Quite, yes. At least this thing with Screech isn't too heavy (I don't think). It's only a problem when he won't eat because of hairball-belly - then the insulin dosage gets confusing.
cat pulling out fur
My cat is also pulling out his fur. He did it last year, and as the weather cooled, his hair grew back. We live in Georgia and it just started getting very hot. I put advantage on him (which gives him a small bald spot a point of application) which was suggested by my vet. I don't believe frontline or advantage really work that well anymore. I haven't seen fleas, but I've heard it takes only one flea bite for a sensitive cat to get irritated enough to pull out fur. Suggestions on alternatives?
My cat started doing this in georgia. The vet did mention the flea connection, but we don't seem to have any up her (that I can tell) and he's still pulling it out in tufts.
Are you thinking that the fleas are becoming immune to frontline/advantage?
I am thinking the fleas are becoming immune. It worked so well when it first came out years ago. My poor cattle dog has been biting himself like crazy and I treated him less than two weeks ago. Actually, both my dogs have been itching and my cat is pulling out his hair...I'm ready to do the same. My cat's skin looks fine; no scabs or scratches...
--back to the cattle dog; he was treated with the advantage between his shoulder blades and I sprayed him with the all over body spray from frontline. I hate putting so much poison on him, especially since it isn't giving him relief. I have also bathed him and I have been brushing him to pull out his undercoat (possible cause for itching?)
I remember when I was usinging frontline/advantage products - 5 and 7 years ago - I was told that they would lose their effectiveness because the fleas would become immune. I bet you're right. Your vet must know of an alternative!
no bite collar for dog biting himself?
I saw a "no bite" collar in a pet catalog as an alternative to the E collar. Is it a good idea to use it on my poor itching cattle dog? I was thinking if you couldn't bite himself then he wouldn't get hot spots. But then I also considered that it might completely stress him out if he couldn't scratch that itch...
Have you tried hotspot ointment on the sores? Or bitter apple spray? With bitter apple spray, at least they wouldn't bite at the itches. The spray only helps a little with my cat.
I will try bitter apple. I just wish I could cure the source of the itching and biting. I've heard feeding them garlic is suppose to keeps pests away, but even if they did eat it (disguised in something else) I think it might be hard on their stomachs. I might be projecting--garlic is hard on my stomach. Anyway they don't like it. I'll the bitter apple for the problem at hand.
Pacco is scratching... um, I left town while handing my business partner pal Pacco dono, dog food, leash, comb, and advantage tube.
And the pacc is scratching. Sigh.
Stay tuned. (Call in to her re when she gave him the Advantage, or didn't, as the case may be.... time matters as you don't want to overdo it....)
Littlek, one of our cats chewed most of the hair off his tail last year, starting just about this time. I took him to the vet and she had two guesses. The first was allergies and she prescribed an antihistamine. The second was stress because he seems to be the low man on our three-cat totem pole. We gave him the antihistamines for a couple weeks and all was well, his hair grew back and he's still the low man on the totem pole, but at least he has hair on his tail.
J_B - he seems to be easing up on his tugging. I think it probably is some sort of allergies. I should prepare for next year.
Did that bitter-apple spray, that you mentioned, work at all?
Adding in, tangentially, that Bus/partnr didn't give Pacco 'Advantage' while I was away, so I can do it. Hmmm, the Advantage is sitting in her kitchen, and she is in Alaska. However... dum de dum dum, I have another vial of it, somewhere....
yes, in the doggie drawer..
Reyn, it seemed to slow my cat down. He started tugging at other spots, but nowhere got as bad at the base of his tail.
Osso - find it? How's Pacco?
Pacco is barking away as we speak.
Will give him Advantage in the morning...
cat
my cat, Kurdy, has pulled the fur out of the base of her tail, between her back legs and on her stomach. This year, also chunks of fur are missing on her back and front legs. She is Advantage - covered. The Advantage stings her skin, so I know she's got sensitive skin, but I can only spot a little scab or two once in a while, never sores. The vet said it was fleas, but unless they're immune to Advantage, i doubt it's that. She only ever improves in the winter. Poor Kurdy! Any advice? She's an ugly cat to begin with, but now she's an ugly cat that looks like we neglect her! Help!
Thanks!
kono - If you read up the read a bit, we were discussing the possibility that advantage has lost it's oomph. Ask your vet for another med.
k - does this look anything like what's going on?
He doesn't make himself bloody.
