My cat has a sore on his belly...help!!?

Question

For the past few months, my cat has been scratching at himself on his neck and ears causing bleeding sores. Recently, he has been biting and licking at this same spot on his belly and today I noticed it was red and it looks like it might be getting infected. I took him to the vet when this all started and I don't think she knew what she was talking about b/c she tried to tell me it was mange. I have THREE other animals who are 100% perfect and mange is contagious....so obviously it isn't mange. I don't know what to do with him anymore b/c he just keeps scratching at himself!! I'm more concerned with the sore on his belly b/c it looks like it may be getting infected. Any suggestions on how I can treat the sore on his belly? Are there any at home remedies anyone knows of? Or if anyone has had this similar problem...please HELP!!!

Answer 1

Don't assume the vet doesn't know what she was talking about, she went to vet school for at least 8 years to get to where she is. Mange actually is not contagious, it is an overgrowth of a naturally occurring skin mite, all animals have them but in some cases due to a weakened immune system or sometimes we never know why the mite population can overgrow. This doesn't mean you are caring for them improperly or that the cat is sickly. The vet should be able to do a skin scrapping to find the guys.

If you are still not happy with your vet, try finding another one. don't just come here looking for people to diagnose your cat who most likely have not gone to school at all.

Answer 2

Mange is diagnosed by skin scrapings under the microscope, did she do that? Not all mange is highly contagious. It's skin mites mostly, and can be treated. But you can't diagnose it just by looking, they have to take a sample.

Skin infections can be very irritating to a cat, so either way it SHOULD be treated. If you want a second opinion, have another vet take a look at your cat. Home remedies won't help if you don't know what it is that's causing the problem in the first place.

Did the vet use a black light to check for green flourescence on the fur around the area? That's looking for ringworm. Did they do a culture in a petrie dish? Some of the findings take 10 days to gel inthe petrie dishes, but a preliminary diagnosis can at least narrow down the reasons your cat has the sores.

Answer 3

I mainly agree with the previous answerer.. It probably is mange. Mange is pretty easy to treat - the vet can give you medicine for it..

However, get a second opinion if you don't feel like the vet was thorough enough.

Plus if your cat does have an infection beginning he's going to need a head cone because a tummy sore is easy for him to lick.. And you need the vet to look at this sore and perhaps irrigate it and apply antiseptics and probably an antibacterial cream.

Then at home you'd be cleaning the wound and applying whatever antiseptic or cream/ointment the vet wants you to apply.

Why be so thorough about a simple slightly infected sore??

Because..
Cats can easily get cysts and serious infections in lesions, and quickly become SEPTIC and DIE from infections stemming from injury and infection in the skin!

It will cost you a lot less money to treat the mange and wound before it's seriously infected or your kitty is septic.

Answer 4

I really think the best thing your cat would be to get a second opinion and see a different vet.

Better to find out what it is first, then you'll be able to treat it properly.

Look up a good vet hospital at healthypet.com

Answer 5

try getting some neospren and put that on all of his sores. this will help it heal and also help with the inching. and don't listen to what the other two answerer's said, b/c i don't care how long someone has been a vet, NOT ALL OF THEM KNOW WHAT THE ***** THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. they're just being defensive b/c they're vets. good luck

Answer 6

i would take it to the vet with scatching only one place you never know best to be safe than sorry might not be anything best to make sure
good luck