Does anybody elses cat get sore spots on the skin that they.

[Sara]

on abandoned or feral cats. It looks sort of dark and greasy but I assume that is when it's really advanced. Maybe a very minor case in a well cared for cat would not be so obvious. I was not sure that the neck area culture/scraping would show something that was in the ears. So all I have to ask for is the culture/scraping in the neck area? Forgive me but I have to be specific here in Argentina I have found.

I will ask for all 3 tests and get the new shampoo. Funny thing is, I am going to ask for the same tests for my s/o, lol! Skin problems sure are tough.

[Traci]

For earmites, a q-tip swab of the ear, then placed on a slide under the microscope.

For other mites/fleas/parasites/fungals or determining the cause for the skin problem, skin scrape and/or culture. If the skin scrape doesn't reveal anything, then I would suggest the culture, a culture can take up to 10-13 days to get results though. A skin scrape slide exam only takes a few seconds in the clinic.

The reasoning behind using the neck area for collecting cells or fur follicles, is that this is an extremely sensitive area, any mite can inhabit this area, although earmites will originate in the ear. For example, if there are earmites, when kitty shakes his head or grooms excessively, those mites in the ear will travel outward, and they can be found elsewhere on the body. This also is a way for them to transmit between your other cats. (by cuddling, grooming each other)

Skin conditions may also be generalized or localized, and if they are, chances are, sample cells from the neck area will probably be positive for what the vet is looking for in particular. The back of the neck is the least frequently groomed area for the cat, so this is the preferred location to collect these samples.

[Tina B and crew]

Sara....she essentially took a very thorough history of her and her behaviors etc....did blood work but didn't do any allergy testing. My vet did do a scraping to rule out fungus or mites. Frodo had really terrible skin issues. She would lose the fur around her tail, on her tail, on her side and on her belly. She kept one sore on her side that just kept getting larger. Essentially we did a process of elimination, even going as far as changing the type of bowls we fed her in, water we gave her, foods. I think it took a while for her to completely heal because she had suffered so badly. Like I said, our previous vet treated her, but he just kept telling us we would need to come back for cortisone shots when she developed the sores. I just don't like that approach myself.

Frodo also had emotional issues, whether they were part of the cause or due to the skin problems I'm not sure...but they both cleared up simultaineously. She's a pretty happy camper now

[Sara]

Yes, I don't like the idea of constant cortisone therapy either. I am glad you figured this out. What an ordeal though. Luckiy Vest is not nearly this bad but I just can't stand these tiny sore spots. I find it odd that him and s/o are both having problems. I will be interested to find out what is the source. Vest is very happy though and has a special relationship with us and his two brothers. He sort of runs the household and the other cats. He has no confidence problems. Although deep down I am sure he is troubled about that time he had knee surgery. He is still very afraid of vets. Sara

[Sara]

she does not think it's a fungus but perhaps an allergy. We are going to test one thing at a time so as not to stress him too much. We are getting new floors in the kitchen and this has created some stress in the household. Also I will be out of town for 2 nights this weekend. She prescribed him some cream that pretty much covers every kind of skin problem. 3 times a day and a re-check on Friday. I also bought some Rx medicated shampoo for cats to use on him when I get home from the weekend. She is going to do a skin scraping test Fri. or Sat. and send it to the lab to be looked at under the microscope. This will be the first test in a process of elimination. My s/o is also going to the derm. for a skin scraping test. I will be looking for hypoallergenic laundry soap and fabric softner although I am not sure it's available in this country.

[Susan and the girls]

I just found it the other day. I noticed that she had some black specks at the base of her tail and realized it was from fleas. I haven't treated them in a while, since they're indoors and rarely get fleas, but apparently there's one out there somewhere.

Belle gets really worked up if we scratch her near the base of her tail, so I was checking out that spot to see if that might be why she gets so worked up. I started looking closer, and realized there was a balding spot - where big flakes of skin were coming off - where the black specks were. It has to be from the fleas.

Is it safe to put flea medication on her when she's got this weird stuff going on? The spot is about the size of a nickel, and I think I aggravated it when I used the slicker brush on her back. She doesn't seem to "hurt" there, but it looks a teeny bit red in one tiny spot. Other than that, it's just bald and flaky.

[Sara]

get some shampoo from your vet and some flea drops, bathe and treat her for fleas. She probably has tape worms as well so I would probably get her treated for that. The skin should clear up once she is clean and parasite free.

[Traci]

If you haven't seen evidence of fleas, and you haven't seen them on any of your other cats, don't assume they are fleas, whereas it could be mites. Best to check ears for signs of earmites in all cats, and if none, wait a week or so, monitor that spot, and if healing, ask your vet for flea protection.

[Sara]

if that was bad advice. I thought she was pretty sure it was flea droppings.

[Traci]

Not at all, Sara, it very well could be fleas, but her kitty Belle is not an outdoor kitty, the fleas in the home may not be bad enough yet this time of year, given her location. I was just adding other possibilities...