Poor Tipsy

[Songbird]

My smaller cat, Tipsy, (named so because of being the runt and having a little trouble walking at first) has had some trouble these last few months! At one point, he licked all the fur off in a couple of spots on his back, down to bare skin and then some!
We took him to the vet who gave him a shot of cortisone, which didn't help at all, and told us he had "Allergic Feline Dermatitis".
We cannot figure out what he is allergic to. He was getting scabby areas that itched like crazy. I began to treat him myself,
rubbing in hydrocortisone cream and triple antibiotic cream, and wrapping his rear quarter in a stretchy Ace wrap like is used for sprained wrists, etc., so he cannot lick. This has worked okay, but he still tries to dig in under the wrap. The spots have worked their way around to his belly, but have not traveled up his body or down... He is much better this month, and now we wonder if getting some "Bitter Cherry" spray from Petsmart would work to keep him from licking, so we could unwrap him.

Have any of you had experience with anything like this?
Has anyone used a Bitter spray on a pet before?

[Tonnymonk]

Never had a cat llick itself bald.....How odd! Hope you get some help for poor Tipsy! Do ya think it's fleas?? Or is the vet sure it is allergies? I worked for a vet once that "inherited" a Yorkie that was allergic to himself. Sad story- Poor thing had to be shaved bald on a weekly basis. Sweet dog- Wonder waht happened to him.....

[Songbird]

Well, this is an older house, and it's hard telling what could be upsetting him.
As far as whether the vet is "sure".... I don't know how he could be! He did the diagnosis over the phone, and then just went with it when he saw the cat!
I don't have good money to pour after bad, but it may come to getting a second opinion.

[douglas]

Sorry about your kitty cay song Here are a few more possibilities of why your kitty may be going through this.

www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=1&cat=1332&articleid=150
Feline Miliary Dermatitis in Cats


Maybe this stuff will work?

www.manataka.org/page435.html
Native Remedies - Pets - Flea Treatment

[Wrennie]

My SIL's cat suddenly got itchy to the point of licking/chewing bald spots. She asked me my opinion. And we narrowed it down to the new cat litter they had picked up. They switched back to their old kind. Itches disappeared.
Have you changed his food or what kind of cat litter you use? When people develop allergies we look at those sorts of things first. If thats all exactly the same have you changed soap, laundry detergent, do you use those powders that you sprinkle on the carpet & vac up (my other friends cat was awful allergic to that stuff)??

[Tonnymonk]

Good suggestions Wrennie!!

[jeanette]

some of my cats do that in the spring.. i forgot what i found out.. i think it was some kind of mange, i think i rubbed antibotic oinment on it.. it wont hurt them when they lick it off.

[jeanette]

i remember now.. it think it's ringworm.. that is contagious to humans