Expert: Jessica - 7/21/2011

Question
Question:   After a move, my cat started ripping out his fur and washing skin to the point of sores.  Two local vets said it was a dermatological allergy and administered a shot, saying he should be fine.  Symptoms returned.   After the second shot he was good for a while, then a friend moved in with us bringing a dog and a cat.  My cat gets along with the dog fine, but doesn't like the cat.  (Dog is male, cat is female, my cat is male) And he is worse now.  He has great big bald spots from ripping his fur out.  Coat is otherwise shiny and healthy.  He eats well, and all bodily functions work.  He is up to date on his shots.  Any ideas?  I think it's stress and I don't know how to help him.

Answer
Hi Blake,

There is a possibility that this could be stress-related. The fact that the cortisone shots seemed to work at first would indicate that your kitty was, indeed, suffering some itchiness, and that would lend credence to the idea that his problem is rooted in an allergy. The effects of the cortisone shots will wear off in anywhere from 2-8 weeks, depending on the case. Cats suffering chronic allergies often need regular injections, or better (to minimize the risk of side effects), they should be placed on an oral steroid or antihistamine to control their allergic reactions.

But as you suspect, it could be possible that this is stress-related. It can be difficult to differentiate. Your best bet would be to have your vet run some kind of diagnostic. A skin scraping can determine if there are inflammatory cells consistent with an allergic reaction at the skin lesion sites. Or, blood tests can be run to see if certain white blood cell counts, such as eosinophils, are elevated. These indicate an inflammatory response, such as is seen with allergies. They can even run tests to try to determine what he's allergic to.

If his blood tests don't indicate that he's having any kind of inflammatory (allergic) response, then you can suspect this is all behavioral. In that case, I recommend working with the vet on a solution. There is a product called Feliway that can be helpful (see www.feliway.com), but most cats who are to the point of causing self-harm will need an antidepressant to control their anxiety, usually for a few months' time.

Good luck!

Jessica