My cat is licking himself obsessively. What's wrong and what to do?

Hi, I think one of the first conditions to rule out here would be eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) which refers to a group of inflammatory skin problems in cats. The skin lesion on the picture may be an eosinophilic plaque. Common sites are the hind legs and the stomach. The lesions can be large and may be itchy, and the cat may frequently tries to licks and even bites at the affected site which can make it worse. Most cases of ECG are due to allergies ( fleas /food/ atopy=environmental). Flea control is very important in the treatment. Most cases respond well to medical treatment with corticosteroids (prednisolone commonly) and antibiotic if infected. She will need to be checked by a vet to confirm and to be treated. Hope this helps

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Oreo. Looks like he is definitely over grooming this area. There are many causes including something that caused an itch sensation (external parasite bite from fleas, ticks, mites, etc), bacterial infection, allergies, stress or psychogenic cause, or something called Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex. I would advise taking Oreo to your veterinarian. Once pets start licking/scratching a certain spot, the surface of the skin gets compromised and bacteria living on the surface of the skin can cause a skin infection. This just increases and encourages the itch cycle to continue until it is treated. Your vet can get a history, perform a physical examination, and then advise a diagnostic/treatment plan. Oreo may just need some good flea/tick control, some antibiotics, some anti-inflammatory medicine (steroid), and an Elizabethan Collar to prevent licking until the area heals. Also, if stress is involved, that can be addressed also. Good luck with Oreo. Here is a link to learn about Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex if that's what is going on. http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/eosinophilic.cfm

Hi and thanks for using PetCoach! Sorry to hear about Darby. Definitely looks like an angry lesion that itches a lot. Not 100% sure what this is but it looks like part of the Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex. Here is a link- http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/Health_Information/eosinophilic.cfm Otherwise this could be a bacterial skin infection, a skin mite infection, external parasite problem (fleas, ticks, etc), allergic reaction, among other things. You should take Darby to your vet and let them examine her. Your vet will gather a detailed history and evaluate Darby. They will then propose a diagnostic/treatment plan based on their clinical findings. Possible tests include skin scrape, skin cytology, etc. Treatment could include antibiotics, anti-itch medicines, an Elizabethan collar to prevent licking, etc. The licking has to be stopped or this will never heal. Cats tongues, as you probably know are very rough and will continually irritate the area when she licks it. Good luck

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It does sound like Puppet has fleas and is allergic to their bite. Some over the counter flea medications are not safe for cats. I recommend taking Puppet to a vet for an exam and safe flea preventions. She needs treatment for the flea allergy too as that won’t go away until the fleas are properly addressed. A collar will help stop the licking but the need to scratch won’t stop unless you take care of the fleas with veterinary approved products (not purchased from a store). Good luck and kisses to Puppet!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. I would recommend a vet visit for Sparrow. The first thing is to determine if her licking and grooming is related to itching or behavior. Some cats may overgroom when stressed and it can become habitual as well. If she is truly itchy she may need some diagnostic testing to determine why. Cats can have allergic disease that causes itching and scratching. As she has been diagnosed with asthma this may be the case for Sparrow. Other causes of itching can be parasites such as fleas, lice or mites, fungal or bacterial infection. After going over Sparrows history and performing an exam the vet will discuss the best options for Sparrow. This may including skin scrapes, fungal culture, skin cytology or allergy testing. In some cases food trials or medications to control the itching may be needed. I hope this was helpful. Here are some articles that may give you more insight. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952664 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951477 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952646 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951991

Hello, Sorry to hear this about Vallorlin. Obsessive licking can be caused by pain (such as arthritis), skin disease (such as a skin infection or allergy flares), or be psychological/behaviorally motivated. I recommend taking Vallorlin for a physical exam with his veterinarian. They will be able to guide you best on diagnostics or treatment after seeing him. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.