? Licking off fur! Pls help!

Hi! I'm fairly new to this forum. Grateful it & everyone is here! I'm completely distraught. My orange tabby Taco (diabetic) has had this problem: for over 8 months now has an overgrooming problem. He grooms licks his fur incessantly. It's strange he does this robotically & doesn't stop. He also lick bites at his ankles, front paws all over his body. Then his routine is to lick bite all over his body & then growl attack bite his lower stomach, always the same spot. The vet has had him on hydrolized food, (potential food allergy), checked for fleas, & skin issues at cat dermatologist vet, amitriptalyne for potential anxiety, Gabapenten for pain, etc! Temeril P is the only medicine that relieved some of his itching over grooming. But his blood glucose was close to 500 so I told the vet & she took him off this. He has also had a life long problem with constipation at one time it was very severe. Vet thinks it's his serious constipation that is making him feel terrible and the over grooming, biting attacking & growling at his stomach is a how he is showing his discomfort from the constipation.
Has anyone had this?

 

If you think it might be due to constipation, you should look through the Feline Constipation site

More than you'll ever want to know about it there!!

 

There is a good support group called epi-felines (and a smaller one specifically for FHS, Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome) which might be helpful.

Paths are definitely:
- allergic reaction to something, most commonly expected fleas and food
- anxiety (zylkene, clomicalm, prozac, gabapentin -- various options and you seem to have tried some)

It might be useful to consult with a vet specialised in feline behaviour issues if you haven't already done so.

 

Thank you so much Chris & China!! So so appreciate that. I'm going to read now!
I didn't know this site existed wow . I am forever grateful to you. Poor Taco has had 2 enemas in his life but was constipated the week I got him he must of been a 1b kitten then!
Thank you again !!!

 

Thank you so so much Stephanie and Quintus!! Omg poor Taco has had so much medication prescribed since little over half a year I'm very worried - this information helps me so much to do my own research. Forever grateful !!! Jane & Taco

 

What are you giving for the constipation? Pumkin? Miralax? Something else? Wet food only with extra water?

 

Hi Janet thank you! I so appreciate ur wb ... you're right .. Yes Miralax , Watered down wet food, he's on Royal Canin High fibre Satiety, pumpkin, he had to have an enema at vet last week. Lactulose also none of it worked and all at feeding times via vet
Vet just prescribed cisapride I ordered it RX from vet from Wedgewood pharmaceutical company they can make compounds also btw. I read the cat constipation site another person listed here which was awesome.
Taco seems regulated with his diabetes he doesn't pee excessively even while on Lantus he had done this.
Question. please did your cat above stated go into remission? That is amazing if so

 

She did for a year.... Unfortunately she is back on insulin now and it's proven harder this time around. Her numbers aren't terrible but she's being stubborn this time around.

 

Happy I could share it with you! It really does have a lot of information about the entire GI tract of the mysterious animal we call "the cat"

 

Hi Janet thank you for getting back to me. I'm so sorry your cat's diabetes returned after a year of remission. So glad to hear her numbers aren't awful. And if you need support message me! I know very well about stubborn
Cats if I understood for me I'm saying of course I love Taco so so much. I'm never mad at him but doing ear prick tests can be so hard! So if you need support feel free to reach out to me.

 

Omg thank you Stephanie and Quintus!! I looked for this site last night and couldn't find it. I found sites for epileptic dogs. Do you please know of a link? Thank you so Much either way!!

 

Here's some information on FHS

There's also a Facebook group for cats with feline hyperesthesia syndrome and a Facebook page called Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome (FHS)

 

omg THANK YOU Chris & China. !!!

 

Oh no, she's actually very good with tests. It's her numbers that stubbornly don't want to go back to normal. You can see in the video in my signature how chill she is about it.