cat allergies

[jjsull33]

My little boy has allergies, not sure to what, but he chews his heels and scratches the cheap out of behind his ears. It's not constantly, but when it's bugging him it's relentless. This last time he tore up behind his ear pretty bad and its all scabbed up.

So two questions, first what can I do for him about the wound to help it heal quicker, and secondly what can I do for his allergies? I've heard benedryll works for dogs but is not always for cats and can make them drool and feel uncomfortable, any other ideas? He's a Bengal mix if it makes a difference.

 

[MoireErin]

For the wound: just make sure it stays clean and let it heal on its own. Scabbing is good and is protecting the new skin that is growing. It may get a little dirty by fur or dust in the scab, but don't pick it off-it needs to be there. IF it does come off, just check the wound and see if it is getting smaller and looks healthy in growth. Only clean the unscabbed wound with warm water. If it is in a position that he cannot readily lick it-you can try a very light application of something like neosporon If the wound feels hot to the touch and there is swelling-it is infected. Watch it for a day or so and see if it go down naturally. If not, schedule a vet apt for antibiotics. Cats typically heal very well and in a fairly short amount of time

For the allergies: Check his skin and see if he may have mites and/or fleas-there are more animals than you would think that are allergic to fleas. Also, what have you been feeding him? He may have an intolerance to something in his diet. You may have to schedule an apt for him to get it checked out and help prevent anymore bodily damage or stress.
Definitely DO NOT give him any allergy medication unless you have spoken with a vet...some are quiet lethal to cats, especially if in the wrong dosage amounts.

I hope this helps some Good Luck on your baby boy

 

[Tom]

They can do allergy tests for cats now. Go find out all the things he's allergic to and minimize contact with all of it. You might also talk to the vet about a different diet. Often using a food with a novel protein can bring them back below the allergy threshold.

 

[yagyujubei]

The ear scratching would make me suspect ear mites. sORRY, I THOUGHT THAT THE CAT WAS SCRATCHING.

 

[jjsull33]

I doubt it is fleas or mites because I have 3 other cats that are fine an don't do this. The scab is on his neck behind his ear so he can't really lick it, but it doesn't seem hot just scabbed i'll keep an eye on it still. Right now I use Purina indoor cat chow as I keep them indoors, I occasionally give them treats but this cat in particular won't touch treats. I didn't know they could do an allergy test for cats I'll have to call my vet for pricing on one. In the mean time, any suggestions for a better diet? I would hate for him to be eating that which is causing his problems.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I've always raw fed my dogs and cats with the prey model diet. Being in that circle I am surprised at how many of the others switched to that diet based on pet allergies.

My advice to you would be a lot of googling things like "raw feeding for allergies" and read up on it. You'll find the "how to" of course but also lots of forums with testimonies. See if you like what find in your research.
If it seems applicable to you and you want more info on the "how to" I'd be happy to share my experiences.

Good luck. I've never dealt with allergies but I hope you are able to work something out.

Sent from my TFOapp

 

[Beck]

Raw feeding is definitely something to look into. A middleground would be a "limited ingredient" commercial food or one more holistic. My sisters dog was having seizures and they switched to a six ingredient food and haven't had anymore issues. I really like the ingredients in Blue, but there's definitely more than six ingredients in that brand.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app

 

[jjsull33]

You know I put so much effort into my tort diets, there is no reason my cats shouldn't get the same treatment, so I will look into a raw diet. Plus ill save up and get him an allergy test just so I can know for sure what's up.