Any clues/input about causes of itching - presume allergy

[Allie & Myrtle (GA)]

Hi all - although I've Googled and also visited the vet 2-3 times since last Oct., I have not as yet got to the bottom of what is causing Maisie to scratch around her face and chew her feet. She doesn't do it to the degree that she removes her fur, and there's no sign of anything at all on her skin. She's been treated for fleas, and anyway neither I nor the vet thinks she has any.
It's complicated by the fact that she does go outside, so whether it's food or some outside thing is hard to judge.
I got her exactly a year ago and her diet has never changed (FF mainly, the classic ones). She didn't start scratching till about October (our spring) - so I'm thinking not food, but something outside (but not something that bothered her in winter).
Cats can just as easily be allergic to something INSIDE the house, like dust mites. It's a warm dry house, and not particularly dusty (!?)

She has had 3 steroid injections since last Oct., weeks/months apart, and they work, but I don't want her to have those, really. Yet, I don't want her to scratch herself raw.
She doesn't seem anxious, but she is exceedingly active and a bit hyper.

I know you'll tell me to keep her in, but she would truly go nuts. Also, she doesn't scratch outside for some reason.

I'm thinking I'll get one more steroid injection and see if the on-coming winter will make it go away. After that, as the vet said, we'll have to delve deeper and start eliminating possible food causes.

But I just thought someone here might know from experience whether food allergies can be guessed at, as opposed to the environment - or psychological.
Grateful for ANY help! :YMSIGH:

 

[Carl & Polly & Bob (GA)]

Re: Any clues/input about causes of itching - presume allerg

She didn't start scratching till about October (our spring) - so I'm thinking not food, but something outside (but not something that bothered her in winter).

I think this sounds like the logical reason... but I don't know what your climate is like there. There's no evidence of any sort of "bites", right? How about a plant alergy? Something that appears in spring but dies off when autumn arrives... Like maybe she's getting into something, either eating it or stepping on it, and that's why her feet are an issue. And then she scratches her face, and transfers the "irritant" to her face while scratching or using her paws to groom herself? Something like the cat equivalent of poison ivy causing a rash that can be spread? We have a plant here called a "5-minute itch" that has tiny almost invisible barbs that get in your skin and itch for a lot longer than five minutes. It feels like when you rub against fiberglass insulation and you can't see it, but you sure know it's there.

 

[Sandy and Brie]

Re: Any clues/input about causes of itching - presume allerg

My Boo had severe allergies but he also had skin lesions. He had something called eosinophilic granuloma complex. After the multiple depo shots almost put him in liver failure I ended up going to see a vet dermatologist which was the best thing I could have done for him. Cats can develop a food allergy at any time in their lives. They could eat the same thing for years and then one day they start developing an allergy. I did all the food trials in the past and nothing worked. I'm sure you have already googled food allergies. Boo never went outside but he was allergic to a lot of things outside. In the summer the windows were closed and the AC was on. The only time he seemed better was in the dead of winter. I could never say for sure if he had a food allergy or an allergy to any of the ingredients in the food. He had a lot going on. I also tried a holistic vet with him before seeing a dermatologist. I think there is someone on the board that is using cyclosporine for their kitty's allergies. Atopicia I think is the other name. Maybe you can pm that person and find out how they ended up starting to take this med. I'm glad that Maisie isn't losing her fur or has any lesions. Allergies can get worse over time as well. The first vet derm I saw was at Univ of Pennsylvania. I got no direction from them. I felt like I got lost in the shuffle. I ended up going to a derm in private practice and he was great. He helped save Boo's life. We did allergy shots once a week for years.

Sandy

 

[Allie & Myrtle (GA)]

Re: Any clues/input about causes of itching - presume allerg

I think this sounds like the logical reason... but I don't know what your climate is like there. There's no evidence of any sort of "bites", right? How about a plant alergy? Something that appears in spring but dies off when autumn arrives... Like maybe she's getting into something, either eating it or stepping on it, and that's why her feet are an issue. And then she scratches her face, and transfers the "irritant" to her face while scratching or using her paws to groom herself? Something like the cat equivalent of poison ivy causing a rash that can be spread? .

The climate here (well, in my city and surrounds) is fairly moderate - not at all humid, dry heat in summer but not extreme, and frosty winters at night with sunny/chilly days but snow is rare.
I know Maisie spends a lot of time over the fence at my neighbour's place because she thinks that's her territory as well, and she has to police it! What that neighbour has in the way of plants I'm not sure. She does have ivy, but it's a totally different plant from poison ivy.
I'm wondering if it could possibly be my lawn grass!! She walks on it a lot, and when I mowed it last Friday evening, she was particularly itchy, come to think of it. Sure don't want to pave over the lawn.
I deliberately don't have any plants toxic to cats at my place, and she doesn't seem to chew foliage that I've noticed.

Thanks for your input, Carl!

 

[Allie & Myrtle (GA)]

Re: Any clues/input about causes of itching - presume allerg

My Boo had severe allergies but he also had skin lesions. He had something called eosinophilic granuloma complex. After the multiple depo shots almost put him in liver failure I ended up going to see a vet dermatologist which was the best thing I could have done for him. Cats can develop a food allergy at any time in their lives. They could eat the same thing for years and then one day they start developing an allergy. I did all the food trials in the past and nothing worked. I'm sure you have already googled food allergies. Boo never went outside but he was allergic to a lot of things outside. In the summer the windows were closed and the AC was on. The only time he seemed better was in the dead of winter. I could never say for sure if he had a food allergy or an allergy to any of the ingredients in the food. He had a lot going on. I also tried a holistic vet with him before seeing a dermatologist. I think there is someone on the board that is using cyclosporine for their kitty's allergies. Atopicia I think is the other name. Maybe you can pm that person and find out how they ended up starting to take this med. I'm glad that Maisie isn't losing her fur or has any lesions. Allergies can get worse over time as well. The first vet derm I saw was at Univ of Pennsylvania. I got no direction from them. I felt like I got lost in the shuffle. I ended up going to a derm in private practice and he was great. He helped save Boo's life. We did allergy shots once a week for years.

Sandy

Many thanks for sharing your experience! It's a tricky one to get to the bottom of. I kind of wondered if a food allergy might arise later, and have vaguely experimented, like eliminating the Chunky Chicken FF, but I think food trials have to be very precise and long lasting, and I have not taken the trouble yet.
Still hoping for a winter lull in the scratching, and have booked in for a vet appt. on Wed. a.m. this week (sssshhhh!! - she'll pick up on that pretty fast!)
I'll look up about the cyclosporine user here.