Cat skin conditions

Paula

Is there anyone here who knows much about skin conditions in cats?

Our cat Casper is a british shorthair silver spotted and has always had a skin condition but none of the vets we have seen have ever been able to put their finger on exactly what it is. Basically casper licks away at his hind legs until the fur has gone and it damages the skin leaving scabs on his hinds. I think he finds the scabs itchy as sometimes he is just sitting there and then has an urgent need to chew/lick the hinds. He is a very clean cat and is always washing himself, more than most cats would.

He has been like this since a kitten and the breeder didn't know of this problem in any previous generations. He has been on Ovarid tablets most of his life. I'm not sure if they control the condition or if he just has stages where he really wants to lick the legs.

Also our other cat Lola scratches the area between her eyes and ears quite a lot so the fur there is a little sparse. When she scratches that area with her back legs you can see she is really going for it and scratches very hard. We keep her claws clipped well for that reason. She also scratches around the scruff area of her back as well. She also seems to go through stages and sometimes she will be fine for 3-4 weeks then it starts over again. When we first picked her up from the rescue centre she had these scratches and since the time we have had her (15 months) it has got less and less and she only scratches there occasionally. She is quite a timid and nervous cat, I was wondering if this could be stress related? She has started doing it again since we got a puppy three weeks ago. Again the vet had no idea what the problem was.

We have tried different types of cat food for both cats and it doesnt seem to make any difference so I don't think it is an allergy to something in the food.

Any suggestions welcome - thanks
Paula

clareabella

This could be stress related as my cat did this alot when we moved house. We had de-fleaed her so we knew it wasnt that and also our vet didnt seem to know what it was.

After observing the way she behaved it became clear that she was very unhappy with her new home so my dad agreed to take her back. since being back with him she hasnt pulled out any fur or scratched at all but her fur is taking a while to come back.

Its possible that this is stress related, i used to working in a cattery and many of the cats used to pull out their fur. However it could be many things but stress is the most likely especially as your vet has no idea what it could be.

The arrival of your puppy might have stressed her but cats get used to dogs rather quickly so that shouldnt realy be a problem in the long run.

Has your vet taken any skin scrapings at all?
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Paula

no they havent taken any skin scrapings or suggested that. would that be to test for allergies? i'm not sure if lola is trying to scratch or pull the fur our but this is the only area she does it in and in many cats the area above the eyes can be quite sparse anyway.

with lola I think it is stress related, hopefully it will calm down again over a few weeks as when we got her she was like this for ages then it gradually got less and less.

i was wondering if a behaviourist would be able to help?

clareabella

Skin scrapings will rule out possibilities of mange and other mites (dont worry its quiet common in cats and dogs) if mange is found its easily treated usually with an injection and a course of tablets but left untreated could be rather nasty.

As for a behaviorist this would possibly be worth a try if the problem is psychological but it would ask you vet to check for such things as mites just to rule out that possibility.

Also have you checked for grass seeds they can get buried deep under the fur and are rather a nuisance they can cause a lot of irritation (many a times iv caught my cat scratching away and found these pests lurking in her fur)

Hope this helps in some way Smile

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Paula

this is a rather belated reply but I need to take Lola to the vets soon for a weight check (she is on a diet) so I'm going to ask them about skin scrapings and what a behaviourist can do to help.
in the past the vets always notice the scratches and have spent ages looking at her fur/skin for mites, seeds, flees etc and have never found anything. a lot of her fur is white so flees and the such are easy to see. i think it is down to nerves as she is very timid apart from with me who she trusts 100% bless her

as for casper the vets have been trying for years to work out whats wrong with him and the general consensus is that he has a form of ezema but we will never know for sure. i just wondered if anyone has similar problems with their cats.

the main thing is they are both being treated and I know they are both happy cats. pics of them are on page 12 of cat photos I think btw.

thanks

Paula

littlelab

Just seen this, my cat lost a lot of fur at the base of his tail and it was down to stress, we bought a feliaway diffuser and it worked a treat.

Also ask your vet to test for Thyroid problems, this can cause hair loss and skin conditions, they often miss this condition.
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Natalie and Co xxx

Paula

what is one of those diffusers, what does it do and where do you get them?

vets have never mentioned thyroid problems for either of the cats but I'll add it to the list of questions, thanks

Lucy360

My cat is 9 years old and last year she started over licking her back and sides until she was bald and sore. Like yours my vet didnt know what it was and suggested stress, but nothing in our house had changed for over 2 years. She was given injections every two months but they did not seem to make much difference, then the vet suggested Feliway defuser you can get them online and from most vet surgeries. I have personally not tried this as I was a little short of cash at the time and they are about £30. Within a week my cats coat cleared up and she has not had a problem since, but if she does I will be straight down to try Feliway.

Feliway is a safe solution of feline facial pheromone, which mimics the cat's natural pheromones, creating a state of well-being and calm.

http://www.feliway.uk.com/feliway_uk.nsf/Page?OpenForm

Hope this helps! x
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Xx Lucy xX

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