Ok cat friends, I have a black short hair and on her belly and in her arm pits for lack of better description, she scratches until it's raw! I changed her back to food before this started and trying unscented litter. I also have topical a from the vet. I'm at a loss what to try next! I'm told I can give her Benadryl but that just seems wrong to drug her. Also on her legs
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Scrathing, bald spot on belly and legs only
- Thread starter bonnbar
- Start Date
Pictures would really help give us a clearer idea of her current state.
Did the vet give you any indication as to the possible causes? If benadryl has been suggested, my first thought is allergies. An elimination diet would be one possibility to discuss with your vet, as skin conditions can often be connected to food allergies.
Other things to try would be making sure the laundry detergents etc you use are hypoallergenic, doing a really thorough search for fleas (some cats are actually allergic to flea saliva), and generally look for other potential allergens in the home that she's regularly in contact with.
Sadly, it's not always possible to identify the allergen responsible. If that is the case then it's far better to use medication to keep her comfortable - if it was you, I'm sure you choose meds over being permanently itchy!
I hope you're able to identify and remove the cause though - that would be the ideal solution.
Did the vet give you any indication as to the possible causes? If benadryl has been suggested, my first thought is allergies. An elimination diet would be one possibility to discuss with your vet, as skin conditions can often be connected to food allergies.
Other things to try would be making sure the laundry detergents etc you use are hypoallergenic, doing a really thorough search for fleas (some cats are actually allergic to flea saliva), and generally look for other potential allergens in the home that she's regularly in contact with.
Sadly, it's not always possible to identify the allergen responsible. If that is the case then it's far better to use medication to keep her comfortable - if it was you, I'm sure you choose meds over being permanently itchy!
I hope you're able to identify and remove the cause though - that would be the ideal solution.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
she will not be still while trying to photograph. I have just started with unscented litter, I use organic cleaners and laundry soap. The elimination on food I just started and we are going to try the blue basic duck recipe.
:lol3: I know how hard it is to get cats to cooperate for the camera!
The elimination diet sounds good. Identifying allergy triggers can be a long process. I hope the diet works for you.
If the scratching gets really out of control, it might be worth talking to your vet about using a surgical vest for a while - just to protect her skin a bit. This is just one example http://www.medicalpetshirts.com/index.php/en/medical-pet-shirts-en. Keeping her claws trimmed, or even fitting softpaws could also help reduce any damage from scratching.
I hope she starts feeling better very soon
The elimination diet sounds good. Identifying allergy triggers can be a long process. I hope the diet works for you.
If the scratching gets really out of control, it might be worth talking to your vet about using a surgical vest for a while - just to protect her skin a bit. This is just one example http://www.medicalpetshirts.com/index.php/en/medical-pet-shirts-en. Keeping her claws trimmed, or even fitting softpaws could also help reduce any damage from scratching.
I hope she starts feeling better very soon
