Why is my cat biting her rear, losing hair, oozing, and losing weight?

It sounds like your cat may have some allergy issues, fleas, food allergies or something else. To get to the bottom of it, she should be seen by a vet. If you are in financial difficulty, there are ways of still getting your pet treated by a veterinarian. Ask if they take Care Credit and apply online. This is a credit card specifically for medical, dental, and veterinary expenses. Call a local animal shelter or college of veterinary medicine in your area and ask if they have a low- or no-cost veterinary care program. GiveForward and Youcaring.com are crowd funding websites that help you raise money to help take care of your pets Harley’s Hope Foundation is an organization that ensures low income pet parents and their companion or service animals remain together when issues arise. Banfield Pet Hospital has its own programs for owners that can’t afford their pet’s care. Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance (FVEAP) works with seniors, people with disabilities, people who have lost their job, good Samaritans who rescue a cat or kitten who may need financial assistance to save a beloved companion. The Feline Veterinary Emergency Assistance Program is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance to cat and kitten guardians who are unable to afford veterinary services to save their companions when life-threatening illness or injury strikes. God's Creatures Ministry helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help. The Onyx & Breezy Foundation has many programs including helping people with medical bills. They are a good resource for information. Brown Dog Foundation provides funding to families with a sick pet that would likely respond to treatment, but due to circumstances, there is not enough money immediately available to pay. The Pet Fund and Redrover.org are great sources for help to care for your pet. The Humane Society website has many links to other organizations that help with veterinary expenses. For every flea you see on your pet, there are 100 more in the environment. Get your pet on a good topical or oral flea control through your vet. In flea control, you get what you pay for. Consider asking your vet for a dose of Capstar. It helps get the problem under control by killing the fleas on the pet starting in five minutes but only lasts for 24 hours. You need to treat your home environment. If you use a pest control service, tell them you are having a flea problem and they can adjust their treatment. Use a premise spray that also contains an IGR, insect growth regulator. This keeps eggs and larvae from maturing into adults and helps break the life cycle. Also, vacuum EVERY DAY, throwing out the bag or emptying the canister every time into an outside receptacle and spraying the contents with insecticide to kill the fleas you’ve vacuumed up. Treat your yard too, since fleas are opportunistic and will hop a ride into your home on your pant leg without you knowing it. Concentrate on areas under bushes, in the shade. Fleas are less likely to be located in open sunny areas where it gets hot. If chemicals are a problem, you can use borax. Sprinkle it into rugs, into corners and under furniture, use a broom to work it into the fibers and let it sit for hours, days even. It won't hurt you or your pet to have it present. Then vacuum it up, reapply as needed. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be gotten from a health food store and worked into the rugs and corners in the same way as borax. These treatments aren't as fast and effective as chemical insecticides but they can help. You might want to consider boarding your pet for the day at your vet, to give you the opportunity to flea bomb your house without having to worry about your pet being exposed. They can bathe your pet and give a dose of Capstar while you treat your home. Be patient, you may have to repeat these steps multiple times 10-14 days apart to help break the flea life cycle.

Hello. I am so sorry for your poor Cheeto, his skin looks horrible. I think he would really benefit from antibiotics & treatment for a pretty significant flea bite dermatitis. Your veterinarian is the best person to help Cheeto before he deteriorates further. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am so sorry Allie is having this issue. I would recommend taking Allie to your veterinarian. If she has a rash all over her body and scabs she most likely has a skin infection and may need antibiotics to help heal her skin. I would talk to your veterinarian about behavioral medications if they feel it is behavioral. Until you can get Allie to a veterinarian I would recommend an elizabethan collar so she doesn't keep biting herself and making the lesions worse. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

She could have a problem with her anal glands. She could have an infection in her glands or just need them expressed. She really should be checked by a vet, especially since she seems lethargic. Your vet can do an examination to determine the exact cause and then recommend treatment. She might just need an expression and an antibiotic. Without having a diagnosis, it is hard to recommend a treatment.

Hello! Yes, cats that are overweight often get an infected rash in this area. Cats have trouble grooming this area when they are overweight. If the area is sore and infected looking, it is much better to take Carmen in to see her vet to have the area checked. Your vet can likely prescribe a cream to use topically. At the clinic, they will likely be able to shave and clean the area fully, and this will help things to heal up normally.

This looks like an infectious case of dermatitis. It could be caused by bacteria, fungus or parasites. It is pretty severe, she needs to see a vet who can test her skin. To treat it she will need to be treated for parasites, antibiotics and a medicated shampoo. If it is fungal or allergy she could need other medicine also.

I would be very suspicious about possible allergies with these symptoms. I recommend rechecking with your vet, as that skin on the legs looks pretty raw and you need to make sure Cindy doesn't have a secondary infection. Then you can talk to your vet about whether they think it's appropriate to start Cindy on an allergy medication / food trial. Anxiety / behavioral overgrooming and parasites (fleas, mites) are other common causes of hair loss, and with an exam your vet can help differentiate these.