Cat licking his fur off.

Question
Since getting my cat neutered in July, he has been licking himself bald.  At first it was just two patches, one on each of his upper hind legs near his tail. I didn't think anything of it and figured it was from the surgery, but he now has several bald patches in the same area and a couple really small ones in his middle back area, ranging from nickel sized to a little bigger than a quarter sized.  Some of them have scabs. I've also noticed him licking and chewing the inside of his back legs over the last couple days, but there are no bald spots there... yet.  I called the vet he got neutered at and they said they had no clue what it could be.  I went and got a "cone" to try and stop him from licking himself, but he just pouts and will seriously not move when I put it on him so, I end up taking it off right away.  Any idea what could be the problem and/or what I can do about it?  Is there an anything I can put on the scabs to soothe the area and help them heal?  Is there anything I can put on the area that would make him not want to lick it?

Answer
Robyn -

Take him to a veterinarian to determine why he is scratching himself so intently.  I am not aware of any syndrome of post surgical itchiness, but I suppose it is plausible. Post surgical itching is somewhat common in humans, but rare in cats.

Check your pet for fleas. For a pet with a flea allergy, even one flea can cause a considerable amount of discomfort. Depending on your location, flea preventatives may be necessary.  Frontline and Advantage are excellent flea preventatives.  

Cheap or poor quality foods can also cause skin problems. Make sure your cat is being fed a healthy diet, canned food and dry food with plenty of fresh water.  The cheaper foods have lots of junk  and fewer nutrients and that can be the cause of skin issues.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell,DVM