Cat is biting out its fur and it`s not growing back...

Question

I`m working at an animal shelter and I had this elderly lady phone me about her cat. Apparently it`s been biting out it`s fur (mostly on it`s back) and it doesn`t grow back. She said that he seems to be in pain and she`s brought him to the vet but he wasn`t helpful. She doesn`t know whether she should put him down or not cause she doesn`t ave the money for tests or anything like that. She wants my personal opinion so she`s bringing the cat in a few days. So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas as to what she could try before putting it down...
Any suggestions would be really appreciated...

opus88 · Accepted Answer

hi and welcome to our cat forum. I will include a rather lengthy thread for you to read, as you will see its a common and complex problem.
One culprit is the litter, thats the easiest place to start, change that, particularly if its a high scented one....go to unscented or preferably even a totally different type.
If feeding dry food stop and buy canned food, dry food has many more chemicals that can contribute to allergies.

can be also an allergy to fleas,ticks,dust pollen...as with my cat.
allergies in ppl show up by sneezes or runny eyes, in cats they show up as a skin problem, itch or sores.

as with my Sami, he's hypersensitive to chicken, and most cat foods have a chicken base. try switching to some of the alternatives on the thread below....at least away from chicken. Venison is the best choice if kitty will eat it.

good luck, read thru the thread, if theres more we can help with please post again and thanks for helping this lady and kitty out.
please send us an update.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Cats/Cat-licking-her-hair-off---allergies-or-stress/show/146

♥Opus

Dreamtime_Rhythm · Answer

hey, thank you for answering - can`t tell you how much I appreciate it. That was really helpful. She wasn`t able to get a ride to the shelter so I`m biking over there tuesday.

opus88 · Answer

also meant to suggest to this lady not to get talked into steroid shots, at least not more than one. I've found these to be of little use and they can cause long term problems such as diabetes for kitty.♥

Cat is biting out its fur and it`s not growing back...

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CAT CONSTIPATION

can starving strays still be finicky?

Cat put to sleep!

does anyone have any idea what keeps hurting our cats?

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