So sometime in the past few hours, one of my kitties started scratching the back of her head, hard enough that there's a patch where all her hair is gone and she's broken the skin. I have NO IDEA what is going on and the vet isn't open until tomorrow or monday at the earliest. She's still scratching at it, and I've wiped it down with a wet cloth in case it was something that got on her skin.
Does anyone have any clue what this might be? Help, please, I'm freaking out.
[ March 04, 2007, 09:39 PM: Message edited by: erosomniac ]
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Any chance it's fleas? Is there any little brownish-black grit that comes off your cat and turns maroon in water? (flea poop has blood)
[ March 03, 2007, 10:13 PM: Message edited by: ClaudiaTherese ]
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
KPC used to be a vet tech. I'll ask him.
Calm down. They're like kids, they can sense your stress and it makes them worse. Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Quoth KPC:
It could be fleas. Some animals are extremely allergic to flea bites and one bite can make them scratch excessively.
It could also be something that got on her that she's allergic to.
He says children's Benadryl might be okay, but he needs to look up the dosage.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
(He says it doesn't sound life-threatening.)
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
What would KPC think of putting a piece of ice to the skin for 1-2 minutes? This helped my flea bites before -- much less itchy.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
If you can get the cat to sit still for that long, it might work, but most cats won't stand for that, especially on an irritated area.
(Oh, and he says your advice was excellently put about how to check for fleas. )
Pediatric Benadryl (diphenhydramine) in liquid form is okay. Dosage is 0.25 to 0.5 mg per lb. of weight. Ask the pharmacist for a small syringe (like they use for dosing babies), they should give you one for free. Draw up the correct amount and hold the sides of the mouth, toward the back, with your first finger and thumb. Squirt toward the back side of the mouth/throat and then quickly shut the cat's mouth and hold it shut until she swallows. If you need help calculating the dose, just ask. Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Aloe Vera gel might help. I had a similar problem with my two cats for a while. Turned out for them the problem was fleas. Things that can make a cat itch are fleas, tapeworms or roundworms, or mange. A vet will have to examine your kitty to be sure. The most common thing is fleas. The best flea medicine I know of is Frontline Plus. (Hartz is only 80%-90% effective.) Frontline Plus kills 100% of fleas within 48 hours, and prevents flea eggs & larvae from developing. It comes in small squeeze tubes, that allow you to apply a few drops at the base of the cat's neck, where it is most difficult for a cat to reach. In a short time the medicine mixes with skin oil and spreads all over. It protects a cat for a month.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
*preens
I knows me some fleas. Unfortunately. In my past, though, which is fortunate. (I went through periods of time of less control over where I could lay my head, and fleas just, well, came with the territory I could afford. I still have scars on my legs from them.)
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
KPC much prefers Advantage to Frontline for cats. But other than that, agreed. The Benadryl will help with the symptoms for now, though.
CT, that's awful. I hate fleas. One time one of our cats got out (they're indoor kitties) and he and his brother kept re-infecting each other and we finally had to use flea powder in the carpets and Advantage on the cats before they all went away.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
*nods
My fleas were pre-Advantage/Frontline era. The woman whose house I was staying in fought the fleas by putting curls of cucumber peels stuffed with baking soda in the corners of the rooms.
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
I love Hatrack. Is there anything you collectively don't know? (with the exception of a the source of a certain quote).
It's a perfect microcosm of the internet in that it's a massive repository of information, but with the added benefit of grammar and respect.
edit: Sorry about your kitty Erso, I have no helpful advice, but I’m sure s/he’ll be just fine.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
Catsupqueen? I've heard of Advantage, but never tried it. I hear it is newer than Frontline. How does it compare to Frontline price-wise? Here in SE Michigan, Frontline Plus is available for about $45 (for three month doses), but can be ordered from Petmeds for less than that. (Most flea meds add the word "Plus" when they also contain a chemical that inhibits flea eggs and larvae from developing.)
Frontline Plus works so well, that when we had an infestation of fleas in the house so bad that even setting off flea bombs did not kill them all, we simply started using Frontline Plus on the cats, and within a month all the fleas in the house were gone--they would jump on the cats and die.
You can get Frontline Plus from vets and from better pet supply stores, or order them over the internet.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Thanks, guys. I gave her a mild bath (boy, that was a battle) just in case it was something on her skin. I didn't see any of the runoff CT mentioned, and my other cat seems fine, but I've scheduled them both for the vet anyway.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Good plan. I hope she feels better soon.
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
ketchupqueen, your instructions for administering liquid to a cat are good, but I found it helpful to tilt my cat's head back, so the liquid flows downhill into the cat's throat. Then hold the cat's mouth closed, still tilting the head up, until the cat swallows. This is how I administer liquid roundworm medication. You also have to hold your cat's mouth closed and head tilted back until he/she swallows when you are giving them medicine in tablet form. They will spit it out, otherwise.
I can get my cats to accept tablets if they are small enough, of course, and are smeared with a dab of butter or margarine, and then coated with brewer's yeast (primary grown on molasses for people to eat). All cats love brewer's yeast.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I guess KPC was just assuming if you're holding the cat's head it will be tilted back. That's absolutely right. He says if they won't swallow it can also be helpful to stroke the throat with a finger (while still holding the mouth closed, of course.)
He did it for 7 years, he's got it down to a science, but we still have one cat that's hard to dose. It can be quite a pill to pill a cat. Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
You're right about that. It is exasperating to be trying to feed a cat a couple of pills for tapeworms, knowing they cost about $5 or more each, and have the cat spit them out.
By the way, for those who are not familiar with brewer's yeast, it is the kind you would get from a health food store. It is bright yellow in color, in the form of fine flakes. There is a more brownish variety also sold, but it has a slightly bitter taste, since it is grown on barley malt. Nutritional yeast primary grown for human consumption is grown on a molasses base, and has no bitter taste. Its taste resembles cheddar cheese. It's great over popcorn. It is 50% protein, and the best source of B vitamins on the planet (although only torula yeast has much B-12). I like to share good things with my cats.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
My cats have always liked garbonzo beans. Especially falafel. Especially falafel batter before it's cooked.
Posted by RunningBear (Member # 8477) on :
That sounds like an interesting story.
Posted by Shan (Member # 4550) on :
My kitties have all liked brewer's yeast. It also comes with a nice urban myth about helping to cut down on (you guessed it) flea infestations.
That being said, nice reminder thread . . . Sam just got his dose of Advantage, followed up bu some "chase the string."
*grin*
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
One of my friends advised me on how to makeshift bandage the wound to keep her from scratching it, and it's sort of working. This is breaking my heart, though. She looks so sad.
Times like this I wish I was still young and living at home, since my parents would inevitably know how to handle this better than me.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
eros, did you try the benadryl?
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Not yet - I have none in the house, and no way to get any at this time of night, and no syringe. But it's on my list of things to do tomorrow.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Ah. No 24 hour pharmacies handy? Eckherd, CVS, something like that?
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Nope. There's probably a Walgreens somewhere, but no buses running, and my car's tabs expired. =/
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Awww. Poor kitty.
I hope she's better tommorow, then.
Did you try a baking soda paste? That can be soothing on bug bites. Baking soda and water. And it isn't poisonous to cats (I think.)
*checks with KPC*
He says baking soda should be fine, especially since in a small amount on top of the head it's unlikely she could get enough to hurt her even if it was harmful in large amounts.
The other thing my mom used to do was oatmeal paste (like an oatmeal bath when you have the chickenpox, but without the bath); grind oatmeal up in the blender, mix with water, and apply. I bet you could do that mixed with baking soda and it would be even more soothing. No guarantees it will help, but doesn't hurt to try, right?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, rosemary is also supposed to be soothing/analgesic. And I know for a fact it doesn't harm kitties 'cause the cats around here eat wild rosemary all the time.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
I know it's Sunday, but any update on the kitty yet?
Posted by Tatiana (Member # 6776) on :
Poor kitty! Please let us know how she's doing.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
I just woke up. She looks like she's been scratching at the bandage, but it also looks like the bandage has been doing a decent job of keeping her away from it (I put some gauze over the wounded area, then wrapped a cut up sock around it firmly but not tightly, then applied a layer of duct tape to keep it in place and make it scratch proof, so no sticky kitty!).
I checked the wound and it's much less irritated-looking this morning. She's wandering around and actually purred when I pet her, a HUGE improvement over yesterday when she just sat in the closet looking sad. She still doesn't really want to play, though, so my other kitten is going crazy with boredom. Thank goodness for laser pointers!
I'm going to keep my eye on her and see if she's still trying to scratch today, and if she is I'm going to try the oatmeal/baking soda/rosemary ideas. I'm planning on heading to the drugstore after a meeting this morning.
Thanks again for the advice & concern, guys. Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
It sounds to me more like an allergic reaction to something (soap or something) than like fleas. But that you may have it under control.
Posted by Dragon (Member # 3670) on :
laser pointer + cat = possibly the most fun ever.
I'm glad your kitty is doing better! Keep us posted on what the vet says.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Update: we went to the animal rescue place that we got them from and they said they had been treating our girls for ear mites before we adopted them, and they may have resurfaced, so we picked up mineral oil and treated the insides of her ears, and she seems fine now!
Still going to vet them on Monday to be sure, but...HOORAY!
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Oh thank goodness it seems to be something relatively minor. Headscritches for kitties!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Great! Glad she's better!
It did sound like an allergic or hyper-reaction, though. My cats have had mites and never reacted like that. You might ask the vet to make sure the area is clean and not likely to get infected, and while you're out you might pick up some liquid Bendaryl to have around, just in case she ever gets bit by anything again ('cause if she's allergic to one, she's likely allergic to them all.)
Posted by Ron Lambert (Member # 2872) on :
I didn't think of ear mites. But any kind of infestation can cause an allergic reaction that produces skin itching. Fleas is most common, because that is what cats get most often.
If your cat has ear mites, you should be able to see a clumpy mass inside the ears. My nephew very carefully removed as much as he could from his cat with Q-tips. He said the cat actually enjoyed it.
Posted by BlackBlade (Member # 8376) on :
I too had some recent cat related drama, Ill have to toss it in this thread tomorrow when I've got time.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Back from the vet, and...nothing! They ran some tests and there's no sign of any parasites of any kind, at all, so we're sort of stumped. The vet suspects the allergic reaction lead y'all mentioned is a good one, and gave me some kitty anti-allergens, plus some anti-itch cream stuff that will hopefully make this better.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote:I put some gauze over the wounded area, then wrapped a cut up sock around it firmly but not tightly, then applied a layer of duct tape to keep it in place and make it scratch proof, so no sticky kitty!.
Very very very cool! I hope you took pictures? Share? Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:The vet suspects the allergic reaction lead y'all mentioned is a good one
Out of curiosity... Did you say to the vet, "So, members of an online community which I frequent told me that..." Or did you just say, "My friends came up with..." or perhaps just bring up, "Might it be an allergic reaction?"
Personally, I usually go for "I was asking some friends about it and..." Not mentioning that y'all are my online friends unless I'm specifically asked. I think it makes me seem a little less weird. Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
I actually said I asked some people on a forum, and I think she assumed it was a pet/cat forum. Hooray for dodging the whole subject!
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
And dodging the whole picture question. Hmm.
I want pictures. Please? Pretty pretty pretty please? With a cherry on top? Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Eros, glad to hear you're kitty's doing better even though the reason is still a mystery. My mom has a cat who has to take a 1/4 of a Pepcid tablet every day (or else she pukes every day -- charming, I know). She also fights every kind of medication administration with all the fear and fury a feline can muster. However, smoosh the pill into a little bit of cheese and she begs for it. Luckily for us!
The same cat also has a mystery ear itch. It comes and goes, and she sits there with a perturbed expression on her face while one ear flattens out sideways, and eventually she'll start scratching it. The vet has never found mites or anything else--so who knows? But she's never scratched a bare spot or drawn blood, so it's not that big a deal.
Posted by MidnightBlue (Member # 6146) on :
Perhaps she has a hearing problem or gets a buzzing in that ear.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
quote:Originally posted by quidscribis: And dodging the whole picture question. Hmm.
I want pictures. Please? Pretty pretty pretty please? With a cherry on top?
I didn't take any and she's not wearing it anymore, or I'd happily indulge you. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Ruin my fun, why don't'cha? Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
Manapua started losing a lot of weight about a week ago. I took her to the vet two days ago and they ran a gauntlet of tests on her because she had four degrees of fever: x-rays, blood work, drawing fluid from her abdomen. They said I had to wait until Monday for results.
The vet just called; it turns out every single worst case scenario came true, and Manapua has a mutated form of the corona virus, as well as feline leukemia virus, and a plethora of other problems. The doctor told me once she starts having dietary or excretory problems, it's time to think about putting her down.
She hasn't eaten in five days at least, and last night she lost bladder control.
He thinks I should put her down today or tomorrow. She's almost 8 months old. I've only had her for 3.
I...I just...
Posted by vonk (Member # 9027) on :
Oh no! That is horrible and I feel your pain, especially a kitten! (((eros))) (((Manapua)))
Posted by ludosti (Member # 1772) on :
Oh no!!!! I'm so sorry your kitten is so sick. I know how heart-wrenching it is to have to put a pet down and all I can really say is that I'm so sorry. (((eros))) ((Manapua)) Even though you haven't had her long, I'm glad she has had you to love her and care for her.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
I'm so sorry, erosomniac.
Posted by Uprooted (Member # 8353) on :
Oh, Eros. Poor Manapua. I'm so so sorry. I know how the little critters can get into your heart.
Posted by erosomniac (Member # 6834) on :
So it turns out the mutated form of the corona virus, IPV or somethingorother, was the killer. It makes their tummies fill with fluid, and you have to keep draining it--frequently as often as 12-24 hours later. That, rather than FeLV, was why the vet made his recommendation.
Which is good, because our other kitten tested positive for FeLV.
Manapua's asleep now. I hope she's dreaming kitten dreams.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Ah, eros, I'm sorry.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Oh, man.
Out of curiosity, did they not test the kittens before you adopted them? At every shelter I've been to they test for FeLV before putting cats in the communal cat room.
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
quote:Out of curiosity... Did you say to the vet, "So, members of an online community which I frequent told me that..." Or did you just say, "My friends came up with..." or perhaps just bring up, "Might it be an allergic reaction?"
Personally, I usually go for "I was asking some friends about it and..." Not mentioning that y'all are my online friends unless I'm specifically asked. I think it makes me seem a little less weird.
Yeah, me too. To my husband or mother I'll say "Hatrack says" or "my Hatrack friends," (*whispers* because they know) but otherwise it's "I read somewhere," "I was listening to this conversation where," "I know this guy who" and "my friends said."
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
Eros, that so totally sucks. Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
I don't know how I missed your last two posts, erosomniac, but that is horrible! I will be thinking of you two.
Posted by Squish (Member # 9191) on :
We called the shelter we got them from and the mother of the two was negative for both AIDS and FeLV. They believe the carrier was a human who had pet a positive kitten before coming in to play with these two. The brother (that we didn't adopt) is being tested and we'll be alerted as to whether or not they've found the source of the virus. Hashi is still doing fine. Eros looked it up and sometimes kittens with FeLV can live up to 8-15 years without dramatic problems. Hopefully she's one of them.
Posted by Jutsa Notha Name (Member # 4485) on :
quote:Originally posted by Uprooted: I know how the little critters can get into your heart.
There's medicine for that now, you know.
Posted by breyerchic04 (Member # 6423) on :
I do know of a cat that has lived in the ten year range with FeLuk, and is still doing well. He is also in a home with three FeLuk negative cats who are remaining negative with vaccinations.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I've heard similar stories. There is hope. Posted by Jutsa Notha Name (Member # 4485) on :
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Poor kitty.