My cat won't stop biting and pulling out her fur. What's wrong?

I recommend to either have Lilly checked for hyperthyroidism or try a diet trial with a hydrolyzed protein for 12 weeks. Call your vet to discuss which option seems like the best for Lilly. Unfortunately, Allergies to something in the environment, food allergies, flea allergies and hyperthyroidism will all look the same so you must start ruling them out one by one. You may also look into joining a clinic like Banfield or VCA that offer wellness programs. These programs are not insurance but the office visits are free and you get a discount of services and medications outside of the program. You will need to check and verify details with any of these clinics in your area. Not every service will be covered by the program. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

This overgrooming behavior is often due to stress and/or allergies. You can try using Feliway a pheromone diffuser which often relaxes cats. I've also had success with the anti anxiety supplement Solliquin. Solliquin is a soft chew and most cats like it. If giving oral medication is making Jasper stressed out then I would go back to giving the steroid injection for a while. You can also have the medication compounded into a tuna flavored liquid you can mix in the food then you wouldn't have pill Jasper. This is a difficult problem and you've done well controlling it. I also often try a long acting antibiotic injection as this will stop any infection in the skin and that may reduce the chewing and biting. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jasper.

That could be due to an allergic disorder (usually flea allergy dermatitis), presence of parasites, or psychogenic type of overgrooming (usually related to stress). The different causes must be ruled out treating for parasites, giving meds for allergies and eventually trying to remove stress causes. A check is then required. Please do not hesitate to contact us agli if you want to discuss it any further. We are available for one to one chat (consultation).

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Ketkat! The most common reason for chewing the back or the tail is fleas. Use a fine tooth comb and brush above her hips and down the tail. If you catch an adult flea in the comb you have an answer. If you don't, use a wet white tissue or paper towel to remove the fur and debris from the comb. If you see black squiggly flecks that when wet look like blood streaks that indicates flea poop. I would recommend a good flea preventative like the Serest collar, Bravecto for Comfortis. be sure that ALL animals in the house are treated. Other possibilities are skin allergies from the environment or food and cats can over groom from anxiety or behavioral reasons. If you do not find fleas I would take her to the Vet for a diagnosis so you can get her feeling better. I wish you all the best!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It sounds that Millie has allergic reaction that is causing the itching. Please, take Millie to your local vets for appointment as soon as possible as she will make things worse by continuous biting and scratching. Your vet will likely prescribe a course of anti-allergic medications that should stop the itching and let the skin heal.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. She does have a very large open wound that does require therapy and warrants veterinary evaluation as soon as possible. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!