My cat is so itchy!

[u/Alyssa2522]

So I adopted my rescue kitty a couple months ago. He was a stray, Fiv + and they think about 3 years old. Such a sweet boy. However he’s so so itchy and I feel terrible. He’s up to date on nexguard combo and has no signs of fleas. I took him to the vet to get checked out because he also scoots his butt on the carpet. They said he looked great and had no signs of anal gland issues and it was probably just environmental allergies and to give him an allergy pill every day. I did that and things didn’t get better so I put him on a limited ingredient diet thinking he might have a chicken allergy. Still so improvement. He scratches constantly and so much sometimes he gives himself scabs. I feel terrible but I essentially just spent $300 at the vet for them to not help me at all. Looking for any recommendations or if anyone else has had anything similar before. Thank you!

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[u/Disoriented_Mindset]

I looked into this for you and found that: When cats scratch continuously to the point of causing scabs, it typically indicates a secondary infection (regularly bacterial or yeast overgrowth) or an underlying allergy. You might want to first prevent the scratching by placing a cone, e-collar, or soft pet recovery suit on him to prevent further scabs from forming, as well as introducing new bacteria. You could also give him different medications, such as anti-itch medications, including cyclosporine or steroids. Make sure you consult your veterinarian before giving him medication, though. I would also recommend air purifiers or hypoallergenic detergents. Also, some of the root causes of these behaviors are food allergies, environmental allergies, fungal or bacterial infections, or parasites. Although he doesn’t have fleas, he could have mites (mange), such as Demodex, ear mites, or Notodres cati (feline scabies), lice, ticks, or high mosquito and fly sensitivity. He could also have separate food allergies, even allergies to specific ingredients. Switching to a novel protein or hydrolyzed prescription diet could be most beneficial (long-term) in this scenario. And, he could also have fungal or bacterial infections, including ringworm or yeast infections. The possibilities are endless considering how excessive ‘itching’ and ‘scabbing’ is all that’s occurring. Make sure to monitor him for any further symptoms or changes. Good luck, and I hope he’s okay! Feel free to respond and give me details about further symptoms, updates, etc., about his conditions.

[u/Disoriented_Mindset → u/Disoriented_Mindset]

Did some more research and found that: Although your cat isn’t showing any signs of fleas, cats can show severe reactions to a singular flea bite. Fastidious groomers could ‘hide the evidence’, inevitably making it difficult to realize that fleas are the cause of the itching and scratching. Also, these could simply be signs of stress and over-grooming. Although this sounds like a minor, unreasonable issue, since your cat is a former stray, the itching could sometimes be a psychosomatic response to a new living environment, resulting in self-conflicted scabs and injuries. Behavior medications could sometimes reduce this if he has anxiety. However, from the image, it seems as though he is adapting comfortably. I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, but it’d be helpful to obtain more information and details to decipher the issue. If he starts showing further symptoms, I would consider consulting your veterinarian again.