My cat has a tummy rash. What can I use at home without seeing a vet?

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree with you, it makes me think mostly about irritation or a rash. I think this is likely due to some form of trauma such as from her scratching at it. I would keep a close eye on it. If it is just that, it should start improving and resolving in the next few days to a week if she is not scratching at it. If it has not improved significantly or resolved in the next week have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further work-up. At the same time, if it worsens in the meantime, have her evaluated sooner. Try to keep the area as clean as possible. Good luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. A topical is not likely to be of much help here. You could consider using an e-collar to prevent licking if that is currently an issue. 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! This looks like a focal infection. You can try to use chlorhexidine containing pads (such as the Douxo chlorhexidine 3% PS pads) to clean the are twice daily for 7 days. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Rashes on the belly can be caused by a number of things ranging from allergies to environment or food, to bacterial or fungal infections on the skin. If the area is bothersome, placing a T-shirt or Elizabethan (cone) collar on your cat until he can be seen by the vet is best to prevent secondary infection from forming. You may also want to look into your cat's food for commonly allergenic ingredients such as corn, wheat and soy which could be causing the issue. If the issue isn't apparent, then having your vet take a look is best so that a treatment plan can be made.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on the photos you have provided, I suspect that Champ may have a bacterial skin infection. I would recommend the following products, which can be found online quite easily. If these do not help or the problem worsens, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine him so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. 1. Douxo PS Chlorhexidine shampoo and bathe twice weekly 2. Malacetic conditioning spray and apply to the affected areas twice daily until resolved

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. 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!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Molly, that looks uncomfortable. Molly may be having some type of allergic reaction that has become infected. Make sure you are using a good flea product, not just a cheap one from WalMart. If Molly will let you, you can try bathing her in a medicated shampoo that has Benzoyl Peroxide. If not, please have her seen by your veterinarian. She may need to be treated with a steroid injection &/or antibiotics to clear this up, or to get to the source of the irritation. Take care.