I have an 8 year old female, spayed cat named Sugar and she is having some issues! I pay a lot of attention to my cats (the other is Gracie)...playing with them, petting them, etc. She has had allergies since I have owned her but it was always her eyes or mouth (both came and went..the mouth was due to chewing on plants...I got rid of a ton of them and now only have those non-toxic to cats types)...her mouth is now fine...and her eyes are good now as well. I know she is allergic to feathers so I got rid of all down products, toys, etc...I treat her regularly with flea medication and treat my home (carpet, cat trees, etc.) as well.
In January, out of nowhere and in no time it seemed, she was licking off a TON of hair...her belly from about the middle back towards her hind legs was licked clean and then she licked the hair off the insides of her legs...her skin was red, a bit swollen, and she licked a few spots raw which then scabbed.....obviously concerned I took her to the vet...they checked for a UTI..clean, they did blood work....and told me she had hyperthyroid.....they had me give her 2 rounds of prednisone orally which did not help the skin heal, the over grooming or grow back any hair back and then had they had me begin her on hyperthyroid medication....she continued to get worse, was not eating, vomiting...nothing was improving so I took her back to her old vet (I could not get in right away and made the mistake of taking her somewhere new). Her old vet did an in-house skin test (scraping) and in 10 minutes told me that Sugar had a bacterial skin infection and indicated that she needed antibiotics to get right of the infection and she also said that was why the 2 rounds of pred previously given did not do anything...the pred does not work if there is an infection. She also reviewed the blood work and told me that Sugar was borderline for hyperthyroid and not old enough in her opion to warrant medication for that so it went in the garbage. Poor Sugar was on antibiotics for 2 months and finally the bacterial skin infection cleared up. For the last six weeks she has been on 5mg pred, allerderm and pericactin and she was doing really well...all of the over grooming stopped and her fur was growing back in very nicely.....I was told it would take about 3 months for full regrowth. Well, I had to call the vet last week because she just licked a patch of new hair growth on her belly right back off again....I was told perhaps there is a new pollen in the air (we have not been able to isolate the allergy except to rule out food and cat litter) and to be patient...perhaps to change up her meds....for the last three days she has been on 5mg pred, I'm giving her the allerderm 1x per month (started this 1 month ago..its was 1x per week the first mo. and she has not had it in a month..this is the only thing I can figure out that she has not had that maybe she needs more often?). So I will give her the allerderm for the first time in a month tonight...I have also stopped the periactin as she eats plenty and am in addition to the pred. and the 1x pe month alllerderm I am giving her 5 mg of zertec...the patch where she licked the hair off seems a little smaller but it is raised, red and feels abrasive and hard...I am trying to be patient (per the vet) but once again, this morning about 4am she woke me with her licking sounds...yep, same spot.....she wakes me everyday at the same time for the last week....if I bring her to bed and snuggle her she will stop for an hour or so and relax and sleep...then she gets up with me, eats her wet food, goes under the bed and sleeps....the vet thinks it is pure allergy but I think it may also be behavioral? We have discussed giving her xanex but the vet wants to wait it out...I'm worried she will end up with another infection...and I can't afford the allergy testing and all the shots and everything...does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of what it could be or what I can do to help my poor kitty aside from what the vet is doing for her? Please help me help Sugar! Thank you!
In January, out of nowhere and in no time it seemed, she was licking off a TON of hair...her belly from about the middle back towards her hind legs was licked clean and then she licked the hair off the insides of her legs...her skin was red, a bit swollen, and she licked a few spots raw which then scabbed.....obviously concerned I took her to the vet...they checked for a UTI..clean, they did blood work....and told me she had hyperthyroid.....they had me give her 2 rounds of prednisone orally which did not help the skin heal, the over grooming or grow back any hair back and then had they had me begin her on hyperthyroid medication....she continued to get worse, was not eating, vomiting...nothing was improving so I took her back to her old vet (I could not get in right away and made the mistake of taking her somewhere new). Her old vet did an in-house skin test (scraping) and in 10 minutes told me that Sugar had a bacterial skin infection and indicated that she needed antibiotics to get right of the infection and she also said that was why the 2 rounds of pred previously given did not do anything...the pred does not work if there is an infection. She also reviewed the blood work and told me that Sugar was borderline for hyperthyroid and not old enough in her opion to warrant medication for that so it went in the garbage. Poor Sugar was on antibiotics for 2 months and finally the bacterial skin infection cleared up. For the last six weeks she has been on 5mg pred, allerderm and pericactin and she was doing really well...all of the over grooming stopped and her fur was growing back in very nicely.....I was told it would take about 3 months for full regrowth. Well, I had to call the vet last week because she just licked a patch of new hair growth on her belly right back off again....I was told perhaps there is a new pollen in the air (we have not been able to isolate the allergy except to rule out food and cat litter) and to be patient...perhaps to change up her meds....for the last three days she has been on 5mg pred, I'm giving her the allerderm 1x per month (started this 1 month ago..its was 1x per week the first mo. and she has not had it in a month..this is the only thing I can figure out that she has not had that maybe she needs more often?). So I will give her the allerderm for the first time in a month tonight...I have also stopped the periactin as she eats plenty and am in addition to the pred. and the 1x pe month alllerderm I am giving her 5 mg of zertec...the patch where she licked the hair off seems a little smaller but it is raised, red and feels abrasive and hard...I am trying to be patient (per the vet) but once again, this morning about 4am she woke me with her licking sounds...yep, same spot.....she wakes me everyday at the same time for the last week....if I bring her to bed and snuggle her she will stop for an hour or so and relax and sleep...then she gets up with me, eats her wet food, goes under the bed and sleeps....the vet thinks it is pure allergy but I think it may also be behavioral? We have discussed giving her xanex but the vet wants to wait it out...I'm worried she will end up with another infection...and I can't afford the allergy testing and all the shots and everything...does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of what it could be or what I can do to help my poor kitty aside from what the vet is doing for her? Please help me help Sugar! Thank you!