Does anybody have info on Self-Barbering/Kitty Skin Allergies?

Hello! My Darryl-kitty developed food allergies. I took her to the vet. The vet gave her a series of cortisone shots, some anti-biotics and presribed Hills Kitty Allergy Food. Her scabs cleared up really well. However, there is one patch on the back of her neck btwn her shoulder blades that she continues to self-barber. The patch is down to her skin and the fur around the patch is short and broken. I notcied a small lesion there, too (but it's nothing scabby or open, as her previous lesions were). Any suggestions?

Does anybody have info on Self-Barbering/Kitty Skin Allergies?
Vet food is good to help diagnose things, but is expensive and not always the best option. I agree with the other poster who said to check the ingredients and find a food that doesn't have corn. "Natural" or "Holistic" foods are more expensive than "commerical" ones, but are worth every penny. Try to stay away from the Walmart-available foods which claim to be "natural". Check the ingredients; if they contain things that you wouldn't eat, then your probably don't want to feed it to your cat (chemicals, of course, you might not want to eat chicken fat but that doesn't mean it's bad for your cat).


One of my kitties (allergies or IBS) is switching to the (Dick Van Patten's) Natural Balance Venison %26amp; Pea and he loves it. It's also lower in fat that most vet foods, which is good, as too much fat in a cat's diet can make them obese. I also recommend Eagle Pack foods, but be sure you read the ingredients. Their Duck %26amp; Oatmeal is good for allergies.





If you kitty is still itching even after you're on an allergy food, you need to try something else. However, make sure that you are with one food for at least 8 weeks to settle the immune system and make sure that it's not just the stress from changing foods that is causing the allergies.


Make sure you're not giving your kitty any treats that aren't the same protein %26amp; carbohydrate as the food you're feeding. He might be allergic to something in the treats--they're usually just junk food anyways. Give a spoonful of canned food (same as dry if you feed dry) as a treat, or make your own from ingredients you know he can eat.





You might want to check with your vet to make sure the current patch isn't ringworm or an unrelated skin disease, and is a result of the allergies. Have them do a skin scraping (this doesn't hurt) to rule out skin diseases. While you're there, you can ask for a cortisone cream to help with the itch, or you can try using some of the "bitter apple" type sprays to keep him from bothering it while it heals.


You may also want to find a holistic pet store in your area and ask them what sort of essential oils you can give to a cat to help with allergies, worms, skin parasites, etc. If you have one in your area, Pet Planet or Happy Tails are 2 excellent sources.





Good luck!
Reply:What are the other foods your cat has had? There are premium foods that have a single protein source (chicken and rice, venison and pea) and that is best for cats.





Read the label on your bag of Hill's. Is there any corn in it? Corn is a known cat and dog allergen. How many protein sources are in it, combinations of meats?





Use CA Natural for the chicken and rice. Natural Balance for the venison and pea. I believe NB also has a duck and something. My cats like MB's dry and canned foods.