Has anyone found success for an "itchy" cat?

Question

I have one of those cats that is incessantly itchy - to the point of licking his fur and skin until he has these bloody patches all over. We use hypo-allergenic food, flea control, and have been through a series of steroid shots. It has gotten to the point where the steroids don't help anymore. I am to the point of putting the poor thing in an e-collar (again) to try and get the wounds to heal. I don't know if his problem is allergies or stress or feline OCD or what!

Has anyone been in a similar situation and found something that actually works?? Anything I can put on his skin to make it not itch? Could I use aloe? I have been facing this for years now and I'm running out of ideas.

I did finally stop buying into what the vet was selling me for food - I switched to one that is venison based. The cats have lots of water, so that's not it. We have one of those filter/bubbler things. Our home life is very quiet and routine. Plus this started when I was in college and I have since moved to a new city so I doubt it's something in the apartment...

Answer 1

I solved the itching/chewing/self-clawing thing with my male flamepoint Siamese by putting him on an all-meat food, Innova Evo. (It's a dry food, not a messy canned one.) Cats are not really meant to eat grains and legumes, and most cat food, even premium cat food, is full of corn and soy. My cat is not wild about Innova, he prefers Science Diet. Since his allergic problems are worse in spring and summer, I keep him on Innova during those seasons and let him eat Science Diet in the autumn and winter, when he itches and scratches much less anyway. Watch out for vets that will try to sell you very pricy canned kangaroo and ostrich and such as a cure for animal allergies; mine seems to be getting some kind of a kickback for pushing that stuff, but the problem can be far less expensively solved.

Answer 2

My dog has this problem. It is caused by a skin allergin on the skin. My minature dashund scratches herself until the skin bleeds. My advice is to get some soothing skin pet shampoo and was your cat on a weekly or even more frequently basis. You can find this at most pet stores such as Petsmart. It helps sooth the dry/allergy itch skin.

I am almost certain that your cat like my two dogs has an allergy and it is probably a contact allergy rather than what is in his food.

I have another dashund that was allergic to the type of grass that we had in our yard. Our doctor gave him a course of antiobiotics to help the skin rash.

I would at this stage consult a different vet than the one that you are currently seeing for a second opinion.

Answer 3

The first thing is is there stress of any kind in the home if so need to get rid of it.And second is the water they need to drink lots of water just like people try that and that should fix it.Happy New Year

Answer 4

Try oil in their food for dry skin,
but also
www.permaguard.com
or
www.diatomitecanada.com
read about the Perma-Guard™ Food Grade Fossil Shell Flour for Animals,
and sounds great for people too, all natural.