Callie can you help me? Skin related...

OH boy, I'm SO not a cat person.  So my knowledge is next to nothing on it. 

However I can tell you in DOGS the allergy to fleas is from the flea *spit* -- literally the flea's saliva is like a mega toxin and just one *bite* will set an animal up for a reaction for months and months.  **But** on a dog (and again, I don't know cats) a flea allergy dermatitis will pattern very specifically - it starts at the base of the tail and crawls up the back and down the back flanks/hips/butt.  It "spreads" rather than being isolated patches here and there - does that make sense?

BUT also in a dog a 'shot' (and I'm assuming it was a steroid shot??) would usually make it better -- and if it didn't, then I'm gonna bet it's not allergy.  Because usually that type of inflammation responds to pred (which is why it's so darned prevalent for vets to treat it that way).

Gosh I wish I could help but I just don't know cats.  I know the holisticat.com website (maybe .org ??) used to be superior in helping folks but I can't even tell you an herb to try because they react so differently on cats than dogs. 

It does *not* look thyroid to me however because it doesn't appear to be bi-lateral (mirroring on both sides?) and usually thyroid is to a great degree HOWEVER cats are far more prone to hyPER-thyroid (high thyroid) than dogs are and it's high risk for them.

So at least that gives you questions to ask in another forum??  sorry!

One *more* thot -- again along the lines that a steroid shot (if that's what it was) didn't help.

Is anyone in this family itching?  After handling the cat were YOU scratching?  That long bit along the back -- it's like the hair thinned from prlonged scratching.  Is any of the skin toughened?  Like almost calloused from itching? 

I'm wondeirng about sarcoptic mange -- yeah, nasty word BUT it's not difficult to treat and of all of the things discussed above?  Sarcops could be the easiest of all to treat.  But if anyone in the family is experiencing just a small reddened "really itchy spot" -- or if they ever feel like they are "scratching in sympathy" -- ivermectin could be the way to go on a cat.  A veterinary PDR (library -- reference section) would give you the dose for a cat and you could split a bottle of ivermectin among several friends who have NON-herding dogs for heartworm prevention for cats and dogs.

Thanks Callie I'll dig around on that site you mentioned and see what I can find. My friend said that the shot keeps the cat from itching for a few days and then the itching starts again though less severe than before. I haven't actually seen the cat in a while but I'll be babysitting him for a few months soon so I was hoping to try and get this cleared up.

I'll be sure to ask my friend if he or anyone in his house is itching.