Why is my diabetic cat scratching and losing weight with skin sores?

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites or it could be stress related. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (advocate or advantage), 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). If allergy is not identified this behaviour could be purely stress related. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (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.

It sounds like he could have a skin infection on his chest which could be related to being a diabetic. Have your vet take a look at him to determine the cause. He probably needs an antibiotic to treat. If he is not on a reduced calorie diet than he should be switched to one. OM is a great diet for cats that need to lose weight. Talk to your vet about the best diet for your cat.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! George's itching can be caused by a reaction to the fleas, a secondary skin infection, ringworm, or other skin parasites such as mites. George may need antibiotics, medicated shampoo or ointments to resolve the issue completely. I recommend having her seen by her vet, who can take a sample of the affected areas to determine what is going on. I hope this helps and that all is well with you and George!

Food allergies could be one of the reason for the persistent diarrhoea and weight loss, but these conditions must be differentiated from IBD (inflammatory bowel diseases) and unfortunately from more sinister conditions like tumors. Weight loss in old cats can have different causes as well, and endocrine diseases (hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus) are frequently associated with intestinal diseases as well. Considering all these possible clinical scenarios, I would recommend a check up and more tests (blood test+urine analysis including thyroid hormone and feline pancreatic lipase and possibly an ultrasound of the abdomen) to determine underlying cause and treat appropriately. 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.

An allergy and him being unable to reach the area to groom since he is 17#. Try to brush and wash the area to help. You can safely add omega 3 fatty acids to his diet without effecting his diabetes If it continues to bother him I would see your vet about medicines

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry that Zero is so sick! I would make sure that your Vet has done a skin scrape to check for mites under a microscope. Even if they don’t see any mites I would treat anyway. Nexgard monthly will get demodex and injectable ivermectin will get scabies. Sometimes if an animal is spending all of its time scratching they can lose weight. After treating prophylactically for mites I would try a prescription diet for food allergies, allergy test and make sure any skin infection is treated. Cytopoint and apoquel are good choices for skin allergies. I hope this helps! Good luck!

I'm sorry your cats (and you!) are dealing with you. Unfortunately, once a cat has a flea dermatitis, the itching and skin problems can continue even once you get rid of the fleas. The degree of which really depends on the severity of their sensitivity to flea bites. Often, we have to use antihistamines or steroids to resolve the inflammation. Sometimes we also have to incorporate antibiotics if there is an infection. For dogs, there are topical shampoos we can use, but those are often not a good option for cats. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine your cats' skin to determine if there is a secondary skin infection or just inflammation in order to help you determine the best treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.