Loss of fur, flaky skin, excessive scratching and licking..

emmaandaria

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A friend of mine has a bordering on senior aged cat who she is at a loss on how to treat. She is low on money and hasn't been able to take her cat to the vet. The past few years her cat has been getting steadily worse, especially in winter. She scratches the heck out of her neck, she licks her flanks nearly naked, and her back skin has large, dry, thick flakes that get worse in the winter ( I am talking coin sized, not dandruff kind of flaking). She's been treated for fleas and the problem stayed. She can't seem to fix the problem by switching foods or bathing with something more soothing for the skin and she is at a loss and asked me for advice on finding out how to fix this. 

Have any of you experienced similar issues? 
 

mrsgreenjeens

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My guess is that it's food allergies, even though she has tried changing foods already.  When you are dealing with food allergies, it takes several weeks in between the food change to see any effect, AND you need to delete certain ingredients from the food entirely to try to figure out what ingredient(s) is causing the issue.  Some common food allergies are beef, fish, wheat, corn, soy, and even chicken

I would suggest switching her over to a limited ingredient food, like Nature Variety Instinct Liminted Ingredient, Natural Balance L.I.D., Merrick Limited Ingredient, but I would also try to go for rabbit or venison or something like that rather than the usual proteins.  And as i said, it takes several weeks to see if it makes a difference.  She could also try adding some coconut oil to her food, which might help.  It might also actually help with the itchiness ON her skin as it has great healing "powers". 

As far as not being able to afford a Vet, maybe something here can help:  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/no-money-for-vet-care-how-to-find-help-and-save-your-cats-life
 
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