Help-I'm desperate! My cat won't stop scratching and is miserable

catluvr14 · Dec 16, 2014

Tried posting this in original thread but couldn't:

My 7 yo female, spayed cat started scratching holes on top of her head just above eyes. Vet treated her for ear infection. Scratching stopped until meds stopped. Did a second dose and was fine until a month after that last dose. Took her back and was told it was allergies. Put her on prednisone and was fine until that finished and the scratching returned. Gave her a second round and was fine again until I started tapering her off and again returned to scratching even worse. Open wounds so was given antibiotic. Put cone on her head but still wants to scratch. Her stomach is raw and back of tail bald. No fleas. She is indoors and on flea meds-switched her to Revolution per vet advice but she is no better and miserable! Can't afford to keep taking her back to be told same thing-have already spent $1000 and she is worse. Also don't want her to be on prednisone long term as it's not good for her. Gave her 5mg Claritin last night as last resort. She's 11lbs. I use hypoallergenic, dust free litter and Science Diet for sensitive skin/stomach which I haven't changed.

sarah ann · Dec 16, 2014

#1) Get a list of antihistamines and the dosage from your vet. claritin is not very effective in cats. You would need to try something else. You probably will need to try several different antihistamines until you find one that works for your cat. Plan on trying one drug for about 2 weeks, than switch. Keep a journal on how itchy your cat is.

#2) I would suggest considering allergy shots and allergy testing but she would need to be off both prednisolone and antihistamines for testing.

#3) Get a prescription for hypoallergenic diet or try a LID diet such as natures variety or EVO 95% meat. Natural balanced advertises limited ingredient diets but they have too many fillers (rice, potatoes etc). You cat needs a food/protein source she has never eaten before. So if she has never had lamb, or rabbit try that.

You can use prednisolone long term as it is probably the cheapest option available.

Clean your house really well. Dust mites are a top allergen in cats. Get a flea comb and check for fleas. They sell covers for your beds that stop dust mites. You will want mite covers for the cat beds as well.

If you decide to do allergy shots, they can be pricey. If your cat goes outside it could be allergic to mosquitoes.

Have you changed anything recently? New cat food, new furniture? New dog food?

larsan · Dec 16, 2014

So sorry to hear of your baby's problem.

I can tell you that our male has been on prednisone for 5 years for allergies. He's allergic to multiple things. He did better on the Hills hypoallergenic wet food (I forget which one that isn't) but then due to crystals, we had to put him on CD instead. He was in the care of a feline dermatologist but found that wasn't our answer so he's with out regular vet.

We have recently switched from shots to a transdermal gel form of prednisone and it is working! Oh, and a side note, his breakouts don't always happen in the same spot. Front legs, hind legs, ears, stomach.

I pray you will find the answer to the problem.

detmut · Dec 16, 2014

you want to use Zyrtec. cut a 10 mg tablet in half and give 5 mg once per day. if that doesn't work, try Chlor-trimeton or Tavist. do not use combination products.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2009/november/why-i-love-zyrtec-pets-especially-cats-6948

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=3379&S=0&EVetID=0

Allergies & Atopy in Cats

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2141&aid=502

http://cheyennewest.com/antihistamines-for-cats/

catluvr14 · Dec 17, 2014

Thanks everyone. Larsan I have not changed anything which is why this is so frustrating as it is difficult to find culprit. She is indoors only and on flea meds (Revolution) didn't know about diets. Are they Rx only?

catluvr14 · Dec 17, 2014

Also didn't know long term prednisone is ok since it's not for humans to take long term

larsan · Dec 17, 2014

Catluvr14 said:
Thanks everyone. Larsan I have not changed anything which is why this is so frustrating as it is difficult to find culprit. She is indoors only and on flea meds (Revolution) didn't know about diets. Are they Rx only?

Yes, ex only from Hills Science Diet. I know some people think their food is junk but it has been very beneficial to Gizzy for his allergies and crystals. We went the longest without allergy breakouts when he was on The ZD formula.

larsan · Dec 17, 2014

Catluvr14 said:
Also didn't know long term prednisone is ok since it's not for humans to take long term

It's not the best thing, but we made the decision that while there are dangers down the road, we want him to be happy and breakout free. We have had no side effects in the 5 years he's been in the shots. Now with the new transdermal gel that we've started, we hope to find a low dosage that will keep him breakout free. I posted about this here on the board in more detail if you want to take a look.

burkey · Dec 21, 2014

I have an allergy kitty, George.

When the meds are stopped, the skin irritation returns if the cat is still being exposed to whatever s/he is allergic to. The medications don't cure the allergy.

It is quite normal for a cat to suddenly become allergic to something he's been exposed to all along. Sometimes, the fact that you haven't changed anything in so long, is the reason behind the allergy. This is why many people choose to rotate their cats food at regular intervals. Cats can also be allergic to things they've only been exposed to on rare occasion, but just wanted to point out that your kitty could indeed be allergic to something that he once never had an issue with.

I'm VERY suprised your vet didn't suggest switching his food. After ruling out fleas, ruling out food is the next logical (and easiest) step to take. I would recommend that you switch your cat to something whose ingredients are the furthest from what he is eating now.... a "novel" diet, is what it is called. When we did this with our cat, we used a prescription food from the vet... Royal Canin Select Protein PR (pea/rabbit). There are very few foods available without prescription that are ideal... but Nature's Variety Instinct makes a few "LID" (limited ingredient diet) foods that are probably the closest alternative to what your vet would give you. If your cat is a kibble eater, I would recommend Nature's Variety LID (limited ingredient) rabbit. If your cat is a canned food eater, I would try the Nature's Variety Instinct LID canned... it comes in turkey, lamb, and duck. (use whichever one(s) are not in his current food... so if his current food has turkey in it, use the lamb or the duck, for example).

Another alternative would be to try him on a completely raw diet. Often cats who are allergic to a cooked ingredient (chicken for example), can have no problem with it in it's raw state.

It can take up to 12 weeks after a food change to know if it is working, so don't give up too early. And it is VERY important that your cat not eat ANYTHING else but the food you have chosen for him... no treats, no people food, no crumbs accidentally left on the counter, etc.

It is possible that your cat is allergic to something in his environment (mine is allergic to dust, mold, and some pollens). But ruling out the food is definitely the next step in the process...and the easiest. Determining environmental allergens is much more difficult (and costly).

Best of luck, I know how frustrating it can be!

vbcatparent · Dec 21, 2014

Pets can and do develop allergies over time. It could be anything from food to your brand of laundry soap. I'd say look at her food and immediate property first and keep her on whatever conrols the flare until you find the solution.

angels mommy · Dec 21, 2014

detmut said:
you want to use Zyrtec. cut a 10 mg tablet in half and give 5 mg once per day. if that doesn't work, try Chlor-trimeton or Tavist. do not use combination products.

http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/2009/november/why-i-love-zyrtec-pets-especially-cats-6948

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=3379&S=0&EVetID=0

Allergies & Atopy in Cats

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=1+2141&aid=502

http://cheyennewest.com/antihistamines-for-cats/

Yes, Angel was an itchy boy too, so the vet told me I could give him 1/2 of a generic Caritin, or zyrtec. I have done that for a few years now, & it helped a lot. When he seemed to get immune to the claritin, (cheaper)

I will switch to zyrtec for a few nights. It's his "night, night treat." (w/ a couple of other treats) I put it in a piece of pill pocket & roll it in nutritional yeast, & he eats it up!

I also don't feed him fish, as the vet said they were finding that a lot of cats were allergic. Also, now because he has had cystitis 2xs in 2012, & been on Rx UR food.

I would one day love to get the allergy testing done, but was told that a full panel was 300.00! & that was a few yrs ago!

catluvr14 · Dec 21, 2014

Thank you again everyone. So far the Zyrtec hasn't helped. I started it the day I first posted. My friend suggested children's Benadryl as she said this helped her dog. Any thoughts? I read on a cat website that liquid Benadryl at 2 mg per pound every 8 hours can help. I am also switching her food

larsan · Dec 21, 2014

Angels mommy said:
Yes, Angel was an itchy boy too, so the vet told me I could give him 1/2 of a generic Caritin, or zyrtec. I have done that for a few years now, & it helped a lot. When he seemed to get immune to the claritin, (cheaper)
I will switch to zyrtec for a few nights. It's his "night, night treat." (w/ a couple of other treats) I put it in a piece of pill pocket & roll it in nutritional yeast, & he eats it up!

I also don't feed him fish, as the vet said they were finding that a lot of cats were allergic. Also, now because he has had cystitis 2xs in 2012, & been on Rx UR food.
I would one day love to get the allergy testing done, but was told that a full panel was 300.00! & that was a few yrs ago!

We spent 1,000.00 to have Gizmo tested by a feline dermatologist a number of years ago. He's allergic to everything around here..I think even the air!! :lol3: Gizmo had urinary crystals which resulted in 2 surgeries and was put on Hills rx CD. Now he had to be switched to WD to help control his glucose. If it's not one thing, it's another with this guy. Sure glad our Abby has no problems!

larsan · Dec 21, 2014

Catluvr14 said:
Thank you again everyone. So far the Zyrtec hasn't helped. I started it the day I first posted. My friend suggested children's Benadryl as she said this helped her dog. Any thoughts? I read on a cat website that liquid Benadryl at 2 mg per pound every 8 hours can help. I am also switching her food

I've been told dogs are much easier to heal than cats. I certainly agree that cats aren't easy.

detmut · Dec 21, 2014

Catluvr14 said:
Thank you again everyone. So far the Zyrtec hasn't helped. I started it the day I first posted. My friend suggested children's Benadryl as she said this helped her dog. Any thoughts? I read on a cat website that liquid Benadryl at 2 mg per pound every 8 hours can help. I am also switching her food

i would try Chlor-trimeton (chlorpheniramine) first. that has been the go-to allergy drug for cats in the past. 0.1 to 0.2 mg/lb twice a day. Chlorpheniramine controls itching in 70% of cats according to The Pill Book Guide to Medication for your Dog and Cat. it also says that chlorpheniramine is the antihistamine of choice for most cats.

angels mommy · Dec 21, 2014

Larsan said:
We spent 1,000.00 to have Gizmo tested by a feline dermatologist a number of years ago. He's allergic to everything around here..I think even the air!!

Gizmo had urinary crystals which resulted in 2 surgeries and was put on Hills rx CD. Now he had to be switched to WD to help control his glucose. If it's not one thing, it's another with this guy. Sure glad our Abby has no problems!

Uhh! That is so true. "always something!" Angel was on the Purina UR SO wet of course, for a little over a year. I wanted to find something "healthier" w/ no bi-products, grains, etc... BUT still would address his urinary issues. (so he wouldn't have any) & keep his pH where it needed to be to prevent any more problems. At a natural pet food store that I love, I was introduced to Dave's Restricted Diet pet food. It was formulated to be like the urinary formulas, but the ingredients were SO much better! (& a case was 10.00 cheaper than the RX food!) I started weening it into his Rx food, then made a complete transition in a week or 2. (after talking to & clearing it w/ his vet first). We did a follow up ultrasound & urinalysis after 2 months on it, & everything was great! I was so happy! ...Then, after being on it for 5 months, he had some smaller clumps in the box, & was going about 3XS/day, vs/2, so vet said he could be irritated. :-/ The clumps were not tiny, like we have to go to the hospital right now, but were 1/2-1/3 smaller, & I wanted to nip anything in the bud! I don't think it was the Dave's, (sense the test showed otherwise) but not sure why this happened. No stress had been going on w/ him, or me, so,?? I just bought a second case of the Rx again. Maybe we will try the Dave's again in a few months. ..........Kitties! They're so delicate!

but worth it!

mnm · Dec 21, 2014

Zyrtec totally helped Minnie...it took a few weeks. She had total tummy and hind leg baldness due to licking, but no head sores or anything...just tummy baldness. All her fur grew back. On the other hand, Mikki has a few scabs on her back...and the Zyrtec didn't help her. We're keeping anti itch cream on it plus the fact it's bitter tasting so she doesn't lick it...and lets the spots alone and they heal.

catluvr14 · Dec 23, 2014

Burkey said:
I have an allergy kitty, George.

When the meds are stopped, the skin irritation returns if the cat is still being exposed to whatever s/he is allergic to. The medications don't cure the allergy.

It is quite normal for a cat to suddenly become allergic to something he's been exposed to all along. Sometimes, the fact that you haven't changed anything in so long, is the reason behind the allergy. This is why many people choose to rotate their cats food at regular intervals. Cats can also be allergic to things they've only been exposed to on rare occasion, but just wanted to point out that your kitty could indeed be allergic to something that he once never had an issue with.

I'm VERY suprised your vet didn't suggest switching his food. After ruling out fleas, ruling out food is the next logical (and easiest) step to take. I would recommend that you switch your cat to something whose ingredients are the furthest from what he is eating now.... a "novel" diet, is what it is called. When we did this with our cat, we used a prescription food from the vet... Royal Canin Select Protein PR (pea/rabbit). There are very few foods available without prescription that are ideal... but Nature's Variety Instinct makes a few "LID" (limited ingredient diet) foods that are probably the closest alternative to what your vet would give you. If your cat is a kibble eater, I would recommend Nature's Variety LID (limited ingredient) rabbit. If your cat is a canned food eater, I would try the Nature's Variety Instinct LID canned... it comes in turkey, lamb, and duck. (use whichever one(s) are not in his current food... so if his current food has turkey in it, use the lamb or the duck, for example).

Another alternative would be to try him on a completely raw diet. Often cats who are allergic to a cooked ingredient (chicken for example), can have no problem with it in it's raw state.

It can take up to 12 weeks after a food change to know if it is working, so don't give up too early. And it is VERY important that your cat not eat ANYTHING else but the food you have chosen for him... no treats, no people food, no crumbs accidentally left on the counter, etc.

It is possible that your cat is allergic to something in his environment (mine is allergic to dust, mold, and some pollens). But ruling out the food is definitely the next step in the process...and the easiest. Determining environmental allergens is much more difficult (and costly).

Best of luck, I know how frustrating it can be!

Is it possible that I would already see a difference just by changing her food? I went out and bought the Nature's Variety LID rabbit kibble (she is a kibble eater) as you mentioned the same day that I read your post. Almost immediately I noticed she wasn't scratching as much, and today her stomach is no longer red and oozing. If this is what did it then you are a lifesaver!!! I really wish my vet would have mentioned the food being the first thing to rule out and would have saved me money, time and my baby the pain and misery. I really hope this is the change I needed as we will all be much happier!! Thank you again for the info! For whatever reason she has no desire to eat the canned LID which is strange because she usually loves wet food too, but as long as she eats the kibble and her symptoms go away I will be so grateful! Just an FYI now that I think about it, I did change her food about 8 months ago to Science Diet for Sensitive Skin and Stomach (ironically) because she does have digestive issues now and then. I wasn't thinking of this as a change though since it's been 8 months, but if this was the culprit then maybe it just took awhile for the symptoms to appear? It does contain corn and rice so maybe that was the problem-we will see. If it turns out it is the food then that would prob explain why I wasn't seeing any relief with the Zyrtec etc since I hadn' known to change her food until now.

mnm · Dec 23, 2014

fingers crossed for you!

angels mommy · Dec 24, 2014

That's great news! Good food too!! Just keep note of any more changes, just incase, but sounds good so far. WOW, I can't believe your vet didn't suggest that first. Might be time to ask around for a referral to a more "tuned in" vet! Food would have been the first & least invasive thing to try.

Help-I'm desperate! My cat won't stop scratching and is miserable

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