Our adopted cat has

[DonkeyOil]

developed a skin problem around his neck, and is scratching so much that he now has two bald areas, with a very angry looking red patch in the middle of both. He's three, and has only been with us for about six weeks, and came in perfect (as far as I know) health. No history of ill-treatment. He was very nervous when he first came to us, but has settled down a lot. He has been vaccinated and neutered since coming to us, which he found very traumatic, so I'm wondering if it's something we've 'caused'.

Could it be stress because of being uprooted/nervous, and being taken to the vet fairly soon after, or a reaction to being neutered, or maybe an allergy to something in the vaccines? The vet (another visit/another trauma ) has not identified anything specific, and has prescribed a topical treatment, but it doesn't seem to be making his itchy/sore patches any better. The only other thing I can think of is that I do supplement his wet food diet with a handful of crunchy bits now and again. Could dry food have anything to do with it? Although his previous people used to do the same, I think.

Thanks in anticipation of any similar experiences/suggestions!

Fleas? Or it could be stress.

One of mine had similar, but on her back and we were told it was ringworm. It went away on it’s own. She was a stray, vets missed a pregnancy, and she had a very stressful time and the skin thing happened after so I think it was just stress.

Does your vet offer a home visit if going there is too stressful?

It could be anything - stress, pollen allergy, food allergy etc. Poor cat and poor you.

Could you find out what food he was on before, and stick with that for a bit?
Do you know for sure that he'd not had skin issues in the past?

Has he been flea'd?

I had a cat who had a flea allergy and the bottom half of her went completely bald due to fleas.

Try feliway too and see if that helps stress

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I did think of fleas, but he was more or less an indoor cat at his previous home, so the vet said it was unlikely he had them when he came to us, and he was given a flea treatment at the same time as the vaccinations etc. I'm thinking stress, too. Good idea about the home visits. Will ask the vet if he does them. Would definitely be worth it! I will ask about previous diet. I know they were pouches, but not sure which ones. Might also try Feliway. I'd give anything to see him back to his old self!

It's ironic, that he was wearing a flea collar when he came, and the vet was very sniffy about this, and said it could cause skin problems, but they've all occurred after the vet took off the collar and disposed of it when the cat was having his op!

My cat gets really angry itchy spots on her neck. She has a sensitive stomach and we have to be really careful with what she eats. Absolutely no corn in her diet. Even one dreamy will bring her out in bleeding spots.

It might be a new diet in order.

Thanks, Pereie. I think I will cut out the dried food altogether, and see if that makes any difference.

I would keep pushing with the vets, hopefully they do offer a home visit.

How long has it been since the collar came off/vaccines etc. I think flea collars are seen as less effective, so it may be that he did get fleas at some point and the reaction is still there.

If you can manage it, try to comb his back onto a tissue to check for fleas just incase.

One of my other cats used to get scabs on his neck from fleas (not as bad though), which would last a week or so after treatment.

Why did he find the vaccine and neutering traumatic? Was it just the vet visit or was there an issue with the procedure or being handled?

Once my vet covered my cat with a towel, as she was growling, to give her a vaccine but this just made it worse and she lashed out which she never does normally. So if it’s something like that, that can easily be changed to make visits easier.

I think it was just the vet visit and being (inevitably to some extent) manhandled, Flood.

He takes a while to get used to people, too. Won't ever approach new people to be stroked, for example.

I wasn't witness to his handling at the neutering/first vaccination, as I had to leave him there and pick him up later, but he gets very stressed by being put in his cat basket and driven to the vets, even though I'm talking to him all the time.The vet ended up with a bleeding hand, so I assume it didn't go that well.

It's probably about a month since he had everything done and the collar came off. I will do as you suggest and check for fleas. I suppose I just assumed he'd never had them.

Will he let you look for fleas? I used to comb mine with a nit comb.
If he's not up for that, concentrate on looking at any white bits of fur, where you might be able to see the fleas or dirts.

Actually picked up a free nit comb on our last visit to the vets,Zebra!
Will have a go when he's relaxed and purring on my lap!

Two of my cats get scabby and scratch relentlessly.

Both of them have dust allergies! The vet gives them a steroid injection every few months which helps clear it up and recommends lots of time in the garden.