# please help my cat wont stop chewing herself



## gill07 (May 4, 2008)

hi
last summer my cat made an awful mess of herself by frantically chewing herself. i got her to the vet and they put her to sleep cut into wound to have a good look what might have caused her to do it an then stitched her up.they couldnt find any reason for what she had done. it took ages to heal and she had one of them plastic cone collars on so she couldnt get at it.when the collar eventually caame off she seemed fine then i came in one day and she had tried to do it again but not as bad but in same place. so the collar went back on.it took a month to heal and collar came off again last week an she has been fine until yesterday when i heard her chewing herself again. i put the collar back on AGAIN. i dont know what to do. it seems i can never take this collar off. she always does it in the same place and makes a right mess. i have spent a fortune at the vet and they dont know what is causing her to do it.has anyone ever experienced anything similar or can advice me on what to do. it really upsets me to see her hurting herself. she gets lots of attention and love 
heres hoping gill


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## nanook (Jun 12, 2005)

Where is she chewing herself? 
The thing that springs to mind for me is allergies. 
If she has not been treated for fleas, I would go ahead and do that. I've had the best results with Advantage but others prefer Frontline. DO NOT use an over the counter flea treatment. They are not as effective and can be dangerous for cats.
Next, I'd look at a food allergy. Try to get her (slowly) onto a no grain, alternate meat wet food, like Natural Balance duck and pea. The must common triggers in food are: corn, fish, chicken, any glutens and soy. Food allergies can be a little tricky to pinpoint but, if your lucky, a simple change in diet can do the trick.
Since this all started in the summer, however, I would lean towards flea allergies.
If she's opened up a new wound, you really should bring her back to the vet (personally, I would try a different vet if they didn't discuss the above with you) It may need some antibiotics.
Hope that helps!


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## dmcwlvssr (Apr 24, 2005)

I second that reply! I am dealing with the same issues with my dog. Paws crossed you find a solution. I know what it is like to watch the baby be so uncomfortable.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Could it be mites? "no see 'ems" or chiggers?


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## NeverLetGo0429 (Apr 25, 2008)

my advise is to first follow all of nanooks advice...any of those things could be the problem..and i agree..you need to get a second vets opinion because the fact that the vet put the cat under anesthesia and surgery (very dangerous and invasive)before talking to you about other alternative causes worries me.

but if you change to a no grain food (others you can try are a brand called pinnacle or an innova formula called EVO) and you treat for fleas and mites and this does not help...try talking to a vet about doing external allergy testing...since it seems to be seasonal it could be allergies just like you and i get from trees or pollen. this might be helped with a daily medicine.

one more suggestion... there is such a thing called a hot spot that some animals can develop. basically what a hot spot is is an area on the animals body that was once irritated (maybe with a small scratch or a scab or an insect bite) and when it starts to heal it gets itchy..so they keep scratching at it and then it gets sore again and its a vicious cycle and it becomes a spot on the animal that is chronically irritated, itchy and sore. this sounds like what your kitty has. they make medications, sprays lotions and supplements to help heal hot spots. go to your local pet store and get some of these products and give them a try. Also, sometimes it can become a behavioral thing. like a bad or nervous habit (kind of like people with biting their nails or other nervous habits) If this is what it is it may be hard to break. there are some prescription anxiety and mild mood stabilizing meds that can be prescribed that will help with habitual and destructive behaviors like these. also...get a coke can and fill it with pennies. any time he licks himself throw it on the ground and give him a startle to discourage him from doing it. you can also get some bitter apple spray at the pet store. put a little on the fur around the affected area (but not on the area itself). this stuff tastes bad and will discourage the cat from licking that area.


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