Deborah
,@debbie
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Hello, Our Cat Bruce Is Over Grooming His Leg Until It Bleeds. I’ve Tried Cortisone …
Hello,
Our cat Bruce is over grooming his leg until it bleeds. I’ve tried cortisone shot, Valium, (both which I didn’t want to do but was desperate)
I have tried no chicken in his diet, and various hotspot sprays. He is extremely active and healthy in every other way. Loves to go outside and play with all the neighborhood cats. He showed up as a stray on our doorstep. His skin was fine. He got his tests and shots and was neutered in November. Skin issues started in January. He is little over a year old. I have him on a homeopathic drop for skin allergies and itching. Hopefully it will help. Any ideas??
1 Response
Hello my friend!
As with all skin cases the following is super important.
1. Get a good history of the patient and their clinical signs.
2. Do a thorough examination
3. Treat for parasites.
4. Start your diagnostics based on most likely rule outs.
5. Offer treatment plans that work for the patient the pet parent and your list of most likely diagnosis.
Here’s where I think your cat needs more help; it doesn’t sound like a list of most “likely conditions” work up and diagnose has been formulated to start a treatment plan that is best directed at the source of the itching.
For your cat I would ask your vet (or come see me and I am happy to help). I would use revolution monthly and place an ecollar while starting gabapentin. I might also suggest a shampoo if you think he will let you bathe him.
After that I would talk about the next tests that might need to be done to start to treat and rule out possible causes to the itch.
The most common thing that causes itching in pets is fleas. In some cases one flea with one bite can cause a pet to become extremely itchy . And the more they scratch the more it itches until the skin is so inflamed secondary infections happen. Which just perpetuates more itching.
So for me I start with a plan. And go through the list of control. And treatment until we get it figured out.
The old days of “give a steroid and hope it works” are over. We can do better.
Keep me posted.