cats skin problem

Question
My cat, Mugs, a two year-old fixed male, has been scratching his head, neck, and ears for the past two weeks. There are little scratches or bumps all over the top of his head and neck, and a few scratches on his belly.  We thought he might be fighting with other cats, but we've been keeping him in at night, so no chance to get into trouble, and they haven't healed.  We have another cat who is not affected by this. Mugs has also been rather lethargic, and lies around the house.  He is eating well and eliminating normally, drinks lots of water. His tail has lost lots of hair, and he has bare patches on his sides and hind legs.  My husband gave him a bath, but that doesn't seem to have helped. Is there any over the counter salve, like Gold Bond cream or powder, that would help?

Answer
Penny -

Have your cat evaluated by a veterinarian to determine why he is itching and scratching. The vet will give antibiotics that can help him to get rid of any skin infections he may have.   There is nothing over the counter that will help him to be more comfortable; over the counter pet medicine will almost always harm him more than hurt him.  

Is he on flea preventative? Frontline and Advantage are great flea medications.   Your vet can prescribe flea meds that are safe and effective.

He may also have an allergy to the food he is fed.  Very inexpensive pet foods often cause skin and bladder problems in cats due to the "junk" in the foods.  Try a high quality name brand cat food if he is not already getting one.

Best Regards,

Charlotte Sherrell, DVM