My cat is having scabs break out all over her body and whelps. what is this?
I have a healthy, active 10 year old female cat that has been getting these skin issues a lot worse. I was told it was food allergies or anxiety. They go away and then come back worse. She has like scabs all over her back, hair loss, then whelps red and raw on her hind legs and now her eye is completely covered in 1 big scab around it. I’ve taken her to the vet and still cant get an answer. I’ve changed her food, put her on better supplements, and got her an omega skin supplement as well. What can I do to clear these up? She acts and eats fine and doesnt seem to be bothered by it too much…but it’s looking bad. What is going on?? I would be grateful for any help. Here are some pics of her skin:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/delicatepunkin/IMG_0163_2
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/delicatepunkin/IMG_0165_2.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b66/delicatepunkin/IMG_0159_2.jpg
it gets better, then worse. Vets arent helping at this point. Thanks!
Just to clarify: she’s been to 3 vets. We got 3 different diagnoses. That’s why I thought to see if anyone else knew anything. She is on steroids which seem to be helping, but not clearing it up. Our holistic vet gave us a basic food for her, and she is on flea treatment. I always thought it was ‘whelps!’ haha must be the southern in me 
Thanks for the clarification and for everyone’s help. I really appreciate it. Im just trying everything, something will work eventually I hope.
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August 21st, 2009 at 10:17 am
Kansieo.com
My kitty cat has scab issues too. I think he’s just getting into fights, but it may be something else. I wouldn’t worry too much.
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
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time to go down
August 24th, 2009 at 4:01 am
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try taking it to another vet
August 26th, 2009 at 4:09 am
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Main Entry:
1whelp Listen to the pronunciation of 1whelp
Pronunciation:
\?hwelp, ?welp\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English, from Old English hwelp; akin to Old High German hwelf whelp
Date:
before 12th century
1 : any of the young of various carnivorous mammals and especially of the dog 2 : a young boy or girl
transitive verb
: to give birth to —used of various carnivores and especially the dog intransitive verb : to bring forth young
August 29th, 2009 at 3:18 am
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STOP
PETTING
IT
SO
HARD!!!
August 31st, 2009 at 2:40 am
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go to ur vet
August 31st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
female hair loss
maybe its got eczema, our cat had that so we took it to the vet and it got a shot and now its happy as can be!
September 2nd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
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It’s definitely an allergic reaction. Try an organic cat food, or something of the sort. Or make your own food for her. Also, they have shampoos at almost all pet shops that help to rid cat fur of the allergens and things like that. That poor baby. =[ My dog had the same problem. Oh! You may also want to try Head and Shoulders on her. That’s what I now bathe my dog with, and hers are gone.
September 4th, 2009 at 4:46 am
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My moms pet has this problem and its a combination of fleas and allegies. Get the cat flea shots and start using a different type of shampoo.
September 6th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
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they almost look like hot spots. but you said they were scabs. i almost think its ringworm just try to make her comfortable. Call the vet again and see if they have an answer. maybe try another vet clinic even. i hope the kitty feels better soon!
September 8th, 2009 at 12:25 am
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I would get as many opinions as it takes…..I know it gets expensive though…sometimes the spca has some very good vets. Good luck…I have 3 myself.
Im sure you meant “Welts”..as you noticed the hoity toits can get very condescending.
September 10th, 2009 at 1:35 am
female hair loss
I find it hard to believe this cat has seen a vet. Funny how in over 20 years of owning cats I’ve never had a vet shake his head and go “I just don’t know”. Amazing, though, how so many people on Yahoo! Answers say that’s happened to them. So you’re either lying or going to a really horrible vet. Go find another vet.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
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honestly it looks like a flea allergy to me. the first link didnt work but from the other two, especially the last one i would go with flea allergy. is she on a monthly flea preventative. if she is have you thought about changing the brand. if she is on Frontline, switch her to Advantage and vice versa. both are really great products but, just like people, some animals respond better to one over the other. have you tried seeing a different vet? if not then now might be the time to start looking for a second opinion. to help out the new vet, ask your current vet to please photocopy her medical record for you. they should have no problem doing it as you have a legal right to it. it will help him see what has been tried and what he might want to do that your old vet didnt try. not that you vet is a bad vet, but different vets think in different ways and another one might be able to help you in a way that your regular vet cant. good luck, hope she feels better soon.
September 12th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
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Try taking her for a second opinion. Or also you can try a veterinary dermatoligist. There are not alot of them, but well worth the $$ you have to put out
September 16th, 2009 at 6:30 am
female hair loss
According to the Veterinary Cancer Society, the 10 most common signs of cancer in cats are:
Abnormal swellings that persist or continue to grow.
Sores that do not heal.
Weight loss.
Loss of appetite.
Bleeding or discharge from any body opening.
Offensive odor.
Difficulty eating or swallowing.
Hesitation to exercise or loss of stamina.
Persistent lameness or stiffness.
Difficulty breathing, urinating, or defecating.
I’ve had a cat that had cancer. It had huge sores that would not heal and bumps all over its body. It survived about a year after the first signs, but as long as your cat keeps good vital signs i.e. breathing, heart beat, etc. its probably not cancer. This is worse case. You say that it is healthy. If it has had these sores for over 4 months and is still in good health, it is most likely not cancer. I would try taking it to another vet and see what they can tell you. I would also try changing its diet. A disease as you describe could very well be in the bloodstream caused by severe nutrient or vitamin deficiencies. Best of Luck.
September 16th, 2009 at 8:35 am
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OMG! My cat Cedes had the EXACT same problem and had it more than once (she has since passed on). The vet said it was a “flea allergy” and even if you see no evidence of fleas, she has flea bites…
Please take her to the vet and tell them this bit of info… they should give her a steroid injection, an antibiotic injection, and a medicated bath to lessen the irritation, itching and pain… She will also have to be treated for fleas with Advantage from the vet (no over the counter stuff please!!).
My cat was miserable and at one point was going downhill to the point where she had lost weight and was near death, I kid you not!
Please take her to the vet and tell them it’s a flea allergy… Like I said, my Cedes used to get this from time to time and it always cleared up with the steroid injection, flea treatment and medicated bath to sooth her….
Good luck and this is pretty simple!!!
Hugs to kitty!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
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ok ok, there are no such things as “flea shots,” and head and shoulders is toxic to cats! does your cat even have fleas? frontline and advantage are the best products out there for fleas. if not fleas, the next step should be allergy testing, since the first steps you have taken have not helped. a prescription diet could be in your kitty’s future!
another thought, after reviewing your photos… has your vet considered ECG? it’s defined as eosinophilic granuloma complex. it can be treated with short courses or injections of prednisone. please look at the wikipedia site below. good luck!
September 20th, 2009 at 11:01 am
female hair loss
Poor girl ,i had a cat once that had the same thing.His hair started falling out and he had the sores and the balded spots.I was really scared,thought he had something really bad wrong with him. I had to take him to 2 vets .It was ringworm,a fungus like athletics foot.The vet got a black light and in the dark it showed up like Little white spots in the balded places.So try the black light at home ,and tell the vet you think it could be ringworm.they gave my cat some stuff to wash him in and some anti-fugual cream such as they use on human athletices foot it safe to use just on the sores and you might want to use a Elizabeth collar on her a lil while . That’s one of these things that fits around there neck to keep them from licking ,but make sure to take the collar off so she can eat and drink. My be just use it after you apply the cream .It took care and love ,but the hair started coming back in and he got well again..And lived until the age of 18 years.Hope this helps
September 22nd, 2009 at 9:31 pm
female hair loss
omg, I’m so sorry. My cat had a similar problem that was ringworms too. I took him to the vet immediately after I noticed a scab, so he got medication and was okay after. My other cat was losing his hair around the back.. where I applied flea medication, I think it was an allergic reaction, Plus he didn’t like the collar so he kept scratching that area. Now that he’s an indoor cat, I took off the collar and the hair grew back.
In your case, are you noticing that your cat is scratching a lot? Usually, when it’s red and raw like that, it’s due to some sort of irritation that causes your cat to scratch like mad.
Another possiblity is.. it could be Demodedic Mites which my old dog had. It was extremely hard to cure. You can try asking the doctor about that too? I agree that maybe you should try another vet too. I know that it can be pricy, but it’s better to try to diagnose the problem than wait until it gets worse (then it’d be even more expensive in the long run.)
good luck
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Kansieo.com
as a vetranerian assistant when i was back home i would have told you to bring the cat to the vet becouse there is a veriety of thangs that could be wrong, itcould be cat aids,ringworm,skin paresites,or allergis reation to food or grass or evan house hold objects. it could be a serius thang or a simple but none of this is cofertable to youir kitty
September 26th, 2009 at 12:10 am
Kansieo.com
My cat gets those sores too, crusty, and itchy for her. The vet checked for parasites, and then concluded that it was allergies. I changed kitty litters, changed plastic bowls to ceramic ( at vets suggestion)…. no change. Then stopped using bleach water to sanitize cat box when I cleaned it ( always rinsed and wiped dry before refilling with kitty litter. )…… and Voila ! No more skin rashes! You need to find out what she’s allergic to. My other pets have never gotten it, so I know it is allergies (she is one of 2 indoor cats.I don’t use flea treatments on them. I also have a dog).