Why is my cat over-grooming, causing belly sores and tail scabs?

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, 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

Those sores are eosinophilic plaques which is why what you have been using is not working. ( https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/eosinophilic-disease/ ) This usually requires steroid administration either oral or an injection. I don't know what the anti-itch product you are using has in it, but if it was not a steroid (like hydrocortisone) it is not likely to work. If it does not contain a steroid you can try product but if no improvement she will need to see a vet. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1529-zymox-spray.aspx?SearchTerm=zymox%20spray+Auto ) If she can lick with the cone on then you need to get a bigger cone (long enough to go past the end of her nose) or go to using a hard cone. As long as she keeps licking this won't resolve.

Place an e-collar (cone) on Elsa to prevent further licking. This may be enough to allow healing. If she has open sores, have her examined by your veterinarian as she may need antibiotics. An anti inflammatory or antihistamine may give her relief if she is itchy. Distract her when you see her licking. Provide toys, puzzle feeders and more exercise to keep her from licking. If this does not help, consider a consultation with a veterinary dermatologist to diagnose any underlying cause.

Hi there. So sorry that Pitir is having this issue. It looks to me like she may have a form of Eosinophilic Granuloma Complex - the eosinophilic plaques. This is a very complex syndrome and it is not as simple as just giving a cortisone injection. That will placate the symptoms for a while but will does not address the underlying problem. My best advice is for you to take her to a veterinary dermatologist and get the testing done to get first the proper diagnosis and then to get the proper treatment to hopefully prevent future flare-ups. Chances are you will not cure her 100% (if she does have what I think she has). However, you can likely minimize her flare-ups significantly once you figure out what the underlying problem is. Here is an information sheet on this problem: http://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/skin/c_ct_eosinophilic_granuloma_complex Here is a photo of a cat with similar lesions to your cat: http://www.healwithease.com/2015/11/eosinophilic-granuloma-complex-natural.html You can easily do a Google search for veterinary dermatologists in your area. I hope this helps. Best wishes to you guys. Dr. Amber

This could be from either an environmental allergies, food (if you introduced any new treats, etc), or just anxiety. Some cats as they get older will become obsessive groomers and will cause sores like this on their abdomens. A lot of cats will only groom when no one is around. I would first try some Benadryl twice a day and you can even spray it with a Benadryl spray to see if it helps with the itching. If this doesn't work, I would have your vet take a look at it to see if you need to try a stronger allergy meds like a steroids, antibiotics or just an anti-anxiety medicine. See link below for Benadryl dosing. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/#

Hi there! The most common cause of excessive itching like this in cats is allergies - either food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment. You may want to talk with your veterinarian about allergy testing to help identify the source of the problem so that you can put together a treatment plan based on this information. If he's allergic to something in his food, he may need to be on a prescription diet like Hills z/d or Purina HA to help resolve the itching. If he has environmental allergies, you could consider hyposensitization injections or long-term daily medication like prednisolone or Atopica.