Ok I'm new here and kinda feel like my last resort. I have a 5 yr old female who I have taKen to 2 different vets neither have found an thing wrong. 4 different blood tests and all have been perfect. She did originally have a uti and ear infection both cleared. She's been mutilating herself tearing Hotspots around her ears. Shes been on prozak which made her act stoned we stopped it and she came around for about a week and started the mutilation again. My main vet recommended rehomming her, but she only does well with our family and frankly I care to much to let her go an my boy loves this cat too. I can tell she's stressed but 2 notable vets are clueless as am I to what it may be. No changes in the household and plenty of hiding spots litter boxes cleaned daily. I've spent a small fortune for no answers. If anyone takes the time to read this sorry it's so long and thankyou to anyone that can help
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Need advice and opinions my cat needs help
- Thread starter krow
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If the Prozac worked you might try a smaller dose. Is your cat indoor or indoor/outdoor. If she is at her ears would have her checked for an infection of ear mites. You may be dealing with an allergy.
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The prozak didn't do much but make her lose alot of weight. We cut the dosage in half for a 9 pound cat after about 5 weeks it seemed to do more harm than good. She refused to lay on the bed or anyehere in the house but our window seals, she would doze off an fall out numerous times a night. Sometimes I could get her to sit on my lap and sleep a bit but it's like something scared her an she would run lighting fast up the stairs back to the windows
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I'm really leaning to allergies. Does she have bare belly syndrome ? That is a common thing for stressed cats. Tearing at the ears to me would signify actual discomfort.
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No bare belly she has taken tuffs of hair off her back around her tail and has licked fur off her back paw. Her back looks almost leopard print. She's left her back alone now. I've got a cone on her now which she hates and won't move but she won't stop going at her ears which become a bloody mess. I just cannot believe 2 vets can't find any cause
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Around her neck during the winter months she always worked up a Hotspot or wound around her neck. We had been told it was due to running heaters and it was a dry itchy spot for her but literally would disappear as winter had lifted and heaters came off. Problem solved until the next winter
There are likely other drugs for OCD if this is what you're dealing with. I flagged your post under ' other ' asking for an advisor. The knowledge base here is immense. Hang in there.
I would also think allergy. Even though she is an inside cat, I would deflea her and the whole house, and then use a flea repellent on her - there may be fleas that don't bother you but may be in her fur and in the environment. I say this because I had a similar problem, and no vet could find a cause for the cat tearing the fur off his back end and legs. We did biopsies and speciual diets and nothing worked, and it went on for two years. Then one year we did have a flea infestation that was visible and I had to use flea bombs and powders everywhere, and it took two months to get rid of them completely. But hey, once we were sure all the fleas had gone, no more scratching and all the fur grew back. It was strange, because he was the only one affected. Sometimes there can be nasties around and you never know.
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I've never had an issue like this with a cat but I have with a dog and it was allergy related. It could be stress or OCD related but I would definitely consider the possibility of an allergy. Even food allergy can cause this. It may be something as simple as changing her diet, or it could be much more complicated. I would see another vet.
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You might want to take her to a veterinary hospital and see an internal medicine vet instead of the regular vets office. The price for the tests there gonna run is gonna be a shock but anything out of the norm is out of your average vets scope. For example if you had a suspicious lump you wouldn't go to a doctor's care you'd go to a specialist. They can do askin allergy test as well as stress tests to determine if it's a medical or behavioral issue.
Unless the cat has had a reaction I might start with treatment with a Rx topical ( Please do use the off brands in the discount stores) and see if you can treat this symptomatically.
Blood work does not always reveal everything. An ultrasound would be the next logical step. And I might consider that even if the topical works. A full fecal . It costs more but is inclusive of almost every worm or parasite.
If your cat is going outside beyond your supervision she could be walking through grass chemically treated or coming into contact with many plants, insects or other chemicals.
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I agree. Whenever it's anything out of then norm you end up having to run a full gambit of tests. One after another after another.
