My cat is scratching his ears and face, causing scabs. What can I do?

I am sorry to hear about your kitty! If her ears have been checked by a vet to ensure there is no infection I would be suspicious she could have an allergy, either to a food ingredient https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951526 (most often a protein source and not grain as so many pet food commercials would have you believe) or an allergy to something in the environment like pollen/dust/etc. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952664 . I would recommend bringing Chessie into the vet for an examination. This often requires at least a short course of medication to get the itching under control, such as a steroid, Atopica (cyclosporine) or Apoquel. The vet can discuss if a diet trial with a hypoallergenic diet is recommended and help you decide on the best diet for Chessie to try.

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.

Scratching around the ears or eyes may indicate an allergy, or may even indicate a problem with the ears themselves such as an infection or ear mites (very common in cats). Signs of [ear mites](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ear-mites/) include dark or dirty debris that is black or deep red in appearance, or you may see other debris that is foul-smelling in the ears. Ear mites and infections usually require a sample being taken by the vet to determine the exact cause, as well as a regimen of [cleaning the ears](https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-clean-your-cat-s-ears-what-you-need-to-know/) with a medicated cleaner for 7-10 days. Ear mites can be spread to other pets, so treating any other dogs or cats in the house at the same time is best. If the ears are clear but you are seeing redness, it may indicate an allergy, or even possible problems such as [ring worm](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/ringworm/) (which appear as a red "target" ring that will gradually increase in size over time, and IS contagious to other pets and people). Your vet can provide you with an allergy medication dosage to treat minor allergies, or may ask you to bring in your cat for an exam if you suspect ringworm or other skin infections.

An itchy face and neck is typical for food allergies in cats. Besides this he coulld also have a problem with the shampoo and/or an ear infection since he is shaking his head. I suggest you take Coyote to your veterinarian for an exam. If the itching started when you started to transition him to the new food, immediately stop feeding the new food and put him back on his old food. If the itching then stops over the next week or two, then he is definitely allergic or oversensitive to the new food and must not be given that. But I do think a vet visit is in order to rule out any other cause.

If you have ruled out fleas/skin mites. I recommend to have him tested for hyperthyroidism and if that's not the cause, have him on a 12 week food trial with a hydrolyzed protein diet. You must start moving down the list of potential causes of the skin lesions. Atopy is still on the list but is harder to test for so rule out these other causes first. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advantage is fine), 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). Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites.

 First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, high quality flea treatment is given. It sounded like your veterinarian has done it already. The next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try discovering the cause of the allergy.

 Food can be indeed one the most common cause of it. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to stop the chewing and repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics usually). 

There is also a nice topical spray available, it's called Cortavance and you can get it at the vets.

 Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider starting on a long term allergy treatment.