Can I safely apply hydrocortisone cream to my cat's itchy skin?

Depending on where it is. I prefer cortisone cream and use a very thin film on the spot, and rub it in well. If your cat can lick the area you need to use a cone as it is not good for them to lick lot if it. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Boy.

The second ingriedent in that is alcohol and that may burn on raw and inflamed sking. Cats are sensitive to most products over the counter, but cortisone cream is safe to place on the skin on the bad spots but just make sure she does not lick it all off. Depending on her temperment, you can always do a bath in baby shampoo as this can soothe their skin

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would just try over the counter 1% hydrocortisone cream. It will help tremendously with itching and pain. Unfortunately, shaving (which is actually a great idea) does cause itching sometimes as the hair regrows. If that’s not helping, talk with your vet about other prescription options. Best of luck to you and Junior!

You can use cortisine cream twice daily for a week as long as the skin around his anus is not raw/bleeding. I do recommend bringing Sampson back to your vet to have his anal glands expressed as cats usually do not drag their butts across the rug unless their anal glands are full/impacted. Anal gland issues happen more frequently in dogs than cats but can definitely occur in cats as well. After an anal gland expression, your vet can also prescribe a topical steroid/antibiotic/antifungal ointment such as Dermavet which would be much more effective than cortisone cream. An e-collar, fecal exam, probiotics, prescription intestinal diet, subcutaneous fluids for dehydration/possible pancreatitis and metronidazole may be indicated as well. Good luck!

In general, betamethasone is safe to use in cats, however without a physical exam we cannot say it would be appropriate to use in this situation. Ideally, Katty should be seen by your vet to determine if a topical cream is needed.

Clotrimazole (Lotrimin) can be tried, with or without the steroid. It is always recommended to apply a thin layer of the product on the skin and allowing it to air dry for 20-30 minutes. The product should not be allowed to be licked by your pet during the drying timeframe, and gloves should be worn when handling this medication. Use care when treating a large area, smaller areas of application are preferred. If no improvement is seen within 7-14 days then most pets require an oral anti-fungal prescription medication from their veterinarian.

This is not likely to cause a problem, but not ideal either. Topical Benadryl is not very effective in dogs and cats, and of course cats notoriously lick off whatever you put on them. Consider using [Zymox spray](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone). You can pick it up from the local Petco. Place an e-collar (cone) on him/her for a couple of days. If the spot isn't improving after 3-4 days, have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian. Thanks for asking PetCoach!