Expert: Tomay - 7/13/2006

Question
Namaste,
I have a three year old male cat who pulls out his from the spine region and tail until he grows bald there. this happens in the monsoon season.(by the way its monsoon here in India). the vet. is clueless and suggested that we apply eucalyptus oil on the affected area or neem tree extract. but I think that Eucalyptus is supposed to be poisonous for cats. there has been no major change in the enviornment, and otherwise he is perfectly happy. can you suggest what may have caused this and also some solutions?
thanks for your time,
Manik Shahane.


Answer
Hello,
I am so very sorry for the delay. I just recieved your question and noticed that it was dated a few days ago.  Again, sorry for the delay.
It sounds as if there is somekind of allergen that your cat is reacting to.  Perhaps the monsoon brings in air borne things from other areas. While I am not a vet, I would also think that eucalyptus oil or neem oil might pose a hazard to a cat.  You might try using an elizabethan collar for him to discourage biting and chewing the area.  
Another reason for skin conditions can be traced back to the diet the cat is on. I don't know what is available in your part of the world, but premium foods are suggested for skin and coat problems.  Foods such as Precise, Innova or Wysong are formulated with skin and coat care in mind.
I am assuming that your vet checked for any external parasites, fleas, mites and such.
Hope this is helpful to you, and you might also check with the vets that are on this site.
Good luck, and again, sorry for the delay.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Toma