My cat won't stop licking his leg until it bleeds. How to help?

Question

I adopted Gizmo in December and he was a kitten at the time, about 3-4 months old. He wouldn’t stop suckling himself on his leg. When I first asked about it the vet told me it was normal and he’d grow out of it. It’s been half a year now and he still does it, to the point of drawing blood. What do I do? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 2 lbs

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

This is likely how he copes and/or deals with stress. I would consider giving him a calming chew like vetriscience composure or composure pro (stronger but a prescription) to see if this helps. You can also put a cone collar on him for a couple of weeks to help break the habit. Also, if there is a specific spot that he commonly lays and does this, I would use feliway spray in that area. You can also plug in a feliway diffuser in that room. Feliway is a cat pheromone which can have a calming effect. Finally, if this doesn't work I would consider putting him on an anti-anxiety medicine like amitryptilline to see if this helps! I hope this works.

My cat won't stop licking his leg until it bleeds. How to help?

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