Super itchy cat and we have tried everything. please help

Hi, 

So I have a very itchy cat, Smitten. She has been pulling out her hair for almost a year and a half now and our vet is running out of ideas on what to try.

Here is some background:

We literally found her on the streets of St. Louis. We took her in because she was so friendly and figured someone would be looking for her. Now we think she hasnt had any previous owners. When we first got her, vets said she is anywhere between 2-8 years old. Due to missing teeth, they had difficulties guessing the age. She did not have  a chip and was not neutered- we did both of those things. She is also FIV positive. She was always over grooming, but it wasn't until a couple months until she was biting and scratching to the point of pulling out hair and cutting her self. 

when she itches, everything is fair game besides a little tuft on her chest and on her upper back. we currently have kitty caps on her and sometimes put clothes on her to protect her skin. Her skin is red and very flaky and has the occasional scab ( scabs have decreased after putting on kitty caps). 

She is itchier in the morning and it looks very frantic. Her back will wiggle/roll. she will also flick her arms and legs when itching. however, if she is getting attention ( which she craves 24/7) she is less itchy.  on a different note, she is also loosing weight but we have seen no change in appetite. we are giving her more food and kitten food but she is not gaining anything ( though now she isnt loosing anything either). 

here are the things we tried and I am posting this in hopes of getting more ideas:

-lime sulfer dip

-advantage 

-revolution

-blood test for diabetes and hyperthyroidism - both negative

-skin biopsy which hinted at the cat having a tumor on her thymus gland but ultrasound was negative, also just told us she has red, dry, flaky and itchy skin

-drops for ears to clear up yeast and bacteria infection

-allergy test which showed an allergy to dust and storage mites which is being treated with weekly shots- these help but she still is itchy to the point of harming herself

-steroids to help relieve the itching temporarily- these did not decrease the symptoms at all

-change of food- prescription cat food with hydrolyzed proteins as well as making our homemade cat food with chicken and potatoes + vitamins. ( done at 2 separate times with no signs of changes in itching)

-gabapetine

-1 types of oral medicine to treat intestinal parasites/worms ( decided to treat it even though we did not run any tests on her).

-anti-fungal medications ( sorry i am getting less specific, its just hard to remember everything)

-apoquel

any ideas you have will be appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you for rescuing this poor kitty from the streets of St. Louis.  It sounds like you have been very diligent in tending to her care and needs.  I'm not an expert in this area of feline health but the first thought that comes to mind is possibly taking her to a veterinary dermatologist if you have exhausted all other possibilities.  I'm sure others can weigh in with their advice or suggestions.  Please keep us updated on her progress.  

The blood test, was it a full blood panel? If so, can you post it here?

Revolution, given once or?

The prescrip diet, what kind exactly is/was it?

I also have cats with itchy skin and we are now working to find a protein they will eat and not scratch from, because the vet suspects food allergies. Sometimes cats are just allergic to chicken, for instance, or maybe they develop an allergy to it because that's all they eat. Who knows for sure.   Look for food that says "Limited Ingredients."  So far I have found in my local pet store that Natural Balance has a few different kinds of Limited Ingredient food. The label must say that, don't just look for cat food that has just a few ingredients.  Try a protein source they haven't had, such as duck, venison or rabbit. Our vet said that cats tend to be less allergic to salmon and turkey, but chicken is frequently allergy causing. (I can't remember where beef and other fish fall on the spectrum.). I am turning to Chewy.com today to see what other brands of Limited Ingredient food I can find.  It's aggravating and expensive, especially when you have multiples (we have 5), but I don't want our 3 itchy cats to be miserable.

BaileyJane said:

 
I also have cats with itchy skin and we are now working to find a protein they will eat and not scratch from, because the vet suspects food allergies. Sometimes cats are just allergic to chicken, for instance, or maybe they develop an allergy to it because that's all they eat. Who knows for sure.   Look for food that says "Limited Ingredients."  So far I have found in my local pet store that Natural Balance has a few different kinds of Limited Ingredient food. The label must say that, don't just look for cat food that has just a few ingredients.  Try a protein source they haven't had, such as duck, venison or rabbit. Our vet said that cats tend to be less allergic to salmon and turkey, but chicken is frequently allergy causing. (I can't remember where beef and other fish fall on the spectrum.). I am turning to Chewy.com today to see what other brands of Limited Ingredient food I can find.  It's aggravating and expensive, especially when you have multiples (we have 5), but I don't want our 3 itchy cats to be miserable.

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That is what I suspect in op's cat too, an allergy to something in the food, whether it be protein, or grain, wheat, corn, etc.