Excessive Grooming & Insatiable Appetite - Help!

[Odie]

Hi Everyone,

On 4/14/18, I adopted my first cat, Odie. In the past two weeks he has been exhibiting excessive grooming behavior and I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. When I got him, he had very thin fur along his shoulder area, but that has grown in substantially. However, he has now licked the fur off spots on his chest, front leg, and almost down to the skin on both of his back legs. It seems that all he wants to do is lick and chew.

Here is the information that I received from the rescue:

· He was a stray that they estimate is about 5 years old
· Tested positive for FIV
· Distemper, StrongID, Revolution given on 3/15
· Rabies & neuter on 3/21
· Distemper booster & Strong ID on 3/30
· Depomedrol .8cc given for dermatitis on 4/11 (this wasn’t on his paperwork when I adopted him)

I gave him Advantage II and Bayer tapeworm medication on 5/7 after finding little rice looking bits in the house and stuck to his fur. I haven’t seen any more since then.

On, 5/9 I noticed he had licked his fur off his chest. I brought him to the vet on 5/10. She examined him and said he looked well and didn’t see anything physically wrong with the skin. She gave him Convenia, Dexamethasone, and Ivermectin. Without anything blatantly wrong, she thought it may be related to seasonal allergies, so she suggested giving him children’s Claritin. We are in Vermont and the pollen count is high right now. I had been walking him in my backyard with his new fancy harness, but have stopped that for now.

Since the vet visit, I have been giving him children’s Claritin each morning. I haven’t noticed any improvement in his behavior.

He also seems to have an insatiable appetite. He will go into the fridge, paw at your plate, and get on the counter as soon as he is done eating looking for more. One day I caught him with a whole chicken breast walking across the kitchen! I bought some slow feeders and an automatic feeder to help spread the food out throughout the day, but he still is crazy for food. I’m not sure if the incessant scratching could be related.

My next thought is maybe food allergies?? In my research, I saw that cats would scratch their face with food allergies, but he isn’t doing that. I’m at a loss and could use some advice.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[abyeb]

A lot of times, excessive grooming can be caused by anxiety. Have you tried a Feliway diffuser to see if that makes a difference? This article gives some more info: Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

 

[danteshuman]

Children's Claritin?!? Ummmm why not ask your vet for some 2mg chlorpheniramine? I give my bud Dante 1/2 of 4 mg tablet every 12 hours when his lips start to swell.
If it is allergies you need to remove everything they could be allergic to and then slowly try one thing or another every week to find out what he is allergic to. My bud is allergic to all poultry so I feed him taste of the wild canyon river feline formula.
If it is stress or OCD he may need some medication for it.
This might be a great question for the health forum?

 

[Odie]

A lot of times, excessive grooming can be caused by anxiety. Have you tried a Feliway diffuser to see if that makes a difference? This article gives some more info: Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats

I haven't tried any anti-anxiety products yet, but I will look into it. It seems odd to me that he would be acting fine and then be anxious all of a sudden. I've been trying to think of anything that has changed that could cause stress, but nothing stands out to me.

 

[Odie]

Children's Claritin?!? Ummmm why not ask your vet for some 2mg chlorpheniramine? I give my bud Dante 1/2 of 4 mg tablet every 12 hours when his lips start to swell.
If it is allergies you need to remove everything they could be allergic to and then slowly try one thing or another every week to find out what he is allergic to. My bud is allergic to all poultry so I feed him taste of the wild canyon river feline formula.
If it is stress or OCD he may need some medication for it.
This might be a great question for the health forum?

I have no idea what chlorpheniramine is, but I will research it The vet had recommended the Claritin as an antihistamine to combat allergic reactions, but it doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot.

Did Dante get an allergy test to find the poultry allergy or did you try different foods until symptoms subsided? I read a lot of recommendations for NB green pea and duck for food allergies and wasn't sure if I should try transitioning that in.

 

[danteshuman]

Well no he didn't get an allergy test. I did balance him out on the dry food mentioned above. Then gave him wet food with chicken, his lip swells up a bit. let him balance out for a couple of weeks, try chicken again, lip swells. Balance out, tried a little duck a year later, nope he can't eat that either.
The Chlorpheniramine is well antihistamine for cats. I asked about benadryl but the vet recommended the stuff I give to Dante now. In Dante's case he throws up, gets itchy, over groomed himself & over groomed his belly hair. (I just thought he was getting fat so his nipples were showing more.) After the second 140$ vet trip to get him a steroid shot I asked the vet if we could try one of a last of 4 or so cat antihistamines. I don't give it to him every day because I avoid his allergies. I even avoid cheap plastic & fleas just in case he is allergic to it. Chicken is one of the most common cat allergies ... however I really think your vet needs to determine if it is allergies or not.
Antihistamines for Cats
I started taking pics so I could show the vet. Now he gets a pill at the slightest swelling before it gets to that point. See his belly? I didn't notice his over grooming the vet did.

 

[danteshuman]

Nature's Variety Pride by Instinct Grain-Free Minced Lovebug's Lamb Recipe Wet Canned Cat Food
Taste of the Wild Canyon River Grain-Free Dry Cat Food
Instinct by Nature's Variety Original Grain-Free Real Beef Recipe Natural Wet Canned Cat Food

 

[Odie]

Well no he didn't get an allergy test. I did balance him out on the dry food mentioned above. Then gave him wet food with chicken, his lip swells up a bit. let him balance out for a couple of weeks, try chicken again, lip swells. Balance out, tried a little duck a year later, nope he can't eat that either.
The Chlorpheniramine is well antihistamine for cats. I asked about benadryl but the vet recommended the stuff I give to Dante now. In Dante's case he throws up, gets itchy, over groomed himself & over groomed his belly hair. (I just thought he was getting fat so his nipples were showing more.) After the second 140$ vet trip to get him a steroid shot I asked the vet if we could try one of a last of 4 or so cat antihistamines. I don't give it to him every day because I avoid his allergies. I even avoid cheap plastic & fleas just in case he is allergic to it. Chicken is one of the most common cat allergies ... however I really think your vet needs to determine if it is allergies or not.
Antihistamines for Cats
I started taking pics so I could show the vet. Now he gets a pill at the slightest swelling before it gets to that point. See his belly? I didn't notice his over grooming the vet did. View attachment 231779
View attachment 231777

My vet said it could be allergies, but didn't give a definitive answer. They told me they could do a skin scrape to examine the skin, but it doesn't sound like that would confirm any potential allergens.

For the first few weeks Odie didn't groom obsessively. I'm thinking that is likely attributed to the steroid shot the rescue gave him three days before I adopted him. Wish they would have had that in the medical history they gave me. I found out only after I started asking a lot of questions about his appetite because it seemed really abnormal.

Dante is a cute boy! Wow, I guess his lip does swell up, almost looks like he's sticking his tongue out. The picture of his belly is a familiar sight, Odie has thinned his hair on his sides like that. How quickly did you notice a difference in his behavior after giving the Chlorpheniramine?

Thanks for the links and sharing your experience. It's really helpful because I've never dealt with anything like this before.

 

[danteshuman]

Thanks he is cute It makes up for him being a hyper punk

Your guy looks so cute and sweet

Both vet trips he got a prednisone injection. So if his lip is that swollen, he needs the injection. I give him the "kitty Benadryl" whenever his lip starts to swell up at the point it might look like a canker sore (usually because he has snuck a bite of our semi-feral's food that has chicken in it.) it does drug him and makes him sleepy. So if it is mild he gets one pill a day. If it is more drastic every 12 hours then a couple of days giving him 1 pill a day.

The other advantage to that dry food is it is wheat free (and reasonably priced.) So if you think it is allergies I would look at the ingredients in your cat's food and try to find as different ingredients as possible. So step 1 don't let him out, get rid of all fleas(flea allergies are common) and get him to balance out for at least a month or two without needing any kind of kitty Benadryl. Step 2 have kitty Benadryl ready. Step 3 give your kitty or expose your kitty to a very small amount of 1 thing you think Odie might be allergic to. If there is a reaction in 48 hours give him an antihistamine as needed and note what he is allergic to. Wait 1-3 months test, note.

It took me months to figure out fancy feast beef and liver has chicken it! So it does take a bit of detective work. I didn't know for years he was throwing up once or twice a week because he was allergic. I didn't know he was over grooming himself. I still feel bad I missed those clues and got him haiball formula food Dante's allergies are what led me to the cat site I mainly give my boys the dry food and the lamb (they didn't like the venison.) I'm unsure if the instinct beef is causing a reaction or not so in a month I will feed it to him once then watch him like a hawk. My boys liked the rabbit wetfood but it is crazy pricey (and I keep thinking of pet bunnies.) honestly though they like the lamb/pork love bug recipe best out of their healthy wet food choices. They also have some good cat wet food recipes on this site..... I'm thinking of trying the beef liver one.

 

[LTS3]

He also seems to have an insatiable appetite. He will go into the fridge, paw at your plate, and get on the counter as soon as he is done eating looking for more. One day I caught him with a whole chicken breast walking across the kitchen! I bought some slow feeders and an automatic feeder to help spread the food out throughout the day, but he still is crazy for food. I’m not sure if the incessant scratching could be related.

My next thought is maybe food allergies?? In my research, I saw that cats would scratch their face with food allergies, but he isn’t doing that. I’m at a loss and could use some advice.

What brands of food are you feeding and how much are you feeding daily? Cats who don't get enough calories daily will seek out food to eat: the trash can, your kitchen counters, your dinner table as you are eating, etc.

Former strays are insecure about food so they will constantly look for food. They don't understand that food will always be provided for them. It takes time for them to realize this.

Scratching isn't always a sign of food allergies / sensitivies and skin issues aren't limited to the head. One of my cats gets bald spots when he is allergic to something.

You can try a limited ingredient or novel protein diet for at least a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Chicken is often an allergen so try proteins like rabbit or venison.

Article on Feline Cutaneous Adverse Food Reactions (aka food allergies) and treatment

 

[ArchyCat]

Having been on the street, Odie may have food insecurity. He's still not sure where his next meal is coming from. Once you find a suitable dry food, keep a dish of it available all the time. It may help ihs anxiety. Good luck. thank you for adopting him, and please keep us updated on his progress.

 

[Odie]

Thanks he is cute It makes up for him being a hyper punk

Your guy looks so cute and sweet

Both vet trips he got a prednisone injection. So if his lip is that swollen, he needs the injection. I give him the "kitty Benadryl" whenever his lip starts to swell up at the point it might look like a canker sore (usually because he has snuck a bite of our semi-feral's food that has chicken in it.) it does drug him and makes him sleepy. So if it is mild he gets one pill a day. If it is more drastic every 12 hours then a couple of days giving him 1 pill a day.

The other advantage to that dry food is it is wheat free (and reasonably priced.) So if you think it is allergies I would look at the ingredients in your cat's food and try to find as different ingredients as possible. So step 1 don't let him out, get rid of all fleas(flea allergies are common) and get him to balance out for at least a month or two without needing any kind of kitty Benadryl. Step 2 have kitty Benadryl ready. Step 3 give your kitty or expose your kitty to a very small amount of 1 thing you think Odie might be allergic to. If there is a reaction in 48 hours give him an antihistamine as needed and note what he is allergic to. Wait 1-3 months test, note.

It took me months to figure out fancy feast beef and liver has chicken it! So it does take a bit of detective work. I didn't know for years he was throwing up once or twice a week because he was allergic. I didn't know he was over grooming himself. I still feel bad I missed those clues and got him haiball formula food Dante's allergies are what led me to the cat site I mainly give my boys the dry food and the lamb (they didn't like the venison.) I'm unsure if the instinct beef is causing a reaction or not so in a month I will feed it to him once then watch him like a hawk. My boys liked the rabbit wetfood but it is crazy pricey (and I keep thinking of pet bunnies.) honestly though they like the lamb/pork love bug recipe best out of their healthy wet food choices. They also have some good cat wet food recipes on this site..... I'm thinking of trying the beef liver one.

Cuteness is Odie’s saving grace at this point! I’ve never had more anxiety than I have had in the past few weeks trying to figure out how to help him. I think this weekend I’ll start transitioning in a new food and see what happens. I’ve been keeping a log of his behavior, weight, water intake, pictures..etc so I have some baselines to compare to.

I should probably also try a different antihistamine and see if he responds better to that, but I’ll consult with the vet first before giving him anything.

It’s quite the process to figure out these ailments by the sounds of it, especially with the skin. I’m glad you’ve got Dante’s allergies figured out for the most part, must have been such a relief when you saw his symptoms start to subside.

 

[Odie]

What brands of food are you feeding and how much are you feeding daily? Cats who don't get enough calories daily will seek out food to eat: the trash can, your kitchen counters, your dinner table as you are eating, etc.

Former strays are insecure about food so they will constantly look for food. They don't understand that food will always be provided for them. It takes time for them to realize this.

Scratching isn't always a sign of food allergies / sensitivies and skin issues aren't limited to the head. One of my cats gets bald spots when he is allergic to something.

You can try a limited ingredient or novel protein diet for at least a couple of weeks to see if that helps. Chicken is often an allergen so try proteins like rabbit or venison.

Article on Feline Cutaneous Adverse Food Reactions (aka food allergies) and treatment

Thanks for the article..those poor babies in the photos!!

I’ve been feeding him Purina one true instincts grain free chicken and their line of grain free wet food in a variety of flavors. I am realizing after a lot of reading about different foods that this food isn’t good compared to so many others, so I should probably make a switch whether he has allergies or not. I’ve been giving a 3oz can of wet and between 1-1.5 cups of dry each day. I end up feeling bad because he’s begging and acting like he’s starved so I give him too much I’m sure.

 

[Odie]

Having been on the street, Odie may have food insecurity. He's still not sure where his next meal is coming from. Once you find a suitable dry food, keep a dish of it available all the time. It may help ihs anxiety. Good luck. thank you for adopting him, and please keep us updated on his progress.

I had thought about keeping a bowl out, but I'm afraid he's going to get sick. He literally inhales his food. I've watched him and he doesn't even chew! I guess I could try it once and then I would know if he can control himself or not.

 

[ArchyCat]

Please! it could take weeks or months for Odie to realize that the next meal is guaranteed. Give him a chance.

 

[danteshuman]

Our Semi-feral if he he is locked out of the house for 5 hours, freaks out, thinks he is starving & over eats until he vomits in the food bowl. Having food out all the time 24/7 helps him. He was a street kitten, I guess he never lost his street mentality. (Mind you he is allowed in/out freely all day long & only has to ask tp come in/out at night.)

 

[Odie]

Thought I would give an update...so I tried leaving the food out and he devoured it all in a matter of minutes and then acted funny all day, probably had a stomach ache.

The itching has not gotten any better. In fact, we had a really scary episode last week. I put some waterless shampoo meant for itchy cats on him and I think he licked too much of it off. About two hours later he could hardly breathe, I think he had a reaction to it. I drenched him with water to get the stuff off and then made him drink a lot of water to get it out of his throat. It was almost a trip to the emergency vet, but I was noticing signs of improvement as the hour passed. By morning he was completely fine.

Went to a different vet today for a second opinion about the fur yanking. She didn't see anything wrong with his skin just by looking at him, so she did a skin scrape. That was normal. She gave me Prednisone for him, 5 mg tablets. I'm supposed to give him 1/2 tablet twice daily for a week, then 1/2 tablet daily for a week and then 1/2 tablet every other day until it runs out.

I asked about an allergy test, but she wanted to see how he responded to this. I just feel like we are putting a bandaid on the problem instead of figuring out what's causing it.

 

[ArchyCat]

Updates?

 

[Odie]

Updates?

Yesterday Odie started getting half a tablet per day of the prednisone. He has developed quite a potbelly in the past week, which I think is from the steroids. The vet wants to see him again for his belly, but I'm hoping as he comes down in dosage the belly will get better so I can cancel the appointment.

 

[Odie]

Latest update - Odie had a vet visit on June 6th because he was beginning to lick a lot as the prednisone dosage decreased and his stomach was still quite large. He had his last 5mg dose on June 10th.

We went back to the vet on June 22nd because his stomach was still really bloated and he stopped eating his food. He had been eating the NB Duck & Pea for about a month. He was having regular visits to the litter box, so it didn't seem like constipation. They x-rayed him and his organs look ok and the belly didn't seem to have fluid in it, he did have a lot of gas though. They told me to give him Hills Prescription Z/D skin and food allergies and now he seems to be licking NON-STOP since starting this food.