The scratching and licking is constant. I took my cat to the vet and he gave her predisone for cats which I do not want to give her as it is bad for her. I want to give her something that wont harm her. Is there any suggestions?
2006-12-11 01:38:09 · 17 answers · asked by Thecatwoman 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
you have a retard cat
2006-12-11 01:39:14 · answer #1 · answered by squee 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋
My husband's cat does exactly the same thing. Omg, you should have seen him...he had bald spots all over, scabs...would lick himself bare in spots...and we have never had a flea problem per se...but it turned out that he is actually allergic to fleas...meaning, one bite from only one flea transfers enough toxins to set off a reaction...so we bought frontline drops, eight months worth...and put that on...his hair grew back(thankfully). He also suffer's from food allergies, although we don't know what exactly still. He should have given the cat an injection of prednisone to help initially. If your cat keeps doing this..those sores can become infected and cause a worse infection-fungal infection and can go right into the bloodstream and the cat will die. There are sites for homeopathic remedies, which suggest feeding garlic to repel fleas. Try an oatmeal shampoo to ease itchiness...but be careful not to let the cat lick itself dry because the scabs will become soft and it will make them bleed, which is not good.
Did they check the cat for ringworm? They put the cat under a blacklight for that-if the cat has ringworm it is contagious to you~it's a fungus infection that takes forever to go away with oral antibiotics AND topical applications as well. They gave our cat a prednisone shot, which helped him temporarily~but other than that...I don't think you will find a homeopathic remedy to cure the cat.
2006-12-11 01:54:07 · answer #2 · answered by Little Jeannie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would be more inclined to trust the opinion of my vet over a group of strangers on yahoo. The fact is that you cat is hurting itself. It is leaving itself open to infection, not to mention at a certain point the scabs become itchy and the cat licks and picks at them to make them feel better. Thus exasperating the situation. The only thing that is going to stop you cat is a cone on the head or ointment. Keep in mind with a cone you are cutting of it's spacial orientation, making it tough to eat and impossible to clean itself and that is only going to stop the cat from licking, not treat the underlying problem.
If you really need a second opinion go to another vet. I am willing to bet they recommend the same thing.
2006-12-11 01:42:29 · answer #3 · answered by smedrik 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My cat, Sunshine does this too! He licks himself so bad that he leaves big, ugly sores and has even had to take antibiotics. He is a handsome 13 year old orange neutered tabby. He makes me so nervous because he is constantly scratching and licking like your cat. I've tried everything. He'll lick the bitter stuff off. Like you said, he doesn't have fleas. However, the vet has said he probably has a flea allergy and even one teeny flea can cause a severe allergic reaction. I use Frontline but I guess it doesn't work 100%. The cortisone shot he gives him once in a while works great for about a month but he said tht the shot is bad for cats like Predisone so he can't get them often like he needs. He said he can run tests but it's expensive and stressful. Sometimes I think that my cat has anxiety. I have severe anxiety and have to take Xanax and I wonder if my cat senses my anxiety and it makes him do this compulsive itching and licking. Have you thought about sensitive skin cat food? It didn't really help my cat. I'm relieved that I'm not the only one out there whose cat does this! Can you give children's Benedryl to cats? I gave it to my puppy for sensitive skin and it helped. Do they have anxiety meds. for cats? Please e-mail me at wkrjen@yahoo.com so we can exchange suggestions. Good luck.
2006-12-11 01:50:16 · answer #4 · answered by SHELTIELUVER 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm confused.. if the Vet gave you predisone FOR CATS, why do you think it would harm her? And if you have info about the potential harm, why not share your concerns with your vet and see if there is some other medication that can be administered. Give your vet a call. I think your cat has some kind of allergy or skin condition.
2006-12-11 01:50:16 · answer #5 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You cat has an allergy of somekind.It could be a contact allergy i.e.carpet,grass,etc. or a food allergy.You can take to your vet for an allergy sensitivity test , but they are not foolproof.Don't be too down on prednisone,it's a great drug when used correctly.It's only the continuous use that may cause problems.
2006-12-11 04:37:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I went through this last spring. I have a Maine coon who 'hides' the fact that her fur mats. Thinking it was an allergy her vet gave her a steroid shot, and I began to brush her regularly. That cleared the problem up.
Have you changed anything in the cat's environment (food, carpeting, furniture, cleaning products, etc), because that can cause an allergic reaction. Good luck.
2006-12-11 01:42:21 · answer #7 · answered by eilishaa 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It could be a skin infection. It needs treatment or she might end up mostly bald!
The vet gave you a prescription and you didn't give it to her. That's OKAY.......BUT ONLY IF YOU GET A SECOND OPINION.
If a second or even third opinion is the same, then refusal to treat the condition is legally considered animal cruelty.
2006-12-11 01:42:03 · answer #8 · answered by CJP 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
take this cat to the vet ASAP. your cat definitely has mange. mange really affects cats emotionally and physically, because cats really suffer with it. if your cat is constantly licking, don't put anything on it, but make sure you get the right medicine for the mange to go away. don't let this cat suffer anymore, because i know for a fact that those are all the symptoms of mange, since my cat had it too.
2006-12-11 01:49:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You took your cat to the vet for the fix and you decided it's bad for her. what do you base it on. Did the cat have some sort of reaction to it. If so contact the vet again and they can prescribe an alternative but don't seek help then formulate your own concerns without expressing those concerns to the vet. I suggest you talk to the vet again backing up your concerns either with your vast knowledge of veterinarian medicine or express any reaction the cat may have had to the prescribed medicine.
2006-12-11 01:43:59 · answer #10 · answered by father of 4 husband of 1 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
it's allergies, probably to her food if you are cerain she has no fleas. we have a cat who does the same thing! then we found out she was allergic to chicken and to fleas. even if your cat has no fleas but another animal in the house does (or one that she palys with) that will make her allergies act up. take her to the vet to make sure. most likely they will give you lamb food to try, and if that doesn't work, venison and peas. that's what our cat is on.
there could be somthing else she is allergic to; just take her to the vet to find out.
2006-12-11 01:57:38 · answer #11 · answered by Duelen 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋