Cat Has Bumps & Scabs On Face, Neck, Head

[SeanHanson]

I have a 10 year old male cat who has been missing his right hind leg since he was 3 months old. His name is Hoppy (of course) and he is the light of my life. He has always had trouble with itchiness on the right side of his face and neck because he can’t reach it to scratch there, due to his missing hind leg.

However, in the past few months, large bumps have started developing in the same areas (right side of his face and neck). These bumps typically scab over very quickly and the scabs rub off very easily (just by rubbing my hand along his skin). After the scabs come off, the skin below is very bright red. In the past few weeks, large bumps (followed by scabs and red skin) have also begun appearing on his face and on the top of his head. These new bumps are getting closer and closer to his eyes, which is really scaring me.

INDOOR/OUTDOOR: he was primarily an outdoor cat until about 2 months ago when my other cat died, and he freaked out and moved indoors. He rarely ventures outside anymore, and when he does he just goes on the cement porch for a few seconds and then runs back indoors…so I would say he is an indoor cat. There is another cat living here who DOES go outside regularly, and he shares a bed with Hoppy (it’s a very large bed).

FOOD: We typically feed him Friskies and 9 Lives wet food, as well as Iam’s dry food (which I switched to about a month ago from Cat Chow brand). There is plenty of fresh water available to him at all times.

FLEAS/TICKS/BATHING: in an effort to rule these out as a cause, we put a (rather expensive) flea collar on him a few weeks ago. Not only did it not help, but bumps are continuing to appear…even directly below the flea collar. I also flea comb him regularly, and have not noticed any fleas or ticks on him. I also have started bathing him and using “Sentry PurrScriptions Plus Flea & Tick Shampoo” which is supposed to kill fleas, ticks, and flea eggs. Typically following a bathing, there is relief of the itching, and the bumps seem to go away for a while, but a few days later they always come back.

BEDDING: I wash the blankets on his bed regularly

TO RECAP: Large bumps that scab over and fall off easily appearing ONLY ON THE AREAS WHERE HE CANNOT SCRATCH. Again, he has NO BUMPS OR SCABS on the left side of his neck or face, or anywhere else on his body. And again...there is NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER OF FLEAS OR TICKS.

HERE’S THE RUB: I don’t make much money and cannot afford to take him to a vet, especially since I can imagine that they are going to want to do blood tests, skin scrapes, etc, which typically cost well over a hundred dollars per test. Can anyone help poor Hoppy???

[marko]

Hi Sean,

Welcome to the forum.

A picture would be so helpful in case it rings a bell for someone.
Any chance you could post one?

[Koteburo]

It could be from food allergies to a skin infection. Bumps and scabs...
Hmm... Poor little guy Would you be so kind to post a pic? That could help.

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by SeanHanson

FOOD: We typically feed him Friskies and 9 Lives wet food, as well as Iam’s dry food

Any possibility that you could try feeding him a better quality food, preferably with a novel protein source and no grains (and preferably wet only, no kibble)? More info on that: http://www.peteducation.com/article....1+2117&aid=142

Food allergies account for 57% of the causes of itching and scratching in cats

Common food culprits

Several studies have shown that some ingredients are more likely to cause food allergies than others. In cats, the most common offenders are beef, lamb, seafood, corn, soy, dairy products and wheat gluten. As you may have noticed, the most common offenders are the most common ingredients in both cat and dog foods. This correlation is not a coincidence. While some proteins might be slightly more antigenic than others, many proteins are similar in form and the incidence of allergic reactions are probably associated with the amount of exposure.

Originally Posted by SeanHanson

FLEAS/TICKS/BATHING: in an effort to rule these out as a cause, we put a (rather expensive) flea collar on him a few weeks ago.

Hopefully you've removed the flea collar by now. These are actually quite toxic and not an effective method of flea control: http://pets.webmd.com/features/natur...ments-for-pets

A report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Poison on Pets II: Toxic Chemicals in Flea and Tick Collars," found that many over-the-counter insect control products for pets, even when used as instructed, can cause "serious health consequences to pets and humans." Many of these products include organophosphate (OP) compounds, which have been used for insect control for decades and are known to have toxic effects. Most immediate health problems come from not using these products properly, but there is some evidence that more insidious health problems may arise from chronic exposure. Many pet store flea and tick products contain more than one active ingredient and some of these products cause problems when used together.

In its review, the NRDC found that dangerously high levels of pesticide residue can remain on a dog or cat's fur for weeks after a flea collar is put on the animal. The NRDC also found that residues from two pesticides used in flea collars – tetrachlorvinphos and propoxur – were high enough to pose a risk to children and adults who play with their pets.

Originally Posted by SeanHanson

BEDDING: I wash the blankets on his bed regularly

What do you wash them with? It's possible that he also has a contact allergy to the detergent.