Is betamethasone valerate 0.1% topical cream safe for my cat?

In general this is not advisable since human products are not made to be ingested. Cat grooming themselves very frequently and thus are likely to get the product in their mouth. Most treatments for cats will be systemic. Otherwise the veterinarian will carry pet safe ointments and sprays. Most of these cats will also wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Steroids can be indicating is allergic dermatitis but have extreme side effects when used at high doses or long term. I would not recommend this as a long term course. Any steroid over time leads to a resistance where it just won't work anymore and can lead to liver problems and diabetes in cats. Prednisolone is better tolerated and seems to work better in generally in cats compared to dexamethasone. There is a medicine called Atopica or Apoquel that is made for allergic skin disease and does what the steroids do just without the side effects and resistance, so you may be better trying one of those instead. All are prescription medicines so you will have to call your vet to see if they can fill this since they already have a medical report on her. I would stay on the hypoallergenic diet as this can take 2-3 months for max affect and treats count as far as food allergy go, so make sure those are hypoallergenic or don't give any. I would consider a treatment for mange and fleas also. It is not common in cats but causes them to be itchy and it is hard to prove and super easy to just treat to be safe.

I do not recommend giving any pets any human medications without specific instructions from your vet. Steroids have to be given carefully in order to obtain the correct therapeutic effect and they must be weaned off it when finishing a course. This is a discussion best handled by your veterinarian.

This is not likely to cause a problem, but not ideal either. Topical Benadryl is not very effective in dogs and cats, and of course cats notoriously lick off whatever you put on them. Consider using [Zymox spray](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone). You can pick it up from the local Petco. Place an e-collar (cone) on him/her for a couple of days. If the spot isn't improving after 3-4 days, have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian. Thanks for asking PetCoach!

Depending on where it is. I prefer cortisone cream and use a very thin film on the spot, and rub it in well. If your cat can lick the area you need to use a cone as it is not good for them to lick lot if it. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Boy.

It sounds like Zumba is having a form of allergy. There are different form of steroids that can be prescribe and that can help but definitively this medication is the best to resolve the itch (I would continue with that). I would discuss it with your veterinarian, as long acting injections and minimal oral dosages are available. There is also a nice topical spray available, it's called Cortavance and you can get it at the vets.

Clotrimazole (Lotrimin) can be tried, with or without the steroid. It is always recommended to apply a thin layer of the product on the skin and allowing it to air dry for 20-30 minutes. The product should not be allowed to be licked by your pet during the drying timeframe, and gloves should be worn when handling this medication. Use care when treating a large area, smaller areas of application are preferred. If no improvement is seen within 7-14 days then most pets require an oral anti-fungal prescription medication from their veterinarian.