Help with Cat - Is this normal?
This is all of the sudden. My cat is a little overweight, and when you pet her on her back toward her tail she starts chewing on her leg. She is a nine year old Calico. At first we didn't think anything of it, but I came home today, and scratched her back there and she started going nuts. I noticed she was chewing on her leg, and now some hair is missing..I dont have the $ to take her to the vet. I would like to get some feedback before I take her so I dont spend the money on an evaluation. I would rather spend it on surgery or something like that. It seems like something is bothering her when you scratch her back. Like she gets some sensation in her left pw that makes her chew. She is an indoor cat. Please Help
Help with Cat - Is this normal?
Re: Help with Cat - Is this normal?
Please understand cats need yearly exams so that you can catch any hidden problems before they escalate. All cats over the age of 7 also should have yearly or twice-yearly full blood profiles done so you can monitor vital organ function like heart, liver, kidneys, etc.
So, whether your cat has what seems like a minimal issue or not, any time anything unusual occurs, the rule of thumb is better safe than sorry. An exam fee is pretty darn minimal compared to not having detected something, waiting for it to escalate into a much worsening and expensive problem.
My guess is that since she's overweight, she can't reach certain areas in which to thoroughly groom herself, so it's possible that she itches in the area you are scratching/petting and her instinct is to chew another area that she can actually get to.
HOWEVER, this may or may not be the case, only your vet can tell you with certainty, with an exam. It could be she has skin issues, or fleas, or a mite problem. The problem is that she is chewing her legs and fur loss is a result, this is not normal. It's also encouraging the behavior so that if she's uncomfortable or stressed, she'll start chewing more fur and the result will be fur loss and scabby areas in many various other areas of her body. These areas would then be prime areas for bacterial infection.
Also, because she's overweight, she is also prone to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc, so the sooner you get her examined by your vet, the sooner the weight can be addressed properly to avoid future (and expensive) health issues.
Your vet will perform a body condition score, determine her caloric needs and will recommend either reducing the amount you're currently feeding or will recommend a new diet altogether to target her ideal weight. You'll have to take her in for regular weight checks (monthly) to gauge her progress because you don't want her losing more than 1 pound in a month or so, as too sudden or drastic weight loss can be extremely dangerous for cats. Most vets do not charge for regular weight checks.
So, make the appointment and get her seen, she's depending on YOU to do the right thing, get her examined, her weight addressed properly and determine if she has a skin issue or not.
So, whether your cat has what seems like a minimal issue or not, any time anything unusual occurs, the rule of thumb is better safe than sorry. An exam fee is pretty darn minimal compared to not having detected something, waiting for it to escalate into a much worsening and expensive problem.
My guess is that since she's overweight, she can't reach certain areas in which to thoroughly groom herself, so it's possible that she itches in the area you are scratching/petting and her instinct is to chew another area that she can actually get to.
HOWEVER, this may or may not be the case, only your vet can tell you with certainty, with an exam. It could be she has skin issues, or fleas, or a mite problem. The problem is that she is chewing her legs and fur loss is a result, this is not normal. It's also encouraging the behavior so that if she's uncomfortable or stressed, she'll start chewing more fur and the result will be fur loss and scabby areas in many various other areas of her body. These areas would then be prime areas for bacterial infection.
Also, because she's overweight, she is also prone to heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, etc, so the sooner you get her examined by your vet, the sooner the weight can be addressed properly to avoid future (and expensive) health issues.
Your vet will perform a body condition score, determine her caloric needs and will recommend either reducing the amount you're currently feeding or will recommend a new diet altogether to target her ideal weight. You'll have to take her in for regular weight checks (monthly) to gauge her progress because you don't want her losing more than 1 pound in a month or so, as too sudden or drastic weight loss can be extremely dangerous for cats. Most vets do not charge for regular weight checks.
So, make the appointment and get her seen, she's depending on YOU to do the right thing, get her examined, her weight addressed properly and determine if she has a skin issue or not.
..........Traci