Collars for cats with EGC

[xxPsychoBunny]

Hello!
My 11 month old fur baby Velveeta was diagnosed last month with EGC (more than likely due to food). We recently decided to try collars with him again since we live in an apartment complex and he likes to run out the door if he can. He doesn’t mind wearing it but we did notice that after he had it on for almost a full day, he was scratching at his neck quite frequently - he hadn’t scratched that much since we switched his food and his EGC started calming down (and when he did scratch it was his ears and chin)

I was wondering if it was the fabric of the collar? I know (or at least read) that EGC is an inflammatory skin problem, and thought maybe there was a better fabric that would be more hypoallergenic so he won’t itch as much (hopefully at all lol).

This is my first cat (my husband and I got him when he was 3 months old) and I’m still learning, so bear with me

Any and all advice would be appreciated!! Pic will be added for cuteness factor

 

[GoldyCat]

What is EGC?

 

[Antonio65]

What is EGC?

Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex

 

[Antonio65]

Hello!
My 11 month old fur baby Velveeta was diagnosed last month with EGC (more than likely due to food). We recently decided to try collars with him again since we live in an apartment complex and he likes to run out the door if he can. He doesn’t mind wearing it but we did notice that after he had it on for almost a full day, he was scratching at his neck quite frequently

Velveeta is a really cue and has a beautiful name.

Is the collar made of fabric/velvet?
I found out that this kind of material tends to make skin itchy and very often causes irritation of the skin and hair loss.

Since he's going out often, would a flea collar (usually made with rubber) be a dual function solution for you?

 

[xxPsychoBunny]

Velveeta is a really cue and has a beautiful name.

Is the collar made of fabric/velvet?
I found out that this kind of material tends to make skin itchy and very often causes irritation of the skin and hair loss.

Since he's going out often, would a flea collar (usually made with rubber) be a dual function solution for you?

Thank you!! The shelter we got him from had named him that and we kept it he is a super sweet, super cute cat, but is also super smart so sometimes he gets himself into trouble

So at this point in time since we live in an apartment complex, we don’t trust letting him roam on his own. We take him out with a harness now and then, more so now that it’s getting warmer. He does get a flea/tick/etc treatment once a month though. However, there are moments where he bolts out the door. Most of the time we can stop him but he’s so quiet and sneaky other times that we don’t notice he’s coming until he rushes past your legs. He is chipped, but there are a few strays around here and we’re afraid people may think he is too. And even though the collar would be a breakaway collar, we still want that extra identification for him, if possible. The collar is a Whisker City collar from PetSmart. We actually got it a bit ago so I don’t have the receipt anymore and I cut the tag off. I checked their website but it doesn’t say what material it’s made of. It’s not velvet or silk though

 

[Antonio65]

Looks like polypropylene, or a similar material. It's a beautiful collar and surely makes people understand that he's not a stray.

My previous cats both used to wear a velvet collar, it wouldn't bother them, but caused her hair to thin out and fall for good around their necks. Even after I removed the collar, their hair never grew back, after many years.

It's possible that your Velveeta is sensitive to that material and he scratches. Because he had this underlying condition, I think the polypropylene is something that could bother him.

I would try and remove the collar for a few days and see if he's getting better. You'll have the answer.
If you really need to have Velveeta identified with a tag, you could try a different material, or use a flea collar.

P.S.: I made some typos in my previous post, I edited it.

 

[xxPsychoBunny]

Looks like polypropylene, or a similar material. It's a beautiful collar and surely makes people understand that he's not a stray.

My previous cats both used to wear a velvet collar, it wouldn't bother them, but caused her hair to thin out and fall for good around their necks. Even after I removed the collar, their hair never grew back, after many years.

It's possible that your Velveeta is sensitive to that material and he scratches. Because he had this underlying condition, I think the polypropylene is something that could bother him.

I would try and remove the collar for a few days and see if he's getting better. You'll have the answer.
If you really need to have Velveeta identified with a tag, you could try a different material, or use a flea collar.

P.S.: I made some typos in my previous post, I edited it.

He has definitely been scratching it less since we took it off. I don’t want to add anything else that will make him scratch more or lose hair, because when his EGC first flared up, he got chin acne and was starting to lose some fur on his chin. It grew back but still, I wanna minimize the hair loss for him, as well as as much discomfort as I can.

Do you know of or have any suggestions for materials for collars that would be better for his skin?

 

[Antonio65]

I believe it's a subjective thing, every pet, or human, reacts to materials in different ways, so it's hard to tell.

My current indoor cats have no collars of any kind, but the outdoor cats have the Seresto collar and show no sign of skin reaction. But again, it depends on the single cat, and given that yours has a history of EGC, I wouldn't know.
You tried this collar that is probably made of polypropylene, you could try a different material, like velvet, though certain materials last shorter and need replacing.

 

[xxPsychoBunny]

That’s a good point. I have sensitive skin as well so I guess it really will just be trial and error for things with him as it is with me on occasion.

Polypropylene is a form of plastic isn’t it? Plastic starts to irritate his skin if he messes with it too much (which is why all of his bowls are ceramic or stainless steel). I can’t believe I didn’t think of that

I’ll definitely have to try out different materials. I was thinking maybe JUST cotton or something like rayon/bamboo.

Thank you so much for all of your help!

 

[Antonio65]

Cotton and other natural materials should be fine and give much fewer or no issues to your cat's skin.
Yes, it is a trial and error thing, and hopefully you can find the right material quickly without spending a fortune on different materials.