Excessive Grooming/Itching/Licking Belly

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Erica & Carter

Erica & Carter

Member Since 2016
Hey guys,

The day we took Carter in to get blood-work done (about a month and a half ago) which diagnosed his diabetes, I also explained to the vet that he had been itching more often, specifically around his eyes and his neck. She said it was probably seasonal allergies, and only prescribed me with Vetropolycin gel for the area around his eyes, which has worked.

The itching around is still there (not like constantly but a lot more than my other cats) and I noticed this patch on his belly looking a little raw. However, he did get a new collar around the same time the itching on the neck started and I remember when he first got a collar when we got him he tried to itch it for a while until he got used to it, so it could be that... I don't see him constantly grooming or licking his belly though as he's usually always in the room with us, so I don't know when he could be doing it. During the night? I've caught him a couple times but not consistently.

All my animals are treated with Revolution, and my dog is treated with Trifexis for heart-worm preventative. This was given a little over 2 weeks ago last. I've checked them all for fleas and since Carter and Simon especially are pretty white, I wasn't able to see any. Carter's skin doesn't look red or irrirtated anywhere other than that spot on his stomach. I can touch the area and he doesn't get mad, so it doesn't appear to hurt him.

Is it allergies? Food allergies? Stress? It only really started shortly before his diagnosis. I also considered hyperT but he doesn't have any of the other symptoms, and no notion of that was mentioned on his last blood panel. We've had a red ant problem at our house recently too so he may have gotten bit? Unsure.

I read in an old thread someone used Vetericyn and I have some at home so I don't know if I should try that?

I'll attach a picture too.
 

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Could it be ringworm? (Which is actually a fungal disease, not a parasitic one.) It's hard to tell from the photo - and my poor eyesight - but what I see looks similar to ringworm, also the issue with the eyes and neck sound like it could fit the symptoms. It's fairly common in cats.
 
Possible food allergy. Saoirse licked her tummy bald when she was prescribed Royal Canin foods. She's not the only forum cat to have issues with it. As soon as she was put on a species-appropriate diet her fur started growing back. The idiot vet who used to treat her put the reaction down to stress. It's probably what caused her IBD/pancreatitis issues in the first place; that vet failed her spectacularly. (And she made a complete hames of things when Saoirse's diabetes symptoms emerged.) :mad:

Check the ingredients in the foods you're giving for common allergens.


Mogs
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Squalliesmom said:
Could it be ringworm? (Which is actually a fungal disease, not a parasitic one.) It's hard to tell from the photo - and my poor eyesight - but what I see looks similar to ringworm, also the issue with the eyes and neck sound like it could fit the symptoms. It's fairly common in cats.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is? I've had ringworm, several times from my old job, and if he had it, my other pets would too. I examined all their bodies for fleas and didn't see anything at all, skin problems or fleas. Carter doesn't have anything else anywhere on his body, especially his neck where he has been itching as well. I just took his collar off to see if he was just irritated by that, so far no itching.

It doesn't really have that "border" around it, to me, it looks like a popped blister almost. I'll upload a closer picture.
 
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Critter Mom said:
Possible food allergy. Saoirse licked her tummy bald when she was prescribed Royal Canin foods. She's not the only forum cat to have issues with it. As soon as she was put on a species-appropriate diet her fur started growing back. The idiot vet who used to treat her put the reaction down to stress. It's probably what caused her IBD/pancreatitis issues in the first place; that vet failed her spectacularly. (And she made a complete hames of things when Saoirse's diabetes symptoms emerged.) :mad:

Check the ingredients in the foods you're giving for common allergens.


Mogs
.
Click to expand...

Is there anything specifically I should be looking for? I know chicken is a big one. He's on Tiki Cat right now, all flavours since I bought the variety, there's chicken, fish, tuna, calamari, salmon, etc. However I will also be giving him some BFF soon since he prefers the chicken and not so much the seafood. He's been on diets with a wide variety of proteins, including chicken, and beef, never had an issue.
 
Yeah from what I've read everything points to hot spot. I'm going to shave around the area in a bit and clean it, then apply my Veterycin that helps with hot spots and go from there.

I don't think it's a food allergy based on reading the ingredients on BFF and Tiki Cat, nothing stands out.

Also pretty sure the scratching at the neck thing was just his collar... I've had it off for over 2 hours and he has been sitting here, not scratched once.
 
Is it bilateral? That is essentially the same both left and right side?
Typically allergies, except contact allergies, are bilateral.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
Is it bilateral? That is essentially the same both left and right side?
Typically allergies, except contact allergies, are bilateral.
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The area he's been licking as a whole is like in his lower belly area, in the middle. It doesn't look like an even mark to me at least. It's not open or pussing, or sensitive. I just noticed it around 2 days agoish as a small pink hairless area, but he's obviously licked it enough to make that one area irritated.
 
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Squalliesmom said:
Yes, you're right, doesn't look like ringworm. If it's not an allergy of some sort, hotspot would be my next guess. Or an insect bite of some sort, spider, tick, something like that?
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I also thought that. If it's a single flea bite (which I mean, can happen even though they are all treated) that can be possible he would react to it harshly since he never has fleas, but we've also been having a red ant problem, they've been sneaking in through our kitchen window, so he could have gotten bit by one. My vet said to try some OTC cream but I'd rather try the Vetericyn because it's non toxic in case he licks it.
 
Red ant bite makes sense, given that you know they are around in areas that he would encounter them! I agree about the cream, something that will be safe if ingested, that's such a prime licking area. Hope it heals soon! :bighug:
 
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