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My five year old white male cat is repeatedly scratching and licking his neck area and down his spine. He is experiencing hair loss and has several open wounds on his neck. What should I do? I know he has flea allergy dermatitis, but I do not believe there are fleas in my house. He is an indoor and outdoor cat. Thank you!!!
Optional Information: Type of Animal: Indoor/Outdoor CatGender: MaleAge: 5 Already Tried: Spraying shampoo on his fur (but not open wounds) and a mixture of baby oil and water. Brushing him.
Hello,
This is Dr. Christian. Welcome to JustAnswer. I suspect that he is suffering from skin allergies and possibly a skin condition called miliary dermatitis. Allergies can occur to anything in the environment (food, dust, pollen, grass, fleas, trees, etc.). Unfortunately, these allergies can occur at any age and can be difficult to determine what they are allergic to without testing. In most cases medications are necessary to control the symptoms so that infection, scabs and hair loss does not occur. The allergies cause intense itching and skin problems leading to a bunch of sores and small scabs on the skin. Flea allergy is the most common culprit and in some cats even one bite can cause the problem so it is definitely best to treat him for fleas even if you haven't seen them. The typical spot is over the base of the tail or around the head and neck. Unfortunately steroids are usually the only thing that can control the symptoms, heal the skin and allow the hair to grow back so I recommend having him checked by your vet. Topical treatment don't work well in cats and antihistamines are not strong enough. In addition, he probably needs antibiotics due for the sores on his skin. If you have more questions please let me know. Here's some links with more:
http://www.petplace.com/cats/atopy-in-cats/page1.aspx
http://www.petplace.com/cats/miliary-dermatitis/page1.aspx
Do you have any more questions I can answer for you?