Over Grooming

[unfable]

I noticed some time around October 2016 that my 6 year old male cat has started licking his fur off on his back leg near his hip. I took him to the vet where he was given a steroid and he ended up getting very sick, so I'm trying to stay away from having to take that approach again in case its allergies related.

Since then he has started licking a bald spot on his side and belly and the one on his leg has only gotten worse. He doesn't have any redness or raw skin...just no fur. I've noticed him biting the areas also and he doesn't have fleas or mites since i treat him monthly with revolution and he's an indoor cat.

My vet mentioned he may have developed a food allergy or he's bored and it's a mental issue.

I've tried adding omega 3 drops to his food to try and help, be still licks. I've also tried buying treats that help skin a d fur and no change.

My cat is on the Purina UR food for his urinary health so if he has developed and allergy to this what am I suppose to feed him instead? I've tried several different wet foods also hoping this may help as well, but neither him or his sister seem to enjoy anything other than the friskys gravy pouches they've been eating for years now.

Are there sprays for his skin to maybe help him not lick the same spots? Or a better food to help skin and fur?

As for him possibly being bored I play with him all the time when I'm home. Either a laser, shoes string, toys. I even let him out on the porch sometimes to try and give him something new to look at.

There have been zero changes in the home since we moved her 2 years ago, so I'm at a loss. Thanks in advance.

 

[cat princesses]

Has the vet ruled out arthritis? Sometimes when at cat is experiencing discomfort or pain they will lick. My other guess is allergies - have your changed anything in your house like the type of laundry soap you use for kitties blanket - dryer sheets? Cleaning supplies? Anything like that can sometimes cause irritation. Could be that he's allergic to something in the food that you are feeding as well. Unfortunately, it's more of a process of elimination. Even something like the type of litter you use. I'm sorry he's doing that - have you tried any kitty anti anxiety medications to see if that helps? That would at least rule out behavior if that might be it.

 

[Antonio65]

In my case the the cause was stress related.
My cat was licking and biting her belly and the inner side of her hind legs nearly all day long, to the extent that she got totally bald up to her chest.
All the tests for food and environment allergy, mites, fleas, mycosis, etc, gave no results. I spent a fortune in Feliway for months, I also gave her tablets to reduce the anxiety, I tried with Bach's Flowers as well.
The issue started at the end of 2006 and lasted until a few weeks ago, when my other cat went to the Rainbow Bridge.
Now my cat is more relaxed and has stopped tormenting herself. It seems that she just needed to be the only cat in the house.

 

[unfable]

My cat is still young and shows no signs of pain that could be arthritis. Also no changes in the house at all.

I'd like to think since the only cats in the house (him and his sister) have been together their entire lives and get along great, that she wouldn't be the cause of him stressing, but I don't know.

I honestly believe he just has itchy skin. He's always had some dandrof more so than his sister, but he's never licked and bit bald spots. He also shakes his head sometimes and scratches at his ears, but the vet looked at his ears and said no mites.

If I were to change his dry food I dunno how it would effect him. Its urinary food. Purina UR that he needs and he's been on it around 5 years with no issue and I've always fed them some form of friskys wet food.

It just blows my mind that he's suddenly started do this with absolutely no changes anywhere.

 

[cat princesses]

I guess you can always try running a humidifier in the room that the cat spends the most time in and see if that helps to moisturize their skin at all. Be careful with dry food - I absolutely hate dry food for cats - my cat was a kibble junkie, ate wet food as well and she got diabetes from the dry food. I know 100% that the dry is the cause because since stopping her dry food and having her on insulin for a little bit - she's now 100% on a wet food diet and I check her blood glucose levels multiple times a day and she is back in normal range. I also had a cat with kidney failure and she was also fed a dry only diet - that dry food isn't good - if you can get your cat off the dry completely - wet food is the best for a cat with urinary issues anyways. Ask your vet about the possibility of using claratin or zyrtec ( only regular, NEVER use the one with the decongestant ). If your cat has any type of seasonal allergies, that should help with the itching.

 

[unfable]

They have always had dry food, so I'm not even sure how He wood react to no longer having it. He hasn't had any problems with his urinary tract since either. And I took him off it after 3 years in hope I could use blue buffalo instead. Almost a month after he started with urinary problems again. And since he's been back on the Purina UR all has been well.

Assuming something has made its way in to my apartment and is irritating his skin, what options do I have to help him other than another steroid shot? Or sag its allergies.

I noticed tonight the other cat in the house also has been shaking her head some and scratching, but not over licking by any means.

Their ears appear clean and my vet told me they didn't have mites last time I took them 2 months ago. However she didn't use any sort of tool to look. Just the naked eye.

 

[cat princesses]

Well, if the dry food is helping, I guess keep them on it. It's always tricky when something is working for one issue then you don't want to upset that either. You can always download an allergy tracker to your phone and maybe see if there is any association with particular allergens like tree pollen if it's high that way etc. OH yeah, the vet should be looking with the tool in the ear just to be sure. I'd avoid the steroid shots if you can - they can cause instant diabetes - they're usually always a last resort. I'd talk to your vet about trying claritin or zyrtec and see if that helps to calm things down.

 

[arouetta]

My cat over-groomed her belly for years. Her lower stomach was smooth as a baby's rear. Since there was no damage to the skin, no redness just perfectly pink, I didn't worry about it. She did stop earlier this year and all the fur grew back.

I think part or all of her reason was that she couldn't quite reach her butt for cleaning. Has your cat gained any weight, or lost weight to where there's loose skin in the way, or showing a reduced flexibility to get at his rear?

 

[valentine319]

My cat hit 4 years old and all of a sudden got allergies. If they primarily scratch around the face it's supposed to be food allergies. Scratching the body and pulling out fur and over grooming environmental. I think it can easily be either. Changing food can take weeks and weeks to see if it causes it. My cat is allergic to fish and chicken. You can decide on allergy testing if your vet thinks it's allergies. talk to your vet about trying zyrtec (get the generic not D with decongestant) or CM chlormethelate (I'm destroying the real spelling). I use zytec. CM can be mixed in some foods. Zytec is too bitter. I crush it up and add a little water. I pull it up into a syringe and squirt it in the side of her mouth. CM if you try putting it in the mouth it'll foam up. CM makes her tired. Zytec makes her eat more. Talk to your vet and see what they recommend. It can help while figuring out what allergy is going on if it's not something else.

 

[unfable]

My cat has stayed the same weight for years now. No issue with not being able to reach certain places.

Both my cats shake their heads sometimes and I've seen him scratching at his ears, but the vet said he has no mites.