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Why is my asthmatic cat licking a bald spot on her stomach so much?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 2 years old | 12 lbs

Licking bald spot on lower stomach. My cat seems to be itching and licking more frequently, mostly on the lower stomach/legs area. Behavior/eating/litter box use hasn't changed. We have treated for fleas and my other cat does not seem to be itching, so it makes me feel that it might be something else. The cat has been diagnosed with asthma.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Rebecca, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 14th, 2019

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach. I would recommend a vet visit for Sparrow. The first thing is to determine if her licking and grooming is related to itching or behavior. Some cats may overgroom when stressed and it can become habitual as well. If she is truly itchy she may need some diagnostic testing to determine why. Cats can have allergic disease that causes itching and scratching. As she has been diagnosed with asthma this may be the case for Sparrow. Other causes of itching can be parasites such as fleas, lice or mites, fungal or bacterial infection. After going over Sparrows history and performing an exam the vet will discuss the best options for Sparrow. This may including skin scrapes, fungal culture, skin cytology or allergy testing. In some cases food trials or medications to control the itching may be needed. I hope this was helpful. Here are some articles that may give you more insight. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952664 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951477 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952646 https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951991

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