My cat licks his stomach raw. Why is he losing hair and bleeding?

Question

Our cat has been to multiple vets for hair loss on his stomach and inner legs. He bites and licks his stomach and legs incessantly and it has gotten to the point where he makes himself bleed. He has received steroid injections and antibiotics from the vet. The antibiotics were for a possible UTI and had no effect. The steroids helped, but only for about 3 weeks. We are not sure if this is psychogenic, allergic, or if it has a more serious cause. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 3 years and 2 months old | 14 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am so sorry to hear about your kitty! This sounds like a very frustrating problem. If it was responsive to steroids then I suspect an underlying allergy may be the root of the issue. I would consider asking your vet if they think allergy testing may be helpful in confirming this. There are some medications besides steroids which can be helpful in allergy cases and this include Atopica and Apoquel (though this drug is labeled for dogs it is used off label in cats occasionally). Other options could include anthistamines in combination with fatty acid supplements. You can read more about itch control at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951477

My cat licks his stomach raw. Why is he losing hair and bleeding?

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