shes done this for years, probably most of her life on and off, but it just seems to be really bad, she has scabs allover her neck. and i dont think she has flees. What else could cause this?
2006-11-16 11:27:25 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
when i mean for years i mean that she did it years ago and it has gotten better, but now it seems really bad.
2006-11-16 11:34:53 · update #1
my cay has a very short temper and would attack me even if i pet her wrong, and it would be extremely had to give her a bath, if not impossible, as she would scratch us to bits. She is also terrified of water.
2006-11-16 13:45:45 · update #2
I work at a vet clinic, AND i have a cat like this. It sounds like she has allergies. Allergies show up different in animals than they do in people. Allergies make them have skin issues, like itchy skin, or feet, or ears. She is creating hot spots. That just means she is scratching herself to the point that it causes a sore. Just take her in to the vet and they will clip and clean her scabs, then give her some medications to make her feel better.
2006-11-16 11:37:37 · answer #1 · answered by Stark 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
She has an allergy towards something. What are you using as a flee repellent? Also,if you have other animals, or wildly excited children around, it could be her nerves.
A vet would be better, but if you can't afford one, try this. First, clean her ears with Q-tips dipped in Witch Hazel. You can get it over the counter, it doesn't cost all that much. Then, take cotten balls or a paper towel and soak her down with the witch hazel, at least once a day. This will help to stop any infection from her scratching, make sure she is coated from head to her tail tip, dry her off gently, and let her air dry. If she doesn't show improvement within 7 days, then take her to the vets, she could possible have something more wrong with her, like diabetes, or liver problems.
2006-11-16 11:37:34 · answer #2 · answered by Kathy H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like time for a vet visit. If the on and off seems to be during late summer and fall, and not in winter and early spring, then you are probably looking at fleas. Sometimes, cats will scratch when they have an ear mite or yeast infection of their ears. You should really have a vet check it out. Allergies are a possibility, but, just like people, not so terribly common.
2006-11-16 11:35:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could be fleas (even one flea can cause a reaction in cats allergic to them), could be an environmental allergy, could even be a food allergy. It could also be a yeast or bacterial infection, strep, etc.
Best bet is to have a vet do a skin scraping and look at it. I had a cat with that problem... so bad she wore a sweater most of her short life. She'd literally turn her shoulders into hamburger in a matter of minutes. After numerous vet visits and numerous meds, we took her to a specialist (dermatologist) and he said it was a combination of yeast and strep. Weeks later it was gone. Of course a few months later she was diagnosed with Feline Leukemia (which she had apparently been born with as she was never let outside) and died. :(
Anyway... the vet should (hopefully) be able to figure it out. Could even be some sort of mite or mange or ringworm??? (BTW... mange isn't as gross as it sounds... it's basically just another type of mite).
2006-11-16 11:36:38 · answer #4 · answered by kittikatti69 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in my experience ive known cats to scratch but not that bad thats sounds like a bad prblem, i think it could be due to 1 of 2 things
1) really dry and irritated skin
2) fleas, although u might not think she has them i would check just to be safe, do not use the soap on her as she has open wounds and might really hurt her but if that fails then definetely go to a vet theres nuthing worse then a suffering pet plz dont let this drag on no matter how much it gonna cost she a part of the family and u need to do what it takes
2006-11-16 11:33:46 · answer #5 · answered by snake lover 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds to me that she may have eczema, a dry skin condition. I am not a vet, but have had pets with similar experiences. You can look up eczema on the net to possibly find some of the answers you need. The best thing you can do is take her to a professional. Good luck.
2006-11-16 11:37:15 · answer #6 · answered by "clutch 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I once had a cat that licked herself bald in places. It was due to her high stress and high anxiety. The vet put her on Valium and she ended up being on it for years. It really zonked her out for a week or so, but once she got used to it she was really a much more calm, relaxed and happy cat with no more excessive grooming.
2016-03-28 22:56:05 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like she may have allergies, either to something in the house or just environmental allergies. My Gram's cat had the same symptoms, and she started her on Cortisone shots with her Vet. No more scratching. Ask your vet about this possibility.
2006-11-16 11:30:40 · answer #8 · answered by ihave5katz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i have one who does this too - not as often because we found out a few things. FIRST wash the cat - with a hand towel and dawn liquid dish soap. i KNOW IT MAY DRAUMATIC, BUT IT HELP THE ANMIAL ALOT!! it is not toxic to the animal either. and just so you know; we found otu from our vet that there are some mites that bother a cat and they dont look even like fleas. also if it continues try asking your vet for some hints - we have a "cat paxil " in our cupboard if he ever gets out of hand and hurts himself again.
2006-11-16 11:37:02 · answer #9 · answered by litlbigdg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my cat used to do this when she was under a lot of stress. We made sure she led a stressfree life as possible, and her vet put her on a type of Kitty Prozac. It really helped
Get her to a vet that specializes in pet behavioral issues and make sure they have ruled out all other medical problems.
Good luck!
2006-11-16 11:36:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋