My indoor cat scratches to open sores. Is it allergies? What to do?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• 

  Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on October 8th, 2017

  The rough bumps skin indicates that something is damaging the skin. Yeast and/or bacterial infections are usually present with these cases, but there is often a primary problem. The primary problem may be any of the following: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. 4) Autoimmune (self attacking) diseases - these are much more rare and we usually only check for these after we've ruled-out the previous causes. One thing you can do for the bumpy skin is give a bath with cool water using a medicated cat shampoo every other day until the bumps have gone away. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• 

  Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on December 18th, 2017

  Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check her for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for cats. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the most effective treatment. Below is a link to an article with more information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-is-my-cat-so-itchy/

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

• 

  Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on September 4th, 2018

  Itchy skin is often due to the following things: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-has-allergies/ 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for cats. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. One thing you can do for itchy skin, is give a bath with cool water using an oatmeal or aloe shampoo. You can get these shampoos at the pet store. I hope this helps you to identify the problem. If not, then it would be worth taking him to the vet. We can usually discover the cause quickly and provide the best treatment.

  

  1Pet Parents found this answer helpful