My cat is licking her skin and losing hair. Should I see the vet?

The odor may be a sign there is a skin infection from all the licking and biting. This can be due to an allergy either from fleas, food or something in the environment. Fleas are impossible to find on cats so it is best to just make sure she is on prevention. You can change to a hypoallergenic diet for food allergies. As far as environmental allergies, they are impossible to control, so I would have your vet check her to clear the infection if needed and see what medications can be given to help with the allergies.

Such overgrooming in cats can be related to allergies or anxiety - feeding a calming food such as royal canin calm or adding a claming supplement containing b vitamins, tryptophan and casein can also help. Occasionally antiinflammatory medications may need to be prescribed by your vet in order to break the recurrent itch-scratch/groom cycle and allow the skin to heal

Poor Bany Girl! There are a few things you can try at home for her, but ultimately getting her into the vet for treatment is best. She may hate it, but you can try giving her an oatmeal bath. That may help soothe her skin, and temporarily relieve the itchiness. You can supplement her diet with fish oils containing omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. These can help with skin inflammation. You can find some fish oil supplements for cats online or at a local pet store. Also encourage her to drink plenty of water, as dry skin can cause itchiness. Add water to her dry food, or mix in some canned food to get extra moisture into her diet. Give your vet a call to make an appointment for her in the next couple of days. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Poor Iris! I'm sorry to hear that she's having this problem. Excessive itching and licking like this with sores and bleeding can be caused by a number of different skin conditions. Iris may have allergies, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). It's also possible that she has fleas, as flea baths are not generally very effective in my experience. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so it's important to get a diagnosis first. I would definitely recommend taking her to the vet in the morning for an exam - he/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get her started on appropriate medication to treat it. In the meantime, you can place an e-collar (plastic cone) on Iris if needed to prevent her from continuing to lick herself and make the sores worse.

It could be allergies causing Lola's behavior, but typically it's the environment causing the allergy not food. I would hold off on switching food until after she sees the vet. The only way to know how to treat her problems is to have her seen by a vet, who can diagnose the cause in order to prescribe the correct treatment. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ Check out these resources to see if one can help you, and have her seen by a vet this week. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lilly! I would have Lilly rechecked. At a bare minimum she needs medications (prednisolone taper) to relieve the itching. I would request that a skin scrape be performed to rule out skin mites. They are microscopic and need to be looked at under a microscope. I would also culture the area for ringworm. She may have allergies and I would suggest trying to change her diet first. Chicken is the number one allergic protein so try to change her to all venison or salmon diet. You will need to give the diet 2-3 months to see if it works. If mites, ringworm and food allergies have been rule out then I would consider it behavioral and start her on prozac. I hope this helps and I wish you and Lilly the very best! Happy New Year!

It looks like your cat has a skin infection, most likely caused by allergies or fleas. The allergies can be from a protein in her food or to something in the environment, like grasses, pollens, dust etc. I would recommend taking your cat in to see the vet so she can be started on some antibiotics to help clear up her skin. I would also recommend discussing with your vet some options for medication to help control her allergies and itch like Atopica.