My cat won't stop licking & biting, has sores. Is it an allergy?

Question

My cat is excessively licking his self all over. Constantly biting self & pruning. He had been treated 3 times with revolution due 2 a kitten coming into the house with a severe case of ear mites. I believe now, he is actually allergic to the revolution as he has only gotten worse since given it. He was treated by the vet with steroid meds for a month in which it hasn't helped at all. The sores on either side of his neck have not healed as he keeps licking them & everywhere else on his body.

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Poor kitty! It's possible it's the Revolution but reactions are generally localized to the area where the product was applied. The only way to know for sure is to change your product and see if things get better. Advantage Multi is another product similar to Revolution but a different make up. Other reasons for chronic skin lesions and itching are allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Fleas are less common since you are using a medication like Revolution. You may want to use a flea comb and check your kitty and the kitten for any evidence of fleas just to be sure there are none. Comb around the lower back and between the hind legs. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for petss, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having your cat wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

My cat won't stop licking & biting, has sores. Is it an allergy?

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