I've been a bad kitty mom (distracted by my own problems as described in another post) and need some help. Mike, one of our kitties, was obsessively grooming himself last week. Last Sunday, I noticed that he had groomed himself raw in one spot on his back, working his way up his back. On Monday, I shaved down his back (with the help of a friend!) so I could see his skin better. The skin had a bunch of bumps, some broken open, and the bumps went up, almost in a straight line, almost to his neck. I wanted to bathe him but he was so traumatized from the shaving that I skipped it. He left the bumps alone after I sprayed some Schrieners herbal spray (I'll have to find the ingredients to post), which is recommended for skin problems.
Fast forward to today and I've noticed that the bumps have spread! His entire back is now covered and they have spread further up around his neck. He is still acting normally, eating, playing etc. but I have caught him obsessively-grooming a few times. I know it is itchy because he purrs in ecstasy when you even touch his back.
Mike does have food allergies. He's on EVO grain free kibble in the mornings and grain-free canned food in the evenings. When has a food allergy related breakout, he gets "rodent ulcer" on his chin. Well, I was a bad mom and let him cheat on the diet two weeks ago and gave him a can of Fancy Feast (his favorite that he never gets to have!)...probably two 3oz cans in one week. Sure enough, he got an ulcer under his chin. He was, of course, still on his grain-free diet and that usually clears it up over a week or so. However, his ulcer has not cleared up yet but it is not getting worse either. He has never had an all-over reaction, even from a food allergy.
The other problem is that I found two fleas on one of the dogs, so I know that the cats have been exposed to fleas as well. Dogs have been treated (and are always on treatment), but the cats have not been on treatment since we had the first frost last month. I know the vet will give him a cortizone shot to take down his immune system if I take him in, as well as start him on a round of clavamox, but I'd really like to avoid the steroids if at all possible. I'm not sure why his system is reacting like this or what exactly is even causing it! Fleas or food allergy both seem like likely suspects, but I don't know which one came first or how to stop this vicious grooming cycle. Can I put tea tree oil on his skin or given him a tea tree oil bath to soothe the itching? Any advice is greatly appreciated!