Is my cat's raw skin, chewing, and hairballs due to allergies?

Persistent and recurring itchiness without obvious physical cause such as fleas is a red flag for allergic skin disease. It would be impossible to assess the case fully without a complete review of all previous tests and response (full, partial or none) to previous treatments and diet changes. My general approach would be a full physical exam and skin scrapes to rule out infections, ringworm and parasites such as fleas or mites and treatment of any of these as required. Following this, a diet trial of a hydrolyzed food such as royal canin hypoallergenic for 8 weeks to rule out adverse food reactions or sensitivites. If no response to food trial, skin biopsies and allergy medications would be considered, as well as blood tests for allergies and underlying medical causes. Referral to a specialist, certified dermatologist is always worthwhile in complex skin cases

I'm sorry to hear Momo isn't feeling well. It does sound and look like there is an underlying allergy. First , make sure she is on a flea prevention from a vet that is given every 30 days. After that, talk with your vet about allergy testing for things in her environment like grasses, weeds, pollens, mites, etc. Allergies are not cured but they can be managed. Good luck and kisses to Momo!

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.

I would be very suspicious about possible allergies with these symptoms. I recommend rechecking with your vet, as that skin on the legs looks pretty raw and you need to make sure Cindy doesn't have a secondary infection. Then you can talk to your vet about whether they think it's appropriate to start Cindy on an allergy medication / food trial. Anxiety / behavioral overgrooming and parasites (fleas, mites) are other common causes of hair loss, and with an exam your vet can help differentiate these.

It is likely to be flea allergy dermatitis, so ideally the cat should also be treated for fleas with a good spot on product that is licensed for cats. The environment should be treated for fleas and eggs and larvae destroyed. Hope this helps, thank you for young Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach !

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!

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.