posted 10-12-2002 10:15 PM           

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HELP! My adult Maine Coon is scratching like she has fleas, but she doesn't!! She scratches and bites, and is making sores on herself...places where she is scabbed. Today I noticed a spot on her back that has no hair, like she has scratched it off!!!
What can I do to stop this??? She has never done this before...she is about 5 years old, we have had her for just under 4 years.

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posted 01-12-2003 01:37 AM           

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My cat does the same thing. I just read an allergy page. It could be food, pollen, contact or fleas. Food is signified by more hairballs being thrown up and can 6-8 weeks to see a difference. The others are pretty self explanatory (contact seems to be something in the home new and different).
I am clueless too...Arh!

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From: NC -USA
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posted 01-13-2003 12:44 PM         

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I would first bathe cat in an antifungal shampoo, and rinse, rinse, rinse. Sometimes if a cat isn't rinsed off well, itching and all can occur. Then, ask yourself what has changed in the environment or food...put cat slowly over 7-10 days on a diet for allergies, ask your vet or quality pet store. I would put cat on Program for it's weight size, available cheap through Lambriarvet. You can also take cat to vet for a skin scraping. So now, you are so far looking at allergies, fleas, fungal, skin problem solving. Now, it can also be behavioral, nerves. And this would be known if none of the above seem to diminish this scratching. If it continued, I would definitely have the vet take a skin tissue scraping again. Just to be sure.
Does cat go outside? If so, I would stop allowing it. In essence, taking a step-by-step approach to the problem gently would probably yield the reason your baby is scratching so badly. Good luck now.

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posted 01-29-2003 01:46 PM         

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You can use vitamin e tablets on the sores your just use a needle to prick the gel tablet open and apply in sore use about 2 times a day for about a week hair will grow back very fast too if any is missing

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posted 01-29-2003 07:36 PM         

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I tend to agree with Pauline. Vitamin E sounds a good soother, but the condition actually needs treating as well if it's as bad as you say, and preferably diagnosis. Also even with adequate Flea Prevention a flea can still get by and bite. This can cause nasty allergic reactions in animals.I know this as I'm going through similar with my dog and trying out all sorts of things.(But that's for the Doggy Forum.)

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