Hair pulling and sensitive to touch.

[Cheeseywater]

Hi, my cat , 10 years old, has been suffering for over a year now with skin/fur issues.

He will sit very nicely and calm and suddenly will wake and try to yank fur out, specifically from his spine or base of his tail.

we have been to the vets many time, tried anxiety medication but it made no difference, he’s been on anti-inflammatory meds and made no difference, he’s been given a course of anti biotics and no Difference. We are using veterinary grade flea treatment Credilio and we have never found any remnence of fleas or flea dirt nor has the vet.

we have given him baths with an anti itch shampoo from the vet also to no effect. He does have a few using crystals butis on prescription food and urinacid to neutralise the PH balance. He eats, pees and poos perfectly fine however. He’s also still mobile and will play, jump, run and is very cuddly and shows no other signs of stress or discomfort.

I’ve noticed in these bald spots he also has little brown spots. They don’t wash off and don’t turn red when wet… Does anyone have any theories?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. I would only venture to guess that is allergy related. If not his food, then something in his environment. The sensitivity couId be related to skin aggravation from not only pulling his hair out, but also from the source of the problem. I know it is hard to do, but you need to try to trace back to when this started and chart any changes that went on at that time to see if you can narrow down the possible issues.

Has the vet done a skin scraping (sounds worse than it is) to analyze the cells for potential culprits? It may require you to seek the assistance of a vet that specializes in dermatology.

 

[Sarthur2]

This is a tough one. Is he inside only?

It does sound like allergies. Is it seasonal, or year round?

Has he had a cortisone shot or prednisolone therapy yet? This can control itching.

What is his diet? He may be allergic to something he is being fed. Sometimes it’s a brand, and sometimes it’s a particular ingredient - such as fish or chicken or beef. He may need a sensitive tummy diet, or you may need to try different brands, or you may need to cut out an ingredient. Some cats need to eat duck or lamb instead of fish, chicken, or beef.

It’s likely going to be a trial and error thing here, and perhaps some cortisone will help with the immediate problem. Or he may have dry skin and need more oil in his diet, though it does sound like a possible allergy to something. And unfortunately, what used to work may no longer work if he’s developed an allergy.

Also, are there any stressors in his environment lately - such as a new pet or a new person or the absence of a beloved person, or a change in housing or work schedules? Any of these things can cause stress.

I hope these ideas will help. Please keep us posted and I wish you the very best with your cat!

 

[Cheeseywater]

Thanks

Hi. I would only venture to guess that is allergy related. If not his food, then something in his environment. The sensitivity couId be related to skin aggravation from not only pulling his hair out, but also from the source of the problem. I know it is hard to do, but you need to try to trace back to when this started and chart any changes that went on at that time to see if you can narrow down the possible issues.

Has the vet done a skin scraping (sounds worse than it is) to analyze the cells for potential culprits? It may require you to seek the assistance of a vet that specializes in dermatology.

Thanks for the response. We haven’t done a skin scrape but it’s next on our to do list, as well as allergy tests! There were a few environmental changes with moving house but he also shows no other indication of stress, and it’s been well over a year since we moved. It’s also more reactive than obsessive.

We rescued him over a year ago from a family member as he had these issues but they weren’t getting him veterinary attention, so the problem may have been going on longer and we arent aware.

 

[Cheeseywater]

This is a tough one. Is he inside only?

It does sound like allergies. Is it seasonal, or year round?

Has he had a cortisone shot or prednisolone therapy yet? This can control itching.

What is his diet? He may be allergic to something he is being fed. Sometimes it’s a brand, and sometimes it’s a particular ingredient - such as fish or chicken or beef. He may need a sensitive tummy diet, or you may need to try different brands, or you may need to cut out an ingredient. Some cats need to eat duck or lamb instead of fish, chicken, or beef.

It’s likely going to be a trial and error thing here, and perhaps some cortisone will help with the immediate problem. Or he may have dry skin and need more oil in his diet, though it does sound like a possible allergy to something. And unfortunately, what used to work may no longer work if he’s developed an allergy.

Also, are there any stressors in his environment lately - such as a new pet or a new person or the absence of a beloved person, or a change in housing or work schedules? Any of these things can cause stress.

I hope these ideas will help. Please keep us posted and I wish you the very best with your cat!

Thanks for the reply!
He is strictly indoor, and this has been the same at every point in the year so it’s not looking like it’s seasonal.
We have tried him on all sorts of food, hypoallergenic, chicken, lamb, grain free, even insect based! But none have made a difference. We have also changed all washing detergents, any cleaning supplies, and air sprays or candles. Due to his urinary crystals we need him to be on the prescription food as if they build up it can be fatal pretty fast!
We are trying to see if the urine PH balance returning to normal will help as we suspect that maybe it’s pain radiating, but so far we’ve seen no difference in his behaviour.
May discuss the cortisone with my vet and see their thoughts! Thanks

 

[Kieka]

Did your vet to blood work? How about xrays?

I'd go with the others on some sort of allergy. I know you said you changed cleaning supplies but it can take a month or two for the changes to help. I know my own skin issues, if I use the wrong body wash it take a few days for the effects to be noticable and several weeks for them to fade again. If you can go to just tide free and clear for laundry and vinegar for cleaning (if you need air freshners try a bowl of citrus peels or coffee grounds).

 

[Cheeseywater]

Did your vet to blood work? How about xrays?

I'd go with the others on some sort of allergy. I know you said you changed cleaning supplies but it can take a month or two for the changes to help. I know my own skin issues, if I use the wrong body wash it take a few days for the effects to be noticable and several weeks for them to fade again. If you can go to just tide free and clear for laundry and vinegar for cleaning (if you need air freshners try a bowl of citrus peels or coffee grounds).

Hi thanks for replying!
He has had X-rays and all we have found is a slightly thick bladder walks and constipation but that’s all cleared away now, otherwise he looks all healthy.
Funnily enough we had to change washing liquids because of me and my reactions to them also, so everything is (supposedly) friendly to allergies but I can have a look at all the other products around and seeing what could be an issue! Thanks

 

[Tigger's Mum]

I have a similar problem with my Kira. We got her in a terrible state as a rescue 5 years ago. We knew she had a flea allergy. At that time our vet prescribed Comfortis (I'm in the UK so don't know what it's called elsewhere) which worked like magic. She had lost a lot of her fur but it all grew back in within 4 - 6 weeks. We took on a long-term foster cat (my ex-neighbour until he gets a house of his own). He regularly used Frontline on his cat but we found out very quickly it hadn't worked and poor cat had fleas which, of course, spread to mine. Got rid of the fleas using Advantage except Kira started losing fur again. Back to the vet. This time she got Credilio which I'm not overly impressed with. No fleas but she still has patchy fur, mostly near her back legs. I don't think Credilio is nearly as good as Comfortis was which, unfortunately has been withdrawn from the market.

We've also tried changing food. One of our other cats has a food allergy but he's fine now on Royal Canin Indoor dry food in the afternoon and Whiskas wet food at night.

The problem with cats that have a flea allergy - and all it needs is just one bite from one flea, that can set up an allergic reaction and it can take a long time to resolve. Our vet said that with cats like Kira, topical flea preventions like Advantage or other spot ons can irritate their skin so that's why she's on Credilio.

I need to order some more Credilio at the end of this month so if her fur hasn't improved, I'll book her in for a vet check.

Allergies can be a real devil to find the cause.

 

[Cheeseywater]

I have a similar problem with my Kira. We got her in a terrible state as a rescue 5 years ago. We knew she had a flea allergy. At that time our vet prescribed Comfortis (I'm in the UK so don't know what it's called elsewhere) which worked like magic. She had lost a lot of her fur but it all grew back in within 4 - 6 weeks. We took on a long-term foster cat (my ex-neighbour until he gets a house of his own). He regularly used Frontline on his cat but we found out very quickly it hadn't worked and poor cat had fleas which, of course, spread to mine. Got rid of the fleas using Advantage except Kira started losing fur again. Back to the vet. This time she got Credilio which I'm not overly impressed with. No fleas but she still has patchy fur, mostly near her back legs. I don't think Credilio is nearly as good as Comfortis was which, unfortunately has been withdrawn from the market.

We've also tried changing food. One of our other cats has a food allergy but he's fine now on Royal Canin Indoor dry food in the afternoon and Whiskas wet food at night.

The problem with cats that have a flea allergy - and all it needs is just one bite from one flea, that can set up an allergic reaction and it can take a long time to resolve. Our vet said that with cats like Kira, topical flea preventions like Advantage or other spot ons can irritate their skin so that's why she's on Credilio.

I need to order some more Credilio at the end of this month so if her fur hasn't improved, I'll book her in for a vet check.

Allergies can be a real devil to find the cause.

Hi thanks for your reply!

im in the U.K. also and have been using credelio from our vets, I may try switching to bravecto instead and seeif It has any benefit. If it makes any difference I’ll let you know! So hard to see our pets in such discomfort

 

[Tigger's Mum]

Hi thanks for your reply!

im in the U.K. also and have been using credelio from our vets, I may try switching to bravecto instead and seeif It has any benefit. If it makes any difference I’ll let you know! So hard to see our pets in such discomfort

Yes, please let me know if the Bravecto works better. I know when Kira got the Comfortis it soothed her skin as well whereas the Credilio does get rid of the fleas but I don't think soothes the skin. I'm in Wiltshire by the way.