Cat Lovers - Help!

[syzygy314]

My poor kitty Simon suffers from skin allergies, mostly during this time of year. He will scratch on anything until he rubs his fur out and the skin off! He only does this to his neck, and by his ears.

Does anyone know of anything I can give him or use on him that will stop the itching so he won't scratch or that will relieve it? Something preferably all natural would be great, but I'll take any suggestions!

Thanks!

 

[Mickey12]

I'm sorry poor Simon is suffering. My friend's cat has skin allergies and the only thing that relieved them was a monthly (I think) shot from the vet. Unfortunately, this also caused other problems like diabetes which she then had to treat with insulin. She stopped the allergy shots and the diabetes resolved itself, but now her cat is back to scratching. Since Simon only scratches badly this time of year, maybe the shots would be an option since he wouldn't have to get them long term.

Kim

 

[lrusso]

Fish oil is suppose to work wonders for pets with allergies. Squeeze some into his food, the problem is it takes a while for it to work. My cat with allergies can't tolerate fish oil, but she has a lot of food sensitivities (so maybe it will work for Simon). You might want to research it online (how much to give). Start off slow. If it doesn't work for the allergies, it is still very good for him. Good luck!!! Linda

 

[syzygy314]

Hmmm, fish oil, Simon would love it! He comes running whenever I pull a tuna can out of the cabinet from anywhere in the house! He loves fish, so that may work for him! I'll check it out and give it a try! Thanks Linda!

Thanks Kim for the info on the shots. I'd really like to stay away from anything that may cause other issues if at all possible, but I'll keep it in mind if the fish oil doesn't help!

 

[handels]

My dad has a cat with this same issue. He was given cortisone shots every year or so for most of his life. He didn't develop diabetes (or any side-effects) but cortisone is associated with that risk.

If you can't find something to treat the poor little guy, the cortisone may be worth it. It's very effective and it sounds like your kitty has a pretty serious allergy.

Hope he finds relief!

 

[dixiedog6]

my mother's cat has the same problem. She gets a cortisone shot and then she is fine.

 

[kathryn]

Are you sure it's not a food allergy?
My cat Pete used to have itchy problems like this (the vet thought at first he might have ringworm when I adopted him, but I suspected a food allergy: vet said he was too young, but guess who ended up being right?)
I feed him a limited ingredient diet, and he doesn't itch much at all now.

If it's allergies to pollens or that type of thing, keeping him in the house with the windows closed (he'll hate it!) and an air purifier going could help.

 

[Sandi S]

Could it be a flea bite allergy or ear mites?

My cat has a flea bite allergy and scratches a lot because of it. All it takes is one flea to cause the problem. I use Adantage flea drops once a month and the problem is gone. Or, your cat might have ear mites.

Sandi

 

[nekko_cat]

One of my kitties, Rachel, had this problem. She would scratch herself bald around her temples. Once we had determined that it wasn't fleas, mange, or a food allergy, we tried the steroid shots. She would get some relief for a few weeks, but would start scratching before the next shot was due. We ended up taking her to an animal allergist. She got the skin tests and then we started her up on allergy shots every 3 weeks. They did work. She stopped scratching.

We moved a few years ago and the allergist said to stop the shots since the allergens here are different. She is still fine.

If all other diagnoses have been ruled out, allergy shots did work, but they are expensive. BTW, I understand that you can give benedryl to cats, but I would talk to the vet first. We only tried once, and the bitter pill made her foam like she had rabies!

 

[buckeyegirl]

Feline allergies are fairly common and typically fall in one of three categories- flea allergy, food allergy and atopy (seasonal allergy). Flea allergies are the most common so appropriate monthly topical flea control is recommended for ALL cats with allergies (some veterinary dermatologists rec. topical flea control all year round).

Food allergies are also prevalent - there is no ideal test for food allergies in felines other than doing a diet trial. This is where a "hypoallergenic" diet is fed exclusively for 12 weeks. They must be fed a carb/protein source that they haven't been exposed to before- for example, a rabbit/pea diet or venison based diet. No poultry or fish as most OTC diets use these as their protein source.

As someone else posted, atopy (seasonal allergy) is typically diagnosed with either blood tests or intradermal skin testing by a veterinary dermatologist. This is usually recommended only after an appropriate food trial. An allergy vaccine is then made depending on what they are allergic to and the owners give these to the cat for life.

If used appropriately, cortisone can give these cats with severe dermatitis some significant relief - you really should see your vet to determine what should be done and after skin scrapes for mites/exam for ringworm is done to rule those out as well.

Heidi