Allergy to food and/or Fleas? (pictures)

I brought Tiger home 6 weeks ago. She stayed at a senior home, but her condition has gotten worse and she needed a better place. She should be just over 4 years old (born in 2010). Tiger used to a pretty chubby and lazy cat, while her sister Misty was slim (not anymore), very active and curious. During these few years at the senior home, I first noticed her scratching her ears a lot... to the point they were bleeding. I've seen it heal and get red again, on and off. Her chin has been an itchy spot too. But around end of March this year, she had started to bite at her tummy and began to lose hair. She was very itchy, more and more bald her tummy and back legs/thighs became... I have seen a few times where some hair had grown back, but then she pulled it out, skin all red and inflamed. I've been told that she had been taken to the vet and was diagnosed with stress, anxiety, and/or allergies. She has received "allergy shots" and been given medications. The environment was indeed hectic, countless people walking around day in day out, some not treating the cats very well... She did make close ties with some families (like mine) though. During the months leading to October 2014, I would find her hiding almost all the time... behind the printer where no one could reach her. She lost weight and has become skinny, probably not eating much. Her left armpit was red and hairlesss too. 


Once she got home (Oct 20^th) , she relaxed pretty quickly and started to adapt. I have never seen her so at ease before .

I was given her medications: Clomicalm, Zylkene, and Viaderm ointment. I was told to crush the Clomicalm into wet food; the Zylkene sprinkled over dry food; and the ointment applied onto her affected skin daily. I didn't have much pills left so I've stretched them out and been giving her half the dosage/skipping a day (except the ointment which I put on everyday). I don't see her being stressed or anxious at all so I don't feel like it's necessary. I was given a can of Fancy Feast to mix the Clomicalm in, so I went out to buy some more. I'm a newbie to being a cat owner, so I've been doing a lot of reading and learning. I realized that the foods she was on were not ideal (Royal Canin Indoor for dry) so I started giving her Wellness canned, b.f.f.... I feed her day & night, encouraging to eat the wet first and then putting out the dry. I've started to look for another dry food. I began mixing in EVO Grain-Free Turkey & Chicken on Nov 8^th.

I was happy to see the hair on her tummy, legs, and armpit slowly growing back, but she still itches. Whenever she has a flare-up, it would be her chin, corners of the mouth... she'd scratch til it bleeds. I noticed her paws would get red when she's itching and licking. The most recent flare-up started last Wednesday (Nov 19^th) and she was biting her inner thighs. That day I had given her a new can (Canidae Duck) and she had stepped into an area of the house that hasn't been cleaned in a loooong time. The next few days, she continued to bite her thighs, then the gap between her toes on the right foot, her right thumb, then her anus... At this point, I think she's allergic to chicken, cuz the previous flare-ups happenened after eating solely chicken wet food. If it's fish, tuna & chicken, beef & chicken, turkey & salmon... she didn't seem to react. This flare-up though I didn't give her chicken, but the Canidae has dried egg whites. So I stopped the EVO this past Wednesday Nov 26^th (already stopped the RC Nov 22^nd). I also called the vet about her meds, in which he said to stop them if she's not exhibiting stress & anxiety symptoms. I said I suspect food allergies causing itchiness and they said I can put her on a single protein diet. So I started her on the ZiwiPeak Venison air-dried the next day, and gave some b.f.f. Tuna & Salmon cuz it has no chicken and she likes it. I've decided to use Addiction Hunter's Venison as her wet food which I introduced Friday. 

(photo Nov 19th)

(photo with flash Nov 23rd)

   
From the beginning of this week, I've put the cone on her during the day, and taking it off at night. But Wednesday night  she made herself bleed within 15 minutes of taking it off. I've kept the cone on her since. So she hasn't been able to lick/bite her tummy and thighs these past few days. BUT I found that she has more rough red spots along both her inner thighs... I'm thinking they are expressed from the inside since she couldn't bite the area?? Her chin/bottom lip did seem kinda red and swollen yesterday; she kept licking her lips. I searched online and am wondering if it's eosinophilc granuloma. Her chin has always been scabby, so I want to assume the black specks to be scab/chin acne... or could it be fleas? I'm not sure if the stuff on her anus is scab or flea dirt. Maybe she does have fleas cuz she was in the unclean place that day. Only this flare-up she began biting her thighs. 
 

            photos last night Nov 29 - right thumb and toe gap scabby)

Desperate to help my cat, today I went to the pet store to get a flea comb to try. (I took her cone off to do the neck, I couldn't get a hold of her so she made her chin bleed right away and a spot on her thigh too.) There was some black specks combed out, and bigger flakes of black-brown reddish and white-yellow bits around the anus. The dark bits at the anus couldn't really get combed off so I wiped with a wet tissue. The tissue appeared brownish-red and the dark bits are still clinging and hard to remove.

I finally left her alone.... and then she suddenly managed to lick her feet with the cone on . Now the toe gap is bleeding and so is a new spot on the top of her right foot.

   


What should I do now? I plan to call the vet tomorrow morning but I would love to hear some advice from anyone knowledgeable here. THANK YOU for your time to read to the end if you made it!! *thank you thank you* 

Welcome to The Cat Site; sorry it's under these conditions.
It does seem as though she is allergic to something. I see you're in BC--not exactly a warm climate especially this time of year, which is where I associate fleas.
For a suspected food allergy, elimination diet is the go-to treatment, at least temporarily. Chicken is usually recommended--but it also appears your cat may be allergic to poultry/egg. I'd try feeding her a single source protein (read ingredients slowly and thoroughly!). It is also possible your cat is allergic to additives, not the protein itself.
Personally, what with her history and what you've tried and what the vet has suggested, I'd take her to a dermatologist. He/she could at the very least rule out fleas.
Meanwhile, here is an article about allergies.
Good luck!