Help! My indoor cat won't stop itching and overgrooming her skin.

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 could still be allergies that are not responding to therapy as expected. Since your veterinarian was able to actually take a look at Sophia, I would believe their diagnosis. It could be that a lack of consistent response to therapy could be that the allergic component is not yet being addressed. Her staying in the litter box is likely due to discomfort which is why re-evaluation at this point is indicated. Your veterinarian could consider referral to a veterinary dermatologist for further recommendations. 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!

You will want to rule out each possible allergy cause (fleas, food allergy, atopy or hyperthyroidism). It sounds like your vet wants to look into food allergies first. Make sure you conduct a proper food trial with the diet. This is the ONLY thing Cheeky can eat. No treats, flavored tooth paste....anything for 12 weeks. You will not see any changes for the first 4 weeks. Yes, you could address the laundry issue as well. Keep in mind he may not have any allergies to the detergent. Dreft is a brand that tends to be low allergen but it's not impossible to see a reaction. I hope this helps.

Calli could certainly be allergic to some component of her food, causing her licking and hair loss. Cats most commonly develop allergies to the protein source of the food, but other allergies to fleas or environmental factors, or infectious issues like ringworm or mange can all cause similar signs. With excessive licking and scratching, skin infections can develop, which only serve to worsen itching and scratching. At this point, your best bet is to take Calli to the vet to rule out signs of a skin infection, ringworm or mange, as these would require a different course of action. If these issues have been excluded, you next need to assure that Calli is receiving a high quality flea preventative (such as Advantage, Revolution or Bravecto) regularly. If you want to try a diet trial to determine if food allergies are occurring, you can choose either a prescription based hydrolyzed hypoallergenic diet or a novel protein diet (such as Dick van Patten's Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diet, choosing a new protein source like venison or rabbit). To change Calli's diet, mix the old and new foods together over 5-7 days. After that time, exclusively feed the new food without adding other treats or table foods. It can take at least 6-8 weeks to see the full effect of a diet trial. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

It sounds like you are doing a good job ruling out the usual causes of chronic skin disease. You have one more month before you will know if its food (it takes 3 months to reset the immune system). I would recommend ruling out hyperthyroidism (although this typically affects older cats). Otherwise environmental allergies would be the most likely cause. These can be to ANYTHING (house mites, dust mites, grass, pollen..etc). I think you guys are on the right track. Keep going and best of luck!

Probiotics, antihistamines and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement for pets may help but they may not cure the condition. When you can, have Lily re-examined by the veterinarian. I recommend to conduct a proper food trial with a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet. This is the best and only way to accurately rule out food allergies as the cause of itching. Other possibilities include environmental allergies and thyroid conditions. I hope this helps and your situation resolved quickly.

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. Abnormal overgrooming due to behavioural disorders (usually related to stress) should be considered as well as a possibility but all the other causes need to be ruled out first. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.