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My cat won't stop licking, causing scabs and balding. What can I buy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | unspayed | 7 lbs

Hello! I'm concerned about my cat Mia. She is about 9 years old and she has been constantly licking herself and it's causing scabs along her back by her tail. She also constantly licks other areas but I haven't found any scabs there. I tried using Vetericyn Plus Antimicrobial Hydrogel but I'm not seeing any results. Do you have any idea what is causing her to constantly lick? And anything I could buy at maybe a Petco to help this? She is also balding in the back of the tail area as well.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on November 17th, 2018

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Mariya Gugel, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on February 19th, 2018

    Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is a little difficult to say exactly what is causing the scabs without a photo, however, itching and painful wounds can be caused by severe flea allergies, skin mites (mange), bacterial and fungal infections. I recommend having Vamps seen by his vet, who can take a small skin sample to determine exactly what is going on. The treatment options may include oral antibiotics, flea/mange treatments, and medicated shampoos/ointments. I hope all is well!

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on December 28th, 2016

    I'm sorry to hear that your cats are having this problem! There are quite a few different things that can cause excessive licking with bumps and tiny scabs. Food allergies are certainly possible, but other possible causes would include environmental allergies, fleas, a bacterial or fungal skin infection, or skin mites (mange). It's good that they're on Revolution, since this is usually a good choice for fleas - but if there are any fleas or larvae in the environment, it can take time for this to work and the skin problems may persist in the meantime. Treatment will depend on what the underlying problem is, so I would really recommend having your kitties examined by a vet as soon as you are able to. He/she can do some simple skin tests to help diagnose the problem and get them started on appropriate treatment - this may include a short-term steroid and antibiotic to get the current inflammation and itching under control, along with a longer-term plan to help prevent the issue from recurring.

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