the fur missing there or did you just part it so that you could take the picture, for us to see the dot-like areas?

I'd also seriously consider getting any carpeting in your new home steam-cleaned. Those sprinkle-type carpet powders that you vacuum up, so filled with chemicals and crap..........those make my one cat itch a lot so had to stop using them. A lot of people use this stuff and it seems plausible that someone who's selling their home might use this stuff so that house smell nice and fresh for potential buyers.

otto · Jan 24, 2010

Ask your vet for some Animax. It's great stuff, has some antibiotic, some steriod for anti itch, and an antifungal.

My Jennie licks her spay scare area almost bald. Usually the fur there is just kept very short, but sometimes it starts to get sore spots like your pictures.

If I see a red spot starting, I use the animax for ten days, rubbing it in well twice a day, and she leaves the whole area alone and the sores go away and the fur grows back. She does always go back to licking, but not always to soreness.

it's difficult dealing with something like this in a new place, when you don't have an established vet yet.

welcome to TCS and please keep us updated on (what's his name?)

addiebee · Jan 24, 2010

Originally Posted by merfin70

Thanks all for the advice and tips. Sounds like some additional info is in order so here you go, though it also sounds like I need to find a new vet !! I just moved to Atlanta and so had to go to a new vet who indeed did just kind of shrug and tell me to put poor Caesar into a eCollar until it went away. I was a bit disappointed as the vet came highly recommended.

While I guess it could be fleas it's doubtful. We moved from the old house to my parents house for 2 weeks. They don't have pets so its doubtful he could have gotten fleas there. Neither Caesar or his sister have ever been outside.

A contact allergy is certainly possibly as it is a different environment and I don't know what they clean with. The new house never had pets and I did a thorough cleaning before we moved in. Again anything is possible in terms of fleas but I would doubt it.

Food has been consistent throughout and is the same as what I have fed him and his sister since I got them 3 years ago. No changes in litter either. Same as always.

Is there any kind of cream I should try to alleviate the itching or should I go straight to a new vet? If I do have to go to the vet, I need to find a more attentive one before Caesar licks himself bald.

Here is Caesar and his sister Cleo.

Ah, the cats are gorgeous!!!!

We have another member with Birms... the cats names are Billy and Chay! CAn't recall her screen name at the moment!

I second getting another vet soon! I am sure this is driving kitty MAD!!! And as I said, all it takes is ONE flea... somewhere to put the whammy on a cat that is sensitive.... If you think stress is part of the picture, go get some Feliway plug ins.. it will help provide a calming atmosphere for your babies.

Did some digging on the Net - what you are showing us looks like miliary dermatitis.

See this link:
http://www.cat-health-guide.org/cat-skin-allergies.html

Again ... no one responding to this post is a vet so you need an expert to diagnose.. we are just saying that it needs more than a shrug-shoulder response and get an ecollar. What a jerk.

The above link also has more detailed info on what can cause a skin allergic reaction and what to do.

Here is more info on Panalog, that the food lady talked about. I would be hesitant to use human skin creams on him.

http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith.c..._switch_search

ETA: Otto suggested Animax... same stuff as Panalog.

sharky · Jan 24, 2010

May I ask what food? Realize many foods change formulas and do not say they have

merfin70 · Jan 24, 2010

Yea I thought the vet was kind of lame to go with the eCollar and nothing else. I miss my old vet !!

Caesar is his name and I also own his sister Cleo, though she shows no signs of anything similar. Caesar is the more 'sensitive' of the two. Cleo isn't really affected by anything as she's in her own little world that only revolves around herself.

The new house is almost completely hard wood floors. The only place that has carpet is upstairs and the cats don't go up there much yet as the old house didn't have an upstairs like this one. Honestly, I think they are afraid of it. Only time they go upstairs is when we go up. Otherwise you would think the upstairs is cursed or something.

My parents house, where I think this all started, is carpeted and I know my mother does have the carpets cleaned twice a year. Perhaps that is my root cause. My problem now is I need to get him to stop licking enough to let them heal if indeed it was their carpet.

No ritual sleeping spots that aren't pieces of furniture from the old house. The couch and kitchen chairs are the best spots in the house for them but nothing new there.

I'll start researching a new vet in the hopes that I can find a good cat person. Atlanta, at least where we are, is a big dog town apparently so I've struggled to find a cat specialist.

Back to google I go.

mystik spiral · Jan 24, 2010

Originally Posted by merfin70

Cleo isn't really affected by anything as she's in her own little world that only revolves around herself.

Isn't that all cats?

I hope you get Caesar's problems figured out, they are beautiful kitties!!

merfin70 · Jan 24, 2010

True but Cleo takes it to a new level compared to her brother. She is far more the typical "Cat". Clearly feels that we are nothing but a burden unless its breakfast time or she wants to get pet (which only happens every three days or so). Then she howls like she's dying until she gets what she wants. After that she's done with us for another 3 days until she feels like being social again. Caesar on the other hand has a meltdown if you close the door to the bathroom or take the garbage out.

kluchetta · Jan 24, 2010

Gosh, that really looks like when I have contact dermatitis or eczema. I'm not a cat though, LOL.

Can the vet do a scraping of the area? They should be able to tell some things from looking at the cells under a microscope.

xocats · Jan 25, 2010

I have to say....
Caesar and Cleo are gorgeous cats.

You have your arms full of love.

It is a shame that the other vet took this so causally and that treatment options, other than an e-collar, were not discussed with you.

Because a cat will lick any cream put on an irritated area, before you start self-treating, get another vet's opinion asap.
That way, you will be sure you have a medication that will work and not be toxic to your gorgeous cat.

Good luck finding the purrfect vet.

Please keep us updated.

otto · Jan 25, 2010

Originally Posted by merfin70

My parents house, where I think this all started, is carpeted and I know my mother does have the carpets cleaned twice a year. Perhaps that is my root cause. My problem now is I need to get him to stop licking enough to let them heal if indeed it was their carpet.

No ritual sleeping spots that aren't pieces of furniture from the old house. The couch and kitchen chairs are the best spots in the house for them but nothing new there.

I'll start researching a new vet in the hopes that I can find a good cat person. Atlanta, at least where we are, is a big dog town apparently so I've struggled to find a cat specialist.

Back to google I go.

Yes. I think so too. And that's why a cream with a steroid in it is needed, to control the itching, so he will leave it alone. I think I already mentioned Animax?

Did you move twice? It could be stress related, but as you say, breaking the habit may be what is needed here.

There are cat specialists in your area. I know some people. Let me check with them, and I'll PM you with names.

<edit> It turns out they live 2 hours north of Atlanta, in the mountains, so their vet would not be of use to you. rats.

merfin70 · Jan 26, 2010

Thanks all. I've got a second vet visit scheduled for tomorrow and also a lead on a cat only vet in the area that I'll be checking out. The move situation was a bit complicated in that there was a gap between selling the first house and closing on my new Atlanta house. So the cats and us bunked up with my parents for about a week and a half while I closed on the Atlanta house. I'm sure to the cats it felt like 2 moves and was very stressful. The obsessive licking seemed to have started at my parents but honestly it was so chaotic with packing, etc. before that he might have been doing it at home too. As best as I can recall though it only started at my parents house and has continued down here in Atlanta.

I'll let you know what tomorrow's advice brings. I'll be addressing many of the points raised here by the kind members so I get a more complete view.

xocats · Jan 27, 2010

Good luck with your new vet....
well be watching for your update.

merfin70 · Jan 30, 2010

Good news everyone. The vet visit was much better as we insisted on something more than just the eCollar. The vet said that a cream or ointment would likely just exaggerate the licking and so opted instead for a shot. The shot was a combo of a steriod and an antibiotic. We're now a couple of days since the vet visit and the sores look SO MUCH BETTER. Most are now scabs and/or healed completely. The licking is slowly getting less frequent and we seem to be on the road to a full and complete recovery. Thanks SO MUCH for the helpful words and advice everyone.

Help identify ... my Birmans Belly Issue

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