Feline Skin Sore Licking

by Heather
(Pittsburgh, PA, USA)

I adopted Faith a year and a half ago. At the time, she had a couple of spots on her that she had licked raw. I had hoped that she was only bored or frustrated at the shelter and would stop licking after she became comfortable in her new home.

Every couple of months or so I take her to the vet to get a Depo shot to help her heal, however, this doesn't always heal completely before the spots become raw and scabby again. Also, the shots can lead to kidney problems, and I don't want to have to deal with that again (I have treated a CRF cat before with sub-q's before).

I had a biopsy performed, which didn't resolve anything. The vet says she probably has an allergy but we don't know what to do.

Now, at first I didn't know that these spots were due to obsessive licking and have since learned that this is her behavior. I have also learned that she licks on her shoulders, both sides. When I first adopted her one or two of her spots were in other locations, but in the past year and a half these spots have only appeared on her shoulders. And I always see her licking.

I would really like to find an alternative to giving Faith steroid shots, which aren't always working anyhow. I would accept a cream or salve that would be safe for Faith to lick since I know she's going to lick it. It has to relieve her itch or pain, I just wish I knew what my poor girl was feeling.

Please help if you can. Thank you!

--Heather

Editor Suggestion Feline Skin Sore from Licking

Hi Heather,

Allergies are the most common reason for a cat to obsessively lick (other than fleas, perhaps), and the fact that Faith’s condition at least temporarily responds to the steroid injections makes this pretty likely in her case.

There are some microscopic external parasites that can cause similar symptoms, though. They can be pretty hard to diagnose, so if I have a patient like Faith, I’ll often just go ahead and treat for them. Three doses of Revolution (selamectin) 2 weeks apart will usually do the trick. Talk to your vet to see if he or she thinks this might be worth a try.

But, if allergies are the final diagnosis, I’m afraid topical medications are probably not going to help too much. As you mentioned, Faith will probably lick them off quickly and while this wouldn’t necessarily hurt her, it does mean that they won’t have a chance to do much good, either.

You could try an oral steroid like prednisolone, which would allow you to find the lowest, effective dose for Faith and reduce the possibility of side effects developing. Other medications (e.g., Atopica) are also available for treating allergies, but these are not free of side effects either.

Keep working at finding a solution for Faith. She must be super itchy and uncomfortable. Making an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist is always an option too.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM