For years I have been trying to find the answer to scabs on my cat. He has had frequent outbreaks of scabs and sores around his neck and back. He scratches them and they get infected and larger and his fur falls out. He looks pretty mangy at these times!
I have taken him to my vet who is excellent, but he wasn’t sure about it and gave me anti-fungal cream. Sometimes they went away and other times not. But I have finally discovered what is causing those scabs. Beef! He is allergic to beef. Guess beef isn’t natural cat food even if it is raw, can’t imagine little kitty catching and eating a cow!
I discovered this because he had an outbreak just before we went on holiday, when he was booked to go to the cattery in a couple of days time. Panic! I thought they would never take home looking as if he had a horrible disease. So, off to my vet again. This time it was a different vet who saw him and he said he thought it was an allergy, but what to he couldn’t be sure. It could even be to pollen or some plants in our garden. He assured me it wasn’t infectious and the cattery would take him. Phew!
I rang the cattery owner to warn her and reassure her that although it looked like mange, it wasn’t. She was just fine about it and suggested it might be an allergy to beef. She said this is quite common in cats and she would keep him off beef while he was with her. I was sceptical since I had never heard of it and the vet hadn’t mentioned it either. But all I was really concentrating on was that he was in!
While there she put up a notice that Alfie was to have no beef, and she kept him away from the other cats at meal times.
When we got back from our holiday he was better, no scabs. So I kept him off beef for 3 more weeks and then I tested him with it. I wanted to know if this really could be the answer. Well, he came out in 3 scabs two days later. They got better quite fast without beef on the menu. Pretty convincing!
I wanted to post about this scabs on cats thing because I have previously searched the net for answers. I had found quite a few questions and answers online about cat scabs, but none of them had mentioned beef. Most said that it was an allergy but mainly to fleas and I knew he hadn’t got those. One vet said it was miliary dermatitis caused by allergy to something, probably fleas or plants.
No-one suggested allergy to beef. Since my cattery lady says it is quite common I am adding this info and just hope someone searching for an answer to scabs on cats finds it and that it helps them.
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Hello! I found your site when looking around for blogs based in NZ.
I just wanted to say that I have an allergic cat, and while he doesn’t get the scabs on his neck/back, he gets them on his face from time to time. When we adopted him he was an adult already and the SPCA told us he had to eat Hill’s z/d hard food. We fed him this prescription food for a long time before trying a different “sensitive systems” diet that was over-the-counter. It worked just fine! Although I am glad they have the Hill’s product for sensitive kitties.
@Kim: Thanks for you input Kim
Thank you so much for this blog! I have yanking my hair out trying to figure what is causing the scabs on my two youngest cats, who are sisters! My three other cats do not have this problem. Starting tonight, no more beef for the babies. They are one year old this Christmas! The are really good about my removing the scabs (I think it makes them feel better!) but now, NO MORE BEEF!!! Thank you again.
@Carol Milioti: I hope this works for your cats. If it doesn’t try and work out if there is anything else they could be allergic to. With sisters you could do a controlled trial.
Just want to add another possible reason for cats getting scabs and sores. They can develop scabs on the site of a vaccination.
Thank you all for your input. I started out with 4 of 5 cats having the scabs. They haven’t had any shots recently so I knew that was not the problem! Beef also is not the problem. I started treating them for fleas and now only one still has scabs. She was the worst so I guess it is just taking a little longer to get rid of the flea eggs but, so far, this seems to be the solution. Thank you all again!
I have a cat with the same scabs around his neck. They are not bloody, just small bits of crusted skin. He is a sealpoint Ragdoll and he is not a beef eater. His hair has thinned there too. When i rescued him 3 years ago, his hair was thin in the same area and he also had a bald spot on his side. It completely healed up with a good diet and lots of love, but now it’s thinning again around his neck, and the scabs are back. He eats only the very best high protein, no grain food, but no beef. Any ideas what else could be happening with him? I understand chicken is a major allergen with cats too, but it’s very hard to find food without chicken protein, and he doesn’t like fish. HELP!
@Jane:
One other possibility is that these can be caused by vaccination. Are the scabs on the site of his vaccinations? If so did they happen after a vaccination?
He was vaccinated a few months back but in a different area. The “scabs” are down the sides of his neck and in kind of a ring around his neck (almost where he’d wear a collar, but he’s never worn one (he’s strictly and indoor cat). His hair appears to be thinning in the same area.
I rescued another cat (an Himalayan) a few months back as well, and i was chalking it up to stress, although he seems to be a pretty laid back little guy and he gets along well with my newer female.
I just wanted to thank you for posting this on your site!
I had been looking for a reason for my cat’s sudden skin issues and the vet hadn’t been able to help. Since we had recently changed her food brand, we switched her back to the no-beef cat food and the scabs cleared up pretty fast.
Although it may have been another ingredient, I’m just happy the nastiness is gone!
Thanks again!
@Khati: I am really pleased to hear that I have been useful on this. Thanks for letting me know.
I noticed about a week ago that my 5yr old male cat has these dry scab-like bits on the sides of his mouth under his bottom lip. I’ve been washing them off with a warm damp rag, which he seems to enjoy but they are back again the next day. He has always eaten dry food but lately I’ve been feeding him wet food and I’m thinking that might be the case, although it is a salmon meal and contains no beef. I’ll try taking him off the wetstuff.
Do you have a list of non-beef cat foods by chance?
Thanks. This only happens to one of my cats and it makes me so sad. I’m taking him off beef. Keep your fingers crossed.
My 4 year old male cat (rescued at 1 yr) has had scabs similar to those described by a numbr of your. Saw five vets who treated him with cortisone, antibiotics and antifungal ointments to no avail. These scabs come on a weekly basis. He seems to find relief in my scratching them off (or another cat biting them off) and then they appear again. Recently another vet suggested I try Atopica that is prescribed for dog allergies. It has worked with some cats. On that he started shedding a lot of the scabs and after 6 weeks of treatment the condition seems to have improved (cut down on inflamation that usually went with it) thus eliminating need for periodic cortisone shots.
Now, I am reading all of your suggestions and think I will try to avoid beef. Also am trying Natural Foods that is lower on allergens. They have venison and peas formula and they are cheapeer than Hill’s z/d. Seems to be helping.
Has anyone else had similar experience with what seems like a multiple prong approach?
Jeri
Several of my cats have scabs too. Not one of them has had vaccinations in years. They are all completely indoor cats so fleas are not the culprit, neither is beef since I have tried taking them off that. My vet says allergy but I suspect no one knows the reason and no one will ever find out the truth. Additionally, no one scratches these scabs and there is no fur coming out, they all have full coats. They do not seem bothered by them, it’s just me that finds them incomprehensible.
Thank you so much for posting this. I think this is what is messing with my poor boy Topaz.
My cat also has a ring of scabs round his neck. They’re not bleeding just crusted skin, and he likes me picking them off. He purrs while I’m scratching or picking and rubs his head against my hand.
I’m going to try giving him coconut oil which is antifungal, and I will try cutting out beef. Thanks for this post.
Our pet raccoon has scabs on her back. She lives outside. Probably an allergy to fleas. I’ll try treating her with Frontline, and also checking out her food to make sure it doesn’t have any beef. She currently eats cat food plus whatever she scrounges. And like the cats, she loves getting scratched in the effected area.
Bin grade auf Ihre Seite gekommen und habe den Artikel gelesen, muss sagen ist echt ein super Beitrag – hoffe die n?chsten Beitr?ge werden auch so interessant.
Thanks for this post ! My cat seems to have gotten them recently, and can’t stop itching! she is even biting her legs and has nice patches of fur missing. Does anyone recommend a bath ? She has never had a bath and wil prolly freak out – but i figured maybe it will make her feel better once she is all dry and stuff, no dandruff or anything to make it worse.
@JamesD — You have a pet raccoon? Pretty neat !
My kitten also has scabs around his neck, and I just discovered them on an older cat. I was feeding a canned beef which I have quit doing because another kitten kept swelling around his mouth and getting scabby under his chin. That went away when I quite the wet food. It had happened twice. Now he is totally well. But two other cats have scabs. I am hoping that stopping the wet food will help them as well, and I am working on getting rid of the fleas. I am only going to feed dry food in the future.
Hi, my cat has scabs which started after a flea treatment, (even though i never see any fleas, she had been scratching so i gave her the advantage flea treatment) it’s like a piece of really rough scale like hard skin starts peeling off, and she lets me pull it off despite me having to pul out a lot of hair with it, but then it seems to continue peeling down her spine of a couple of weeks and i took it from halfway down her back yesterday. does this sound like what you experienced? she only eats dry food with beef, she won’t eat any other, and she will only lick the sauce off the wet food. She does love to drink kitten kilk though even though she is nearly 2yo…
Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks
@Angel Harden: Thanks for your post. My cat has been scab free for two years but this week I found one.It sounds just like the ones you describe. He doesn’t scratch itor even seem aware and lets me check it. I think his food must be a clue I have given him some new fresh meat recently.
@Virginia Yes it is odd but these scabs are always on the neck Could wet food be the villain? I also wonder of vaccinations are the cause..
@Britt: So sorry not to have answered sooner-it got missed. You can sounds as if it has flees. No I do not recommend a bath as it will traumatise her and you will get soaked and scratched!
Success story re fleas and scabs: My kittens had scabs on the back of their neck and one of them had an infected lip and face. First I quit feeding them canned food, only dry food. Beef is notorious for scabs in cats. I think, however, it all started with fleas so after stopping the canned food, I went to work on the fleas. First I gave my 8 cats a bath in Sargeants Flea Shampoo (Walmart), then I set smoked the house with cans of pesticide bombs and sprayed the yard with a flea pesticide (keep cats in garge til it dries. I went to a garden nursery and bought a bag of diatomaceous earth, filled an old loose-weave sock with it, and by bouncing the sock, dusted the furniture and carpet in every room. Be sure to move divan and chairs because the smoke from the bomb won’t reach there. Then, I dusted the cats with the diatomaceous earth. It safe and will not hurt them. As long as you do not vacuum, the earth will continue to kill fleas as long as it is there. If you see a flea or two after this, that is probably a new generation, but not to worry because the diatomaceous earth will take care of them.
Now, for the infection around my kitten’s mouth and on his face, I applied iodine on his face where he could not lick, and on his mouth I did a home-remedy cryosurgery by holding a can of air upsidedown and sprayed a piece of cotton or cotton swab (you have to cover your fingers as it is very cold) and hold the saturated cotton on the spot for about 20 seconds. That took care of it and we avoided steroids and antibiotics, neither of which work in the long run.
The trick is to never let fleas back into your life.
Hi,
I adopted my cat as a kitten from the spca. He has always been healthy until I moved a few months ago. He has now developed open sores on his back. They seem to be healed then he licks them so much that they begin to bleed again. I first noticed a problem when he would not let me pick him up anymore. His back seemed painful and sore. Within the next few days his fur became very greasy, and then his sores appeared. There has been clear fluid draining from the sores and blood. There is a neighbourhood cat around that he doesn’t like but other than that, he leads a stress free life. Anyone heard of symptoms like this?
Thank you! I am taking my Littleman off beef!
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