MURPHY - UNUSUAL THINGS GOING ON - PULLING FUR OUT

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msmurphy2010

msmurphy2010

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Okay, so I think I may be seeing what has happened to the side of Murphy's abdomen. She has been pulling at the fur underneath her neck, and now I see on the other side of her abdomen that she is in constant grooming mode, and it appears that she may be trying to pull the fur out. I believe now that she may have pulled the fur out on the wound herself that caused her skin to come off. Has anyone experienced this before? Would this be as a result of neuropathy. Her coat is starting to look "burned" a bit again. In addition, her numbers are changing, much higher about an hour before dinner. Her BG was 177 at 5:45 tonight. With my OTU meter, we averaged that my meter was off about 20-25 points, so she would be reading around 200.

Could this be some psychological issue:

Lisa :)
 
It's hard to say what is going on. I do suggest that a vet visit is in order.

It's very possible that there is a skin issue happening and the pulling of fur is her way of trying to alleviate the issue/itch/discomfort.

Maui had skin issues for years and while she didn't pull her fur out like you are describing, she would pick at herself constantly. All the vets ever wanted to do was steroid shots (ugh) and all kinds of shampoos. We saw several vets over the years and not one mentioned allergies and that this could be caused by food or other things in the house.

In Maui's case, it turned out to be whatever is contained in dry food that was the culprit. I learned this only after learning about her diabetes, finding this board, telling my tale and being told dry food is bad and get her on wet. It was also mentioned about fish or beef being a concern too. For Maui, it was pure and simple dry food.

No sooner did I transition her to wet, that her fur grew back, the itching stopped completely, the dandruff cleared up and in a short time, she went into remission.

So, start by assessing what she eats, the litter being used and any other potential allergens (such as new laundry detergent or fabric softener as an example) that you may be using.

In case you don't know, steroid shots can be a cause for FD.
 
Oh, believe me, when it comes to Murphy, because she is asthmatic and on inhaled meds, my household is a sterile as it can get. I don't use hairspray, fragrance of any kind, ever dryer sheets would cause an attack in her. No candles, no smoking, nothing. My home is totally fragrance free.

You know how you can tell their facial expressions? Sometimes, she just looks "worried" or "lost." Didn't have that look b/4 she was diabetic. Then she'll start breathing really fast. Weird.

Vet is supposed to call tonight.
 
My hyperthyroid cat Buster licked his fur off. It didn't grow back until Rusty arrived here, and Buster was too busy watching the new guy to lick himself.

Not to be alarmist, but have you read up on Cushings disease? This is caused by a tumor on the adrenal gland that kicks out excess cortisol - stress hormone.

In extreme brevity, Cushings cats typically have diabetes (sometimes high dose), fragile skin and stressed out.
 
I did ask her vet about that last week, and she did not see anything indicative on her last lab panel, but we just spoke and I'll bring her in on Saturday for a re-check.
 
Cushings disease is really hard to diagnose -- no one magic test that gives a definite yes or no answer, and not a clear list of treatment options either.

Maybe something relaxing / anti-anxiety would help
 
I was thinking Hypert also. Fur loss, dry coat and fast breathing can be signs of it. I don't have proof of this but if metabolism is faster I'd assume insulin would be absorbed faster too and the BGs would go up sooner.

Kiki has pulled out much of her fur on her stomach and face. Vet thinks it's stress for her. She's only been here a few weeks and still getting adjusted to living with multiple cats.
 
She is also sort of walking away maybe sometimes not even halfway through her meals, but then she comes back, but normally, she would eat the whole thing all at once. Weird - I don't understand this, but she does always come back within the hour to finish. Vet thinks that it's because she's regulated and isn't ravenous like before her Dx.
 
I would suspect the hair pulling/over-grooming cold be due to:
- Stress
- Allergy
- Auto-immune problem.

It is not easy to determine the cause.
 
tuckers mom said:
...Kiki has pulled out much of her fur on her stomach and face. Vet thinks it's stress for her. She's only been here a few weeks and still getting adjusted to living with multiple cats.
Click to expand...

Face and stomach suggests food allergy to me; I had a civvie who licked her stomach bare and crusty from food allergies.

If there is a stress factor, the following may help:
Feliway diffusers or spray
Regular play sessions - exercise helps relieve stress in cats as well as humans, plus strengthens the bond
There are some Bach flower essences folks swear by; I've not used them myself.
 
BJM said:
tuckers mom said:
...Kiki has pulled out much of her fur on her stomach and face. Vet thinks it's stress for her. She's only been here a few weeks and still getting adjusted to living with multiple cats.
Click to expand...

Face and stomach suggests food allergy to me; I had a civvie who licked her stomach bare and crusty from food allergies.

If there is a stress factor, the following may help:
Feliway diffusers or spray
Regular play sessions - exercise helps relieve stress in cats as well as humans, plus strengthens the bond
There are some Bach flower essences folks swear by; I've not used them myself.
Click to expand...


Sorry Lisa, I don't want to hijack your thread, but just to answer BJ, my vet doesn't think food allergy, Kiki is a shelter cat that lived at an impound lot before that. She seems used to eating just about anything. My vet recommended feliway diffusers, I tried the spray but she ignored all the spots I sprayed. I should spend more play time with her, I hadn't thought of that, thank you. I've got Bach remedy, tried it for Lilly Grace who has a fear of rain, but it didn't work for her, I'm not sure it will work for Kiki, but I could try it out since I have it.
 
I know this is implied in what everyone has suggested, but the problem could be a food allergy, like celiac (gluten enteropathy). The obvious symptoms are the GI ones, but it becomes totally systemic: skin problems, vascular issues, headache, all kinds of things you wouldn't think to connect to that cause.

Have you tried any of the special food intended for cats with food allergies--usually combinations like duck and peas?
 
When Squeak was diagnosed, we immediately switched him to canned food. But our civie Cleo was allowed to transition slowly from the old food which was Hills TD (I know, gasp!) and for quite some time would have canned food but also a handful of dry. SHe developed a nasty rash on her tummy. I took her to the vet and there were no parasites, etc. So then I took her to a holistic vet and they just gave her a steroid pill and clavamox (sigh). The combo made her sick to her stomach but got rid of the rash. And then it came back. Talking about it with Robin here on FDMB, I realized that Cleo was still getting a few kibbles of dry food a day and that this could be the culprit. I'd basically forgotten about the kibble...So I threw it out and the problems went away. The learning from this is that cats can develop allergies to foods they've eaten without problem for years. In Cleo's case, the reduction in the amount of kibble made her sensitive to the allergens in it.
 
My vet and I had 28 pages of foods to choose from, and I chose Evo cat and kitten (wet) for her because it had more nutrients. She does like the food, and since this is just starting I cannot think that it could be a food allergy. I do think that Oscie my siamese is a little too playful with her, actually, he gets sort of hardcore playing with her not feeling well, she can't handle it. So, I called onlynaturalpet.com this a.m. and they do make a flower essence that you just use a drop of for aggression, so I ordered that. Just a drop on the back side of him and I'm hoping that it helps. He really dug into her last night, and she always comes running for me, poor baby.

My vet called last night and also said that any endocrine disorder, especially diabetes, is going to have an affect on skin and coat. She said it would be dangerous to switch foods for her right now, especially since I'm not home during the day to monitor her BG.

We're doing a mini panel this weekend to see if she's got something else going on.

I do worry about her hiding before I leave for work. She's never done that before.
 
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