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Old 26-05-2012, 15:26
lindopski
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My cat spends half his life covered in scabs all over his body only tiny little ones but loads none the less.
He doesnt have fleas and when I took him to the vets a few years ago they said he had an allergy to soething but couldnt tell me what.
I have started him on James well beloved pet food as its supposed to be good but has anyone elses cat got this issue, wish I could clear them all up for him.
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Old 26-05-2012, 16:27
bazaar1
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It does sound like a flea allergy, just one visiting flea can set them off. Is he an indoor / outdoor cat? You might have to try and narrow it down a bit.
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Old 26-05-2012, 23:01
LoopyDog
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Another vote for flea allergy. It only takes one flea to set them off.
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Old 26-05-2012, 23:15
orangebird
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Do you actually flea drop your cat?
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Old 26-05-2012, 23:39
Beautifulbejoo
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My cat's exactly the same

I tend to agree it's a flea allegy

He's especially bad at the moment and he's covered in small little scabs

We've booked him in to the vets for first thing Monday morning and they'll probably give him an anti histamine jab and anti-biotics (he was pretty bad a few years ago as well)

It did the trick and helped him last time so fingers crossed

I don't think the hot weather at the moment either.

but I recommend you take your cat to the vets asap and help alleviate their suffering; it's not nice and i can only imagine the discomfort their in

good luck x
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Old 27-05-2012, 18:43
lindopski
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Hi guys

last time I took him he didnt have fleas but the vet said he had an allergy to something - I put some front line on him at the start of March but like you say he may have a new infestation thanks to the heat etc.
I still have some frontline from the vet so Ill give him a dose just in case.
I think its supposed to last three months but you never know.
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Old 27-05-2012, 19:01
Beautifulbejoo
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also dont be afraid to take your cat to the vets

Antibiotics and a jab will do wonders

Frontline will help with the fleas...not with the itchyness and scabs

I'm taking mine tomorrow...i dont want him to suffer
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Old 27-05-2012, 19:51
Shane54
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My cat has a skin allergy too and everything from the vets did nothing to help. A few months ago we bought Kitsyme skin cinditioning tablets from the local pet shop and they're doing wonders for him.
They're about £3 for 100 and we give him about 5 per day. He likes the taste so theyres no problem getting him to take them.
His furs all grown back and he's got no scabs.
I can't recommend them enough.
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Old 27-05-2012, 20:01
guernseysnail
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My cat has the same problem and with her it's not fleas it's mites, she hunts in the fields around us and picks them up there, I'm sure the vet said they were harvest mites.
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Old 29-05-2012, 00:46
bacchantic enigma
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It happened with my tortoiseshell cat, tiny little scabs all over, and especially her ears. That was fun as they dropped off

If memory serves, the vet identified it as eczema caused by a specific brand of cat food with a high fish content, as in chunks of fish. Back she went to the one that 9 out of 10 cats preferred and the other only one day a week as a treat. She was truly miffed.
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Old 29-05-2012, 04:16
MarellaK
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My Lucy has a problem with this at the moment and, with a few scabs, has lost a lot of fur from her belly. The vet saw her yesterday, she hasn't got fleas, the vet thinks she's over grooming, possibly due to stress from living in a multi cat household (3 cats total) or from something outside. This has completely astonished me as Lucy seems the least stressed of my 3 cats, very laid back and self sufficient and expresses no reserve or fear of the other cats, she actively seeks them out to play with and spends hours outside . The vet spoke with some authority on the subject of cat stress.......I've been told to just keep an eye on her for now.
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Old 29-05-2012, 20:29
Shane54
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My Lucy has a problem with this at the moment and, with a few scabs, has lost a lot of fur from her belly. The vet saw her yesterday, she hasn't got fleas, the vet thinks she's over grooming, possibly due to stress from living in a multi cat household (3 cats total) or from something outside. This has completely astonished me as Lucy seems the least stressed of my 3 cats, very laid back and self sufficient and expresses no reserve or fear of the other cats, she actively seeks them out to play with and spends hours outside . The vet spoke with some authority on the subject of cat stress.......I've been told to just keep an eye on her for now.
This is exactly the same as what happened to my cat. Over grooming on his belly and not fleas.
See my post above about the Kitzyme skin conditioning tablets - they really do work and you'll see a difference in about 2weeks.
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Old 29-05-2012, 21:32
MarellaK
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This is exactly the same as what happened to my cat. Over grooming on his belly and not fleas.
See my post above about the Kitzyme skin conditioning tablets - they really do work and you'll see a difference in about 2weeks.
It's just getting her to take tablets...... I don't have a good record of getting any of my cats to take tablets. I'll give them a go though

I'm still amazed that the vet thinks Lucy is stressed, I think I'm experienced enough with cats to recognise a stressed cat and she certainly is not exhibiting any other symptoms of stress. Perhaps it's just an allergy to her bedding (she tends to sleep on a throw) or her over grooming may just be habitual. She's lived with Millie since she was tiny and before she came to live with me was in a rescue cattery surrounded by multiple other cats so I don't understand the vet saying her stress may be caused by living with other cats. She gets on with Bernard. It's a puzzle
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...llak/004-3.jpg Lucy and Bernard

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...rellak/012.jpg Lucy and Millie

She's also a bit underweight but she's very active, always climbing trees etc and is not a big eater. I had all 3 cats at the vet yesterday. I was told that Bernard is morbidly obese, Lucy is underweight and 'stressed' and Millie, who does show signs of stress and anxiety at home (some of my friends have never seen her - she hides at the sound of the door knock), is a perfect weight, has perfect teeth and is in perfect condition.
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Old 29-05-2012, 21:49
Shane54
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It's just getting her to take tablets...... I don't have a good record of getting any of my cats to take tablets. I'll give them a go though

I'm still amazed that the vet thinks Lucy is stressed, I think I'm experienced enough with cats to recognise a stressed cat and she certainly is not exhibiting any other symptoms of stress. Perhaps it's just an allergy to her bedding (she tends to sleep on a throw) or her over grooming may just be habitual. She's lived with Millie since she was tiny and before she came to live with me was in a rescue cattery surrounded by multiple other cats so I don't understand the vet saying her stress may be caused by living with other cats. She gets on with Bernard. It's a puzzle
http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...llak/004-3.jpg Lucy and Bernard

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...rellak/012.jpg Lucy and Millie

She's also a bit underweight but she's very active, always climbing trees etc and is not a big eater. I had all 3 cats at the vet yesterday. I was told that Bernard is morbidly obese, Lucy is underweight and 'stressed' and Millie, who does show signs of stress and anxiety at home (some of my friends have never seen her - she hides at the sound of the door knock), is a perfect weight, has perfect teeth and is in perfect condition.
What beautiful cats.
I got told initially by the vet that it might be stress and bought one of those pheromone plug ins at about £30 but it made no difference.
After trying different pills and steroids it reached a peak lastDecember and he was pulling out he fur from his tail and back as well as his stomach.
It seems to be an allergy (possibly dust mites) and since taking a chance on these pills it's finally making a difference and he' stooped the over grooming and the furs grown back.
The polls are herbal and he takes them from my hand no problem (something he wouldn't do with medical pills from he vet) but sometimes when he won't I just break them up and put in a small pile of dry food.
I'm so amazed at how well they work and how inexpensive they are.
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Old 29-05-2012, 21:51
Nesta Robbins
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I wonder if this seems familiar. My cat has always bitten her skin until it's very sore. She'll rub under her chin on furniture until it bleeds and scabs over and will bite at her leg joints until they're red raw and in between her paws. The vet said she is unfortunately just an "allergic cat" and that's why her skin is constantly itchy. I take her to have a steroid injection which gives her immediate relief which lasts about 2 months. (costs about £40) I know she's struggling again when she over preens herself. I hope he gets relief soon, poor guy.

Edit - Shane, just seen your post - wow those skin conditioning tablets sound well worth a go - certainly cheaper than the vets!
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Old 29-05-2012, 22:04
Shane54
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I wonder if this seems familiar. My cat has always bitten her skin until it's very sore. She'll rub under her chin on furniture until it bleeds and scabs over and will bite at her leg joints until they're red raw and in between her paws. The vet said she is unfortunately just an "allergic cat" and that's why her skin is constantly itchy. I take her to have a steroid injection which gives her immediate relief which lasts about 2 months. (costs about £40) I know she's struggling again when she over preens herself. I hope he gets relief soon, poor guy.

Edit - Shane, just seen your post - wow those skin conditioning tablets sound well worth a go - certainly cheaper than the vets!
Hi Nesta,everything you say sounds familiar to me.
I'm getting a bit evangelical about hese tablets now but theyve made a huge difference to Simba after him having such a bad reaction for a couple of years.
At that price you've nothing to lose in trying them.
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Old 30-05-2012, 19:17
merroney
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My cat is the same - he gets scabs on his head and it's not due to fleas or mites. The vet thinks it's an allergy to something in his food as he had a horrific reaction to Good Girl catnip treats a few years ago (resulting in laryngitis!) and he also gets hayfever(!) so it fits with the allergy thing. She said she could run tests but it would be traumatic for him and it wouldn't necessarily change anything. He only has "posh" dry food due to colitis (wet doesn't affect him) and I'd changed him recently to Science Diet from Royal Canin. THe last time he got the scabs I'd changed him from Royal Canin to Iams and James Wellbeloved. Needless to say he's back on the Royal Canin and lo & behold, the scabs have gone.
Hope you get it sorted soon without too much cost or discomfort for your cat.
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Old 02-06-2012, 11:54
Beautifulbejoo
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just a quick update that a week since I posted my cat is feeling 100% better

I took him to the vets to get him checked out and it would appear he has a flea allergy....apparently even one flea can set him off! Cat's can be extremely sensitive to them...and the recent hot weather doesnt help either

Anyway he was given a anti histimine jab and since then he's been feeling a lot better and his scabs are almost gone!

I hope other people's cats on here are feeling better too x
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Old 04-06-2012, 00:10
missfrizzy
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just a quick update that a week since I posted my cat is feeling 100% better

I took him to the vets to get him checked out and it would appear he has a flea allergy....apparently even one flea can set him off! Cat's can be extremely sensitive to them...and the recent hot weather doesnt help either

Anyway he was given a anti histimine jab and since then he's been feeling a lot better and his scabs are almost gone!

I hope other people's cats on here are feeling better too x
My cat had the same problem when I first adopted him from the RSPCA. I asked the vet for some advocate, and it worked a treat.
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Old 04-06-2012, 00:49
getzls
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Mybe the same thing my cat has. She has to get a steroid injection to clear it up.
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Old 05-06-2012, 11:48
cats_five
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Advice on both fleas and itchy cats from the FAB is well worth reading:

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/fleas/
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Old 06-06-2012, 12:23
Ella Nut
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Hi guys

last time I took him he didnt have fleas but the vet said he had an allergy to something - I put some front line on him at the start of March but like you say he may have a new infestation thanks to the heat etc.
I still have some frontline from the vet so Ill give him a dose just in case.
I think its supposed to last three months but you never know.
I am sure Frontline is supposed to be administered every 5 weeks so this is probably where you are going wrong!
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Old 06-06-2012, 15:25
elliecat
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My cat is allergic to dust mites and the mites in dry cat food amongst other things. Apparently the dust mite allergy is quite common, there is a spray Indorex (sp?) that we got from the vet, it is for fleas but also works on dust mites. We were told she was also allergic to fleas, she didn't have them and as she never went out she couldn't have had them.

I like our vets but I do think that sometimes they use the flea allergy when they don't know what is causing the problem. My cat had tests years ago to find out what the problem was as she had pulled all her fur out on her lower back and belly and she was making herself bleed. It's a pain and can be expensive as we have taken her to the vets twice in 5 months just to get antibiotics. It gets worse in the winter when the heating is on, at the moment her fur is actually growing back
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Old 29-09-2016, 12:47
greengran
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My cat is covered in scabs. The Vet gave her a steroid jab and an antibiotic jab and within 2 weeks she was clear. Now,5 weeks later, she's staring to scab up again. The Vet said her lymph nodes were enlarged and wants to do tissue scraping and blood tests. Now 1, I don't have insurance and 2, she gets in such a state I don't want to put her through that. She seems fine in herself,still goes out all day god knows where and is eating well. What would you do?
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Old 30-09-2016, 11:33
katt
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My cat is covered in scabs. The Vet gave her a steroid jab and an antibiotic jab and within 2 weeks she was clear. Now,5 weeks later, she's staring to scab up again. The Vet said her lymph nodes were enlarged and wants to do tissue scraping and blood tests. Now 1, I don't have insurance and 2, she gets in such a state I don't want to put her through that. She seems fine in herself,still goes out all day god knows where and is eating well. What would you do?
I would find out how much the tissue scraping and blood tests would cost and then probably make a decision then
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