Cat licking herself raw- Please please help!!

[catadvice1]

I have an indoor brown tabby cat around 12 years old. For years, she has been licking her belly obsessively. All the hair is gone from her belly now and it is often raw and red. In the past month, this has gotten worse as she began licking a spot on her back. Today I found an awful bloody patch where she has been licking. She is on flea medicine and no one seems to know the reason for this behavior. If anyone has any advice or insight PLEASE let me know. I am really worried about her! And if no one can think of a reason for her behavior, does anyone have advice about treating her bloody/raw skin or preventing her from licking? Thank you so much for your help- I really need it.

[Antonio]

My cat used to do the same some years ago.
She started licking obsessively the lower part of her belly until it became totally bald, then she continued to the rest of the abdomen and legs.
There was a period of time when she had her belly totally naked from her sternum down to her tail, her sides and her hind legs!!! She also licked some spots to raw and blood.
We asked the vet to run all the tests, we changed her diet several times, she was seen by a dermatologist, then she had an allergy test and a behavioural visit. After nearly two years and hundreds of euro spent, the vet stated it was stress-related.
She was stressed by the fact she couldn't live in our house all alone (we had another cat at that time), more the neighbour's cat was wandering in our yard and she would see him from the window (she's an indoor cat) and she would also craving for being outside whenever she wanted to.
We managed the stress as best as we could, we gave her more ways to enjoy her life indoor. The neighbours moved an the "hideous" cat went along with them.
Now she's definitely better, though she never totally lost the habit to insist on her belly during the grooming sessions.

Talk to your vet and discuss with them on the options I went through.

[issiandarchie+68]

My Cody, a sweet natured, laid back house cat, used to lick her stomach raw exactly as you describe. We tried everything to resolve but to no avail. She had to have steroid injections, which in themselves were miraculous, but it didn't solve the actual problem. Then I noticed whenever she ate certain brands of cat food, especially gravy, the problem returned with a vengeance. My new Vet said he had seen this a lot and apparently, it isn't the quality of the meat but the different cereals/grains used for 'binding' the ingredients together. We stopped feeding her gravy mixers, a shame as the wee darling really enjoyed it, and eventually settled on Morrison's and Asda own brands. She would occasionally have a wee flare up if dozy me became complacent and bought the wrong food but on the whole, she was fine. Hope this helps.

Issi

[HarryAzhar]

Fleas are often the culprits behind compulsive cat scratching or cat licking behaviors. Because cats are excellent groomers, they may actually remove all traces of fleas. If you notice your cat licking his lower back obsessively, with or without scabs on the neck, it is a sign that fleas might be causing the problem. Other parasites, including ticks, mites, and ringworm, can also prompt scratching, licking, or chewing.

[fjm]

If she is on a flea medication that requires the fleas to bite, a flea allergy is a strong possibility. The fleas won't live very long but long enough to set up an irritation. You may need to change her to a treatment that kills them on contact, before they can bite.

Environmental triggers can also set off allergies. You mention it started on her stomach, so it may be worth exploring. Think about washing powders, fabric softeners, room sprays, cleaning sprays - anything she may come into contact with. I am allergic to enzyme washing powders and believe me, the itching can be unbearable! If it is worse at certain times of year and she goes outside consider what is growing or flowering then.

Food is another possible culprit, as others have said. You may want to consider an exclusion diet, if you can do it safely.

And finally stress. I once had a cat with stress induced alopecia who licked herself bald. The vet prescribed a mild tranquilliser for a few weeks, while I worked on making her feel safer at home. It was shortly after my other cat was killed on the road, and although she did not like him she liked being alone to face the big white cat trying to come through the cat flap even less. I dissuaded BWC, and kept her enclosed in a small safe room for a while, until I had eradicated his scent as far as I could, then gradually opened up the rest of the house to her. As far as I recalled it took a month or so, but she never licked like that again. Pippin is prone to hot spots when stressed, which can be slow to heal if they are constantly licked. I've found HyperCal ointment is very effective, but check with your vet first.

Then there are mites, mange, ringworm and all the other possibilities.

I would talk to your vet - they may be able to rule out some possible causes, and help you to keep her comfortable while you try to pin it down.