Cocoa Is Scabby

[murtle]

Apologies I think I started a scabby cat thread for Cocoa earlier in the year but if I did, I can't find it.

 

In January (I think - when it was really snowy) Cocoa started to come out in lots of little scabs. He's had similar before but that is normally in the summer and the vets have always associated it to whatever is in the field by my Mom as he gets it when visiting her.

 

However it is now June and the scabs are still there, and as I have just found out some of the area where I thought there weren't scabs, it's because they are huge flat scabs instead (meaning the whole area is scabbed over)

 

He has had a number of trips to the normal vet and is now seeing a homeopathic vet.

 

he has had a steriod injection

steriod tablets

and is now on sepia homepathic remedies

 

(inbetween the steriod and homeopathic remidies he had his annual vaccinations. He has also had three teeth out)

 

He is now constantly licking the area where his tails joins his back which is the worst place. and has over the last month lost some of his fur there, the rest feels like straw which on a normally fluffy cat is very odd and a sign of something, but I just don't know what.

 

I will try to take some photos to show what it looks like, but has anyone got any idea or thoughts at all?

 

If anyone reading this is able to spare some positive thoughts for him, or is able to send healing we would be both be so appreciative.

 

Thank you

 

xxx

[Marie Claire]

Hi

 

Have never heard of anything like this so have no idea what it is but sending lots of positive thoughts tto you and hoping you find out what is causing them and Cocoa is feeling much better soon:flowers: .

[murtle]

thank you, your thoughts are hugely appreciated.

[cycas]

Poor Cocoa! My Footie cat has had similar allergies in the past, but it sounds like Cocoa is worse. I think the straw-like fur may be to do with the licking, Footie's went like that at it's worst. I had to put a sort of waistcoat thing on him to allow his skin to recover as he was nibbling himself raw.

 

Footie tends to get his problems around May-time, so we think it's a seasonal allergy, but we have no idea what to - the vets always suggest it's fleas, but it definitely isn't in his case, as when he has had fleas, he doesn't react like this to them.

 

I am not 100% sure, it could just be coincidence as he's got older - but I *think* that Footie has improved now he's on better quality food. He used to get standard supermarket dried food and sachets, but now has only JWB White Fish and Applaws or Hi Life wet food.

 

Sending poor Cocoa best wishes. It's so worrying with something like that where you just have no idea why it's happening.

[Laura_E]

Lots of positive thoughts for Cocoa. Hopes it's something that can be cured easily.

[celeste]

Good thoughts for Cocoa

 

I remember your original thread as my Dad's cat has the same thing and he got a new drug from the vet which worked wonders, I did try to find out what the stuff was but unfortunately the labels come of the medicine, and trying to get Dad to phone the vets and ask is like getting blood out of a stone, I'll try again, he might this time as I just bought him James Lasts new cd, so I might have some brownie points

[celeste]

Right, the stuff my Dad got from his vet is called ( drum roll).....................Nearal Solution Cyclosporin. It's been the only thing that got rid of Sam's severe scabbiness, he was awful, really sore scabby and weeping, I think it went into his food so easy enough to give, Dad said when he first got it he had to give it to him for a few weeks but now when he gets a flare up he only needs it for 5 days. Hope it's some help

[cycas]

Ooh, that's interesting. I'll have to ask our vet if it would be suitable for Footie.

 

Fingers crossed it will help poor Cocoa.

[murtle]

Thank you so much for finding out about it Celeste, I will book a trip to the vets

 

Wanting to try anything as it looks so uncomfortable.

 

Thank you xxx

[murtle]

Well Cocoa is still coming on, we have been using a buster collar on him for a few weeks. The patch that he licked the fur from became a horrible nasty open wound. This is slowly healing with the use of plasters and aloe vera gel (and the inability for him to lick it)

 

However, the area of the wound is incredibly hot. You can feel the heat when he sits on your lap. Is this normal for a wound when healing, or is it likely to be an infection?

 

His appetite has also increased hugely. Where he used to eat maybe half a tin of food a day now he is demanding a tin or more (he's not noticeably putting on weight)

 

Any thoughts/advice/opinions greatly apreciated!

 

Thanks

 

Mxxx

[khanu]

Do you think it could be hot spots?

 

Heat would say to me infection/inflammation of some kind.

 

Does Cocoa have dense fur? Sometimes if I haven't been great at getting the undercoat out from the GSDs when they go through a moult they can start licking/chewing on themselves and start a hot spot if I don't spot it quick enough. Once I get the undercoat out though they stop the licking etc.

 

Things I've seen recommended for hot spots:

cool compress a few times a day (think the idea is to soothe it so they stop bothering it)

tea bag compresses and washes

I've seen neem oil recommended but I'm not sure about putting it on open wounds to be honest. I thought neem oil was for prevention of fleas ticks etc. so would be more appropriate to use once healed to try to prevent it happening again (assuming it's been caused by irritation due to fleas/ticks etc.)

most vets seem to recommend hydro cortisone type cream. We were given this for Willow when she opened up a wound on herself on her front leg near her paw. Cleared it up pretty well, but she had to wear a buster collar until it had gone. We haven't had a recurrence that required treatment again since, but it's fairly easy to spot when she has been licking a lot as the saliva stains her fur and she gets a pinky patch on her tan bits.

 

I think if it's oozy and very hot I'd be inclined to go back to vet to check for infection, if the infection is deep then topical applications probably aren't going to touch it.

 

Hope you find a way to manage it soon, as a sufferer of eczema it's horrible to be itching so much that you end up giving yourself an infection.

[Karen]

Do cats get thyroid problems?

 

One of my old dogs began to get odd broken skin patches and linked to eating more/not gaining weight it turned out to be a thyroid problem. Probably not helpful if cats don't get a similar problem though!