Cat licking excessively - from Natural Nutmeg magazine

[Dr. Jeff]

Ruth in Woodbridge wonders: “My inside cat is licking all of his hair off. My vet diagnosed fleas, but we’ve never found any. What’s going on?”

Dr. Jeff - Cats lick and lose their fur for many reasons Ruth. Fleas are the most common cause for over-grooming and hair loss. Even for inside cats. Daily use of a flea comb will help rule this out. Daily combing will also stimulate his skin to help secretion of natural oils that will help his coat. A dry coat and skin is another big cause for over-grooming and hair loss. Allergic skin diseases are also very common. I will discuss natural and holistic management of these a bit next month. In the meantime, here’s a bit more about natural flea control:https://www.homevet.com/forums/forum/pet-owners-forum/fleas-ticks-and-other-parasites/

 

[DonnaR]

@Dr. Jeff, you mention dry skin can cause increased itching. What would you recommend we do if this is going on with our cat? thanks

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great question Donna!

Since every individual and situation is different, it depends on the symptom specifics.

The first thing is to make sure that the kitty is not eating any dry food or getting dehydrated for other reasons like kidney dis-ease.

Adding coconut oil to a fresh food diet is also very useful.

Increased grooming from winter dry skin and coat often responds well to a humidifier near a frequently used bed, and daily brushing/combing (depending on the kitty's coat).

If these things don't help then you may also want to use a moisturizing spray like:

https://www.amazon.com/John-Paul-Pet-Conditioning-Moisturizes/dp/B000TNARXS/ref=zg_bs_3024150011_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W9M840NC722KV2JBFQQC