Blackie is making himself bleed again ....

[Crewella]

Well ....... at least it would stop him struggling. Meds might not be so effective, though .......

[Jan]

Trouble is, we've grown to love him so much over the past 2 years.

The vet agreed with me when I spoke to her a couple of days ago on the phone that it wouldn't be a good idea to give this liquid by mouth - it would stress him out too much. She suggested adding 1ml per day to his meals until the required amount of 5.5ml 2 x day is reached.

Sounded easy ... until I realised, having thrown quite a lot of uneaten food away, that this cat will only eat the food if I mix up the Pronefra to his requirements and they are:

1. Put the Pronefra liquid in bowl first (am having to do this another room out of the cat's sight)
2. Add warm water and stir well.
3. Put in the food
4. Stir well again.
5. Place down on mat (and keep fingers x'd).

This procedure has worked - so far. How we get on when I start upping the liquid to 3ml etc, I've yet to find out.

I'm still worried about the amount of fur Blackie has taken off his belly - and often catch him licking himself down there.

[Crewella]

Oh bless him, they do like to keep us on our toes, don't they!

I hope that regime works, and that Blackie relaxes and starts to lay off his poor old belly fur.

Give him a gentle fuss from me. xx

[Jan]

When I took Blackie's urine sample in this morning, I asked the vet if the urinating on the floor is due to stress was that tied up with licking his belly fur off, but she gave a very non-committal answer .. not yes, nor a definite no. I'm worried its becoming compulsive.

[Cussypat1974]

Oh Lord, you poor thing! And poor Blackie! Honestly, I don't think anyone could take better care of him than you do.
A regards the kennels, I have worked in a dog kennels (cats lived there too but were free and spent their days taunting the dogs!) and we gave every stressed dog very special attention whenever possible. In busy periods ( any holiday period really) we wouldn't have time in our working day, so would bring the stressed dogs in with us to have lunch and fuss them while we ate. We also often stayed late (unpaid) to fuss nervous dogs or to coax nervous-aggressive dogs gently rather than force them to bed. One dog I remember well was called Rosie, and she came because her owner was rushed to hospital and wasn't socialised at all. She was a collie, and TERRIFIED to the point where she was dangerous. It took me a good 14 hours to get through to her, but I didn't leave till she came to me of her own accord. After that she was a dream to deal with and a real favourite. Another staff member used to roast chickens at home for a dog who wouldn't eat dog food lol. A GOOD kennels is only good because of the staff, who are paid minimum wage in most cases! So don't Suss out the boss, Suss out the people on the ground!

We had a few interns who didn't "get it". They never lasted long, and moaned when I made them go back to clean the kennels PROPERLY and THOROUGHLY. I bloody LOVED that job but there was no full time position available, so I went ahead and am doing my nursing course.....

But yes..... Good kennels REALLY do take care of your animal. Just Suss the STAFF out, not the boss or the web page!

[Jan]

OH and me try our very best to care for him - its what my mother would want and I knew it was a commitment because as cats get older, things happen (we're lucky if we can go through 4 months without something needing a visit to the vet). But changing between 2 homes for months at a time isn't ideal for a nervy cat. The gardener bent down to stroke him when he arrived today, and you'd have thought Blackie was going to have his head chopped off by his reaction.

We made the journey down to NSomerset towards the end of May only because we could put Blackie in the cattery where I know the owner personally as she lives on site. He stayed for 3 months back in 2013 while Mum was in hospital and got to know Blackie very well in that time and became very fond of him. She had tears in her eyes when we decided to take him home with us. I know she'll take special care of him - though tbh I'm nervous about leaving him this time because he's had a cystitis issue. OH says he wouldn't be at all surprised for me to send him off on his own for the week away in Norfolk with some friends

[Jan]

Didn't want to start yet another thread on this problem ... but it seems never-ending

Blackie was fine in the cattery, so the owner kept telling me when she sent me texts - and he looked fine when we picked him up. However, there's now the beginnings of a bald patch just below his neck - just when the patch that was one his left shoulder has now regrown.

So back to the vets we went today - can't say she was much help to be honest, except to thoroughly comb him, tell me that he doesn't have any fleas, and that she feels a bit stumped as to why he keeps scratching (fur still missing off his belly where he's licked it off).

She's given me some Medrone tablets to try him on for 10 days ... he's not had these before. Everything x'd..

[Kay]

fine at cattery but scratching again as soon as he's home really does suggest something in your home he is allergic to, assuming there has been no change in diet

[Crewella]

I agree with Kay, if he's only started scratching since he got home it does suggest there might be something there that's irritating him. It's a worry, I really hope you do manage to get to the bottom of it. xx

[Jan]

You both may be right - though I did notice the fur looked a bit thin when we got him home from the cattery last Sunday but didn't take a lot of notice because I guess I didn't want to face yet another episode of his scratching. At least we managed to get him to the vets for treatment before he made a right mess of the bald patch.

Recall when we first decided to look after him on behalf of my mother and picked him up from the cattery where he'd languished for 3 months, the patch he'd scratched on his neck was in a terrible state - very raw - it must have been so sore for him. The vet gave him an injection at that time (can't recall what it was now) and it healed well.

He's still licking his belly - but is urinating ok and watching him in his litter tray seems to have no trouble doing it.

He does seem over-sensitive to the slightest noise or movement at the moment even with 2 Zyklene per day - and no doubt my returning to Kent for a week this coming Wednesday will upset him ... or ... he won't miss me at all and will be quite happy with my OH looking after him

[Jan]

Seems I wasn't missed much at all ... OH did a good job of making sure Blackie had all his meds and by the time I arrived back, the fur was starting to sprout over the small bald patch on the back of his neck.

He is still licking his belly which is practically bald now and he won't be stopped from doing it unless I distract him with a piece of string/toy or food which isn't always possible if I don't happen to be around.

[Jan]

The bald spot on Blackie's forehead is still ongoing. Suggestion by the vet of putting a dab of Vaseline on the patch above his eye seemed to work - for a couple of days. Looked like it was going to heal - as long as he didn't 'attack' it again. That was too much to hope for. I didn't give up - still kept the spot moist and hoped for the best.

The best didn't happen - for the last 3/4 mornings, there have been red marks on the patch where Blackie has scratched it overnight. Spoke to the vet again late this afternoon. Her suggestion was to fold a hankie and try and put it round his neck and let a corner drape over the bald spot and keep this on overnight.

Other than staying awake all night to make sure Blackie doesn't try to remove the hankie, I've no idea how this is going to work. That's apart from stressing him out trying to put it on - and if we ever do get it on, he'll be even more stressed with it on.

That was my OH's reaction when I told him.

I fully expect to be phoning for an appointment with the vet on Monday and she will have to overcome her reluctance to give him some more medication - the Medrone tablets given 2/3 weeks ago worked wonders on the bald patch he'd scratched on his neck.

Vet wasn't sure whether his scratching is due to seasonal allergy (he is forever in undergrowth hunting for mice) or possibly discomfort with his mouth due to malocclusion after removal of an upper canine (this is going to be dealt with by referral to a dental vet specialist who will recommend what could/should be done).

[Cussypat1974]

God, poor Blackie, and poor you! This really does seem to be a mystery.... Hopefully the ðental specialist will sort it out for you. Failing that maybe a dermatology specialist would have some answers?

[Jan]

God, poor Blackie, and poor you! This really does seem to be a mystery.... Hopefully the ðental specialist will sort it out for you. Failing that maybe a dermatology specialist would have some answers?

Relieved to report that we didn't need a vet visit after all as after I decided to stop putting the Vaseline on, the scratching seemed to stop - work this one out So by now, the bald spot isn't so bald which can only mean Blackie has stopped scratching it.

We did however take Blackie to the vets yesterday for a weight check as well as getting his Milbemax tablet down him (readily admit, I am hopeless at this). Pleased that his weight has dropped to 5.64 so going in the right direction to 5.5kg.

The vet said his scratching could be due to any number of things - her own view is that Blackie has been very unsettled by coming down to his 'old house' from ours in Kent, and then being put in a cattery 2 weeks later for 9 days, followed by me disappearing for a week back to Kent, leaving my OH to take care of him. His anxiety would dissipate over the next few weeks when he realised everything was again normal.

I went for a walk yesterday and when I came up the Close, Blackie was sitting waiting for me at the edge of the pavement in front of the house. As I came up to him, he rolled over, presumably meaning he was pleased to see me returning home. Perhaps he missed me the week I was away more than I thought.

Further dental treatment is still on the cards - though the idea of a full anaesthetic again makes me feel anxious for him - as I was when he had his upper canine removed back in March.

All in all, at the moment Blackie seems be brighter, coat is glossier and best of all ... he does seem more relaxed than he has been for some weeks now.