My cat has an itchy rash. Are there topical steroid alternatives?

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.

It could be allergies, which in cats means they usually pull or lick out hair on their body in one or two locations, and if the steroid cream helped you need to figure out what Bunky is allergic to. Food allergies and environmental allergies are common, so you need to try a veterinary prescription diet for 10 weeks, and potentially start Bunky on anti-itching or anti-anxiety medication that your vet can prescribe to stop him from overgrooming.

This is a serious skin condition. Please do not use tea tree oil on your cat as it is toxic to cats. This is likely a serious bacterial infection that needs to be seen by a veterinarian. It is way past any home remedy stage. Using a steroid cream would only cover any allergic reactions, however it does look like there is both allergic and bacterial. Please take Hannah to a vet ASAP. Do not let her lick the area.

Hello. This is an indication that Tigs is allergic to something in his environment, be it pollen, dust mites, possibly even his food. Cortisone can keep his symptoms under control, but over time there can be side effects from multiple steroid injections. You could try allergy testing to see what Tigs may be allergic to & start a desensitization protocol. This can take some time, so it is best to work with a veterinary dermatologist to get the best results. If he might be having some issues with his food, then a trial with a hypoallergenic diet may be appropriate. Make sure you are doing as good a job as you can controlling fleas as this is a major cause if skin irritation in cats. The important thing to know is we can not cure allergies, just control the symptoms. Steroid injections ( cortisone ) are just one tool to help keep the symptoms under control. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Topical spray based on cortisone can be used. Topical ointment, usually based on steroids and antibiotics, can be used as well. Please discuss these options with your local veterinarian as these medications are only on prescription.

Is it dry skin or scabs? If dry skin you can try adding some fish oil or using a fish based food. You can get the fish oil for animals online. This may or may not help. If it is scabbing then steroids would be the best for this. I am wondering if he had a DepoMedrol injection. This is a long acting steroid that works well with cats when they have scabbing on their skin. You also have to make sure there is no obvious infection going on with Blu's skin. This would require antibiotics. If Blu was a dog there are different shampoos and topical stuff for them but I would not bathe a cat unless absolutely necessary. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.