My cat has a spot near his tail which he always rips out a certain chunk of fur seasonally. The vets can't seem to pinpoint it exactly other than seasonal allergies. They had given him some ointment which heals the spot as well as got him to stop licking. next time i'm home i'll ask mom what kind of creme it was if you'd like!

I think my cat do same thing at her neck area. when she at stressed around strange peoples/New pet coming live with us. So Now seem settle down. @_@ Not sure what but I guess from stressed/OCD on licking

Well that's good. :3

Does she have fleas? Like do you know for sure?
Because if she does and she's scratching alot, then that might be the problem!

My dog Ace was pretty much losing hair on his shoulders and (hilariously) his ass. lol
Not only that, but he had painful, painful scars on the base of his tail and on his shoulders from scratching. :C and they would open up and he'd bleed and augh. it was a mess.
We knew he had fleas and tried to give him flea shampoos/baths. We honestly thought he had an allergic reaction to the shampoo so we took him in to the vet.
Turns out my dog was getting pretty mangled by the fleas, and, additionally, he was allergic TO the fleas - hence the hair loss. otherwise, he was completely healthy.
they pretty much took him in, shaved him up, washed his wounds, gave me antibiotics and this medicine called 'cap star' that literally removes the fleas within an hour the dog takes it. but its only prescribed by the vet. i guess the pill goes into the dogs blood stream and after fleas bite the dog, they die from consuming the tainted blood. i was pretty astonished by it. they also gave me some frontline to give him for like 2 months.

needless to say, with all of what she gave me, his condition improved literally within the week.

but what concerns me is the fact that you had a pretty scruffy cat in the vicinity with her. the coincidence between that and your current cat's condition makes me a bit worried that your cat may have contracted some kind of illness. D: with that being said, if she goes back to old habits after you remove the cone, you should take her into the vetttt.

also, keep in mind that when cats pull their fur out from stress, their skin does not itch. they just pull their fur out basically. if she's notably itchy then something could be ailing her!

This is exactly what I was trying to say in the last journal to her. It is extremely common for cats and dogs to be allergic to fleas, and to be honest there are so many parasites they can get from them that topical flea preventative really ideally should be put on every pet.
I hate throwing it around but I'm a vet tech student and I work in practice (though i am new to this so I don't know everything).

Luckily in cats they have a product called revolution and it goes into the bloodstream and kills a TON of shit. Revolution kills fleas and ear mites, so there is a possibility it could kill sarcoptic and demodectic mange if she had it because they two are both classes of mites. But cats and dogs are nothing a like when it comes to body systems and cats very rarely get mange. Demodectic mange is immune system based and sarcoptic comes from extremely dirty conditions. Sarcoptic mange is also UNBEARABLY itchy beyond fleas itchy. ( I wouldn't recomend frontline on cats or dogs too much because SOMETIMES, depending, it doesn't work. I just put frontline on my other cat and she still has fleas)

And from what she says, if the condition is improving then it has be fleas. Mange is what causes the hair loss and crusting because it burrows in the skin. Fleas don't damage the skin like they do, so the improvement in the skin would be the evidnece that it's flea allery dematitis. There's a possibility she might still have to take her cat to the vet depending on how irritated the skin is. If it's infected the cat has to go on an antibiotic (my cat JUST had this and they put her on clavamox, it's a little expensive but the price really depends on the duration the medication is going to be given).

Pulling fur out from stress, I personally don't feel, would happen to this extent without ANY previous history of doing so. It's apossibility but I'd place bets on flea allergy dermatitis before i'd bet stress. I can't explain it anymore than "this is the text book symptoms" and "my cat acted EXACTLY the same way."


(I replied because I figured you might want to know for your own personal information) (plus I just love talking about animal pathology and pharmacology. lol;;)

it sucks because for something that is SO so helpful to pets (something that /should/ be put on every pet) it is sooo bloody expensive. you'd think you'd have it over the counter, since it's such a common occurrence in animals. it's pretty funny how the over the counter cheap flea products are literally the ones that can kill your animals lmao (http://www.hartzkills.org/)
and awwww lucky you! i hope you become successful in the field! I'm not vet tech but I haveee a lotttt of animals. so i've made quite a few vet trips and been around for quite a bunch of things lol (admittedly I was going for the field, too! but I decided to switch my major to graphic design.. maybe. <3 I'm getting my associates to give myself an opportunity to choose. but yes, moving onn)

Revolution sounds just about the same as capstar, which killed my dogs fleas within the hour. Frontline thankfully did the trick for my dog after capstar. I'm not sure how theres a way to use too much frontline unless you don't read the directions? But from the looks of this whole situation I don't really think any preventative was used on the kitty. :x

but yea, i'm leaning towards fleas now myself. it sounds pretty heavily like the same situation my dog had.
with that being said, i'd still recommend going to the vet regardless. :x my dog had a nasty, nasty flea infestation and they literally helped him pretty immediately.
if not, then i think a product like frontline would give much more plausible results than an over the counter flea bath.
usually over the counter products NEVER work from my experience. and, as you said, if there's infection (like my dog had from scratching so much), antibiotics. D:

but yea I agree with you about the stress as well!
(and no it's totally fine. i love talking about animals period so im with ya there.) xD

Yeah, omg. Once my mom came home with a hartz product and I almost seized. It isn't necesarily that over the counter is always bad, but the problem is you get what you pay for. You can't go to walmart or a supermarket for anything pet related, you honestly can't.
It was weird because I've had cats for years and they were always health, never needed flea preventative, ate food we could literally get in any super market, and lived long healthy lives.

As soon as I hit the vet tech program and we got my new kittens is when I began to one on one learn about everything. I feel like literally as I was learning about everything that it was happening right in front of my eyes. It wasn't even because I didn't see it. I'd notice something off about my cats and the next day learn about it at work or in school. It's amazing to learn about something and then see it right in front of your eyes the next day or even the day before. So I went from supermarket food and no necessary extra care to special diet food and having to be on a religious cycle of topical flea meds. but yeah

Revolution isn't like capstar because capstar is instant and doesn't work any longer than a period of about 12-14 hrs. Revolution is more like frontline, advantix, advantige; it works for a month. The difference being the formula is newer so it makes it more effective. We've been learning in parasitology class that Frontline hasn't changed it's formula in so long that fleas have become resistant to it.

Seeing a vet in a situation like this is always best, but I completely understand /not having the money/. But I know some people /just rather not spend the money/. Unfortunately that's nothing I can control. I rather just give the advice because tbh any information/help is better than constantly hearing about them suffering.

Fleas fortunately are manageable and as long as the cat has the topical on and she washes everything in the house in hot water and vaccumes then the situation will resolve quickly. The possible infection is really the biggest thing to worry about. I'm not saying anything bad about anyone, but in the field you learn not to expect much or assume. The people you'd never expect to put out the money surprise you and the ones who can afford to put out the money tend to look at you like you have 3 heads when you ask them about it. The field is great, but there's a lot you can't control that you kind of wish you could.

I'm no vet tech*

If it's not fleas or mange, then once she's healed enough to take the collar off you could try putting a very diluted amount of bittrex on the spots that she has been licking/ripping out fur to get her to stop. Bittrex is an extremely bitter tasting substance that is used to stop children/pets from eating poison. It's also used to stop people with nail-biting problems.

Good to hear! ^^

Take good care of her fur as well! Cats can get dirty really fast if they can't groom.

My cockatoo has to wear an E collar. Her previous owners didn't know how to care for her properly, so because of those issues she pretty much has to wear one for the rest of her life. It's only been a couple months but I don't think we'll be able to find another solution :c


Good luck with the cat! And I think Aloe may be better than vegtable oil?

ouch.. im guessing shes a plucker?

id try other methods since an e-collar kinda limits a parrots life..

maybe call up a rescue and ask for advice. how old is the bird?

Yes, unfortunately :/

She also self mutilates, during the superbowl she ripped a nice hole in her leg.

And she's from a rescue, I used to volunteer for them. I had to stop going in unfortunately because their facility manager is crazy. She gave me horrible advice on caring for her and is very rude. She told me to give her treats when she did her territorial dance??? She also told me it was totally fine to pet her down her back. I've had a ton of issues with them unfortunately.
The rescue told me she'd probably have to wear the collar when I adopted her.

They also didn't even bother to check her bracelet, they said she was 12... HAHAHA no she's 39

I hate the collar myself, she can't be a bird with it on... We had plans to build an aviary in the back yard, and I've been looking forward to flight training her since she wears her aviator harness so well.

I am looking into other options, like having her on anxiety medication or buying a double macaw cage :c

Do you have experience with parrots? I'm all ears for suggestions, I hate seeing my baby still being affected by her past owners' ignorance.

Oh wow, that is so intense, you are very brave for taking in a bird that most would overlook because of the mutilation issues ;;

I only have experience with owning a cockatoo, not one that plucks. I have a 13 year old sulfur crested cockatoo (triton cockatoo). I've had her since she was a little pin cushin, she is probably one of the quietest cockatoos I've seen/known. She was well socialized at a young age, she is pretty independant but also loves to go out on car rides to meet new people.

Has your bird calmed down at all? There are so many factors that go into a bird going bonkers, its so sad that she is that old and is so crazy. I'm glad she will be in a more stable home. It is quiet an undertaking, but I do enjoy trying to rehab birds. The quaker I got for free on craigslist had plucked his chest because he was locked away.. at only 2.. hes all better now, a happy talkative lil guy..

I'd say if anything, its always just positive reinforcement, calm voice, learning their body language and knowing when to give them space. I wonder if she was locked away alot for screaming. Meds sound like they may do her good, but maybe get her checked out by a vet to see what they say. Its so sad >:

Ahh I love sulfers, every one I've met is a little clown.

And I guess it is, but I fell in love with her the minute she came into the rescue(I was working that day). Which is funny because I was looking for a grey haha.

We have taken her to the vet, they gave us some medication for her mind and her leg and put the ecollar on her. We were told to remove it when the pin feathers under her wing started to poof at the end, and we did... and a week later there were scabs on her legs. Also the vet said that it may be an option to have her on medication, we need to look into it.
She is very outgoing and loves everyone and is super sweet and spoiled, total ham, like most 'toos.

She will be fine for one weeks and then just out of nowhere start ripping into her legs :c

I'm a pretty good read of parrot body language.


And no, she was given attention for screaming, unfortunately. She'll scream to get attention. I've been working on breaking that habit though and it's going well.

My cat is also having issues too :(
She keeps licking this spot by her stomach by one of her nipples and making it raw. The only thing that seems to keep her from doing it is a cone and some ointment for her skin. I took her to the vet and he said it might be due to food allergies. (hypo allergic food is expensiveeee ;_;)

Have you looked into a raw diet? It works with dogs with food allergies

I have not but I will deff look into it and try it.

Good luck!

Hey Falvie,

I found my way here randomly from your art ...other... account... well, you know what I mean XD

I have a 15-year-old cat, Wintressia, who has a plethora of health problems, so I have been through the wringer when it comes to treating kitty health issues. Win has chronic renal failure (she's lost something like 75% of her kidney function), she has high blood pressure, and irritable bowel syndrome. Plus she has skin allergies and she is generally a high-strung, high-stress, constantly-freaked-out kitty in general XD She's had episodes of stress-induced over-grooming - the worst one was in August of 2010, when my German Shepherd had to be euthanized. The dog and cat had grown up together, and the cat really took the loss of the dog quite badly :<

Here are some things I've learned and things that have helped Win and I:
(wall o' text to follow XD )

-Be careful on the vegetable oil, if Corona is ever able to lick at it (i.e., after you take off the collar). Too much oil/petroleum/"hairball remedy"/anything oil-based in a cat's diet can lead to severe digestion issues. They stop being able to absorb nutrients well, since their digestive system is literally slicked with oil, and they can get weak. This is an extreme possibility and probably won't happen, but if the vegetable oil isn't helping her skin, stop using it.

-I know a vet is expensive, but it would be way, WAY better to sell some art/commissions/etc here on FA and take her to a vet for a checkup and bloodwork, rather than waiting to see what happens. (I know I'd buy some art, eh heh heh >_>) It's rare for young kitties to have kidney issues, but over-grooming IS a symptom of chronic renal failure in cats, and bloodwork would show if there's anything wrong with her. Losing my dog to cancer taught me that preemptive vet checkups, even if expensive, are so much better than waiting to see what happens.

-What kind of food do you feed her? She may actually be developing an allergy to something IN her food, even if she's eaten the same food for years. Cats can spontaneously develop allergies to wheat, corn, oats, and all the indigestible filler crap that's in dry kibbles. Cats can even develop allergies to beef and fish, which are common ingredients in mass-produced cat food. A raw diet really IS best - my Win's been on a fully raw diet and that -literally- eliminated all symptoms of her skin allergies AND her IBS. But a raw diet is expensive, and requires far more work than kibble or canned. I'm hugely in favor of raw diets for ALL cats, but I know it's not always feasible. If you want to explore a raw diet at any point, drop me a Note :} I've tried pretty much every one out there XD

-Something you absolutely should try is a product called Feliway. This stuff is kitty miracle potion. It's a synthetic copy of feline pheromones (no wonky chemicals or sedatives or anything) and it works wonders on stressed cats. It calms them down and can eliminate behaviors like clawing, biting, over-grooming, and just generally relieves kitty stress:
http://www.feliway.com/us/About-Fel.....hat-is-Feliway
You can buy it off of Amazon. It's on the expensive side, but REALLY worth it. I use it in Win's cat carrier an hour before every vet visit, and she's cool as a cucumber during the drive.
*I REALLY recommend the Feliway. You can leave it plugged in, like an air freshener, every single day, and it never loses effectiveness until the reservoir runs out. If Corona is a bit on the stressed side (like my Win is), the Feliway could really help. When you eventually move into your own place, using Feliway can help lower the stress of a new environment as well.

-This is going to sound super bizarre, but something along the same line as Feliway is - get a kitty sweater! Dogs that are stressed out by loud noises can benefit from a "thunder shirt", which, for some reason, soothes them.
http://www.thundershirt.com/Product.....b-83f2fb67db81
You don't need to get an official Thundershirt - any form-fitting made-for-pets shirt will work. Not only does it soothe through the magic of swaddling and compression, but Corona literally would not be able to over-groom her back if it was covered!
Here's Win sporting two of her sweaters:
http://www.splintyr.com/artdump/CATSOCKS.jpg
http://25.media.tumblr.com/d2f74e1f.....wzko3_1280.jpg
One's just a plain dog shirt from Petco, the other is from a company called Cat-Toure.
It's amazing how much calmer Win is when she's wearing the sweater. I don't know why. XD When she has it on, she stops circling and meowing in anxiety and will cuddle up next to me and knead me with her paws, purring. She hasn't once flipped out over it or tried to bite/pull/claw it off of her, but another cat's reaction may vary XD

-If Corona does have a flea problem, you might not have to go nuts on expensive and chemical-filled flea shampoos. Regular-scent (blue) Dawn dish soap will murder fleas AMAZINGLY well. Just wet down the kitty, use a dime-sized amount of soap, leave it on for a few minutes, and rinse off the corpses XD Don't use the Dawn too often, as it can lead to skin dryness.

-Investing in a fine-toothed flea comb can also help remove fleas without the need for chemicals. I do use Advantage II on Win, since she's an indoor-outdoors cat, and it works wonders. Plus, it hasn't been detrimental to her health like some opponents of flea treatments claim XD

-I bathe Win every other week. Some people believe cats "don't need to be bathed ever" because they groom themselves, which is a load of crap. Cats can't always reach all of themselves, and they don't exactly do a salon-perfect grooming every time. It does not harm a cat at all to bathe it, as long as you use an appropriate cat shampoo that won't dry out the skin. The biweekly baths really helped eliminate Win's skin problems/flaky skin.

I think that's about all I can think of for now XD I'm sorry about the huge wall of text, but hopefully at least some small amount of it will be helpful :}

If you have any other questions about my experiences or things I've tried with my cat, drop me a Note; I'm happy to talk :D

If the flea infestation is bad enough, I can unfortunately guarantee that the dawn dish soap won't work ;__;
tried real hard to use it on my pup, and he was in a state of losing HAIR. we probably got on the flea's cases too late. our mistake for having neglected flea medication that year!
but as i said previously, 200 dollars to get the treatment he needed was nothing. he looks like such a beautiful, healthy pup now as opposed to his half naked, itchy self. i couldn't bare seeing him like that any longer. fff.

honestly, if it IS a flea infestation, then she really, really should just take her to the vet.
if it's gotten to a point where her hairs coming out, that cat is suffering.
take her to the vet, they'll prescribe some good ol capstar. it at least relieves the animal within the hour.

I can vouch to Capstar's effectiveness, and I've used it on my cat (with her aforementioned health problems) and on a stray kitten I found (very young and thin) and another stray who ended up having FeLV. So, what I'm trying to say is, Capstar is awesome, effective, and is not harmful even to cats with health problems XD

The Dawn seems to work better on cats than it does on dogs, for some reason @_@ Years ago, before we had monthly flea medications (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), my family let our Aussie Shepherd mix play with another dog and immediately picked up a flea infestation, which she spread to the cat I had at the time XD The Dawn treatment worked wonders on the cat, who only had a single coat, but was ineffective on the dog, who had a double coat (undercoat + guard hairs). So, it's worth a try if the flea issue on Corona isn't too bad, but I do agree a vet checkup is best all around :D

ahh then you know what, thats probably what happened with my dogggg.
he's a fat ol chihuahua but has a pretty thick (while short) coat. that's probably exactly what happened with him. x__x (though we literally lathered the dang thing in him for hours. but we thought he had an allergic reaction to the dawn (heck it was why we bought him to the vet initially. turns out it was just the fleas. though i think the soap definitely aggravated it.).
my dog is pretty much an asthmatic nerd child who's scared of everything, except a dog. hahaha. ;v;.

but cap star is like.. beautiful. wish they sold that stuff over the counter JEEZ.