Distressed cat in cone-collar - anyone else been through this?

[Angiew]

Yes this does happen, the cat we had done as part of the C4 program was such a one. So free spay but the subsequent surgery cost us £100 

Cat (vets name) had left one ovary and part of tube in situ.....

[Tiggy's Mum]

Pleased to hear the scratching seems to have eased off a bit  When you say her sister seems to 'get on heat' - has this happened all her life? I've read a few cases where a tiny bit of ovary is left in by accident causing the 'on heat' behaviour.

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,1771.msg29079.html#msg29079

Hope they can get along together with no fighting and no face scratching! 

[trevgti]

Update!

Took her back Tuesday, and they gave her a steroid injection. Took the collar off in the evening, and she scratched immediately, so it went back on immediately.

Back off again in the morning, and left her all day when we went to work. Came home yesterday, and it appeared she had not scratched, and the sore looked fine. Let her out in the garden and she brightened up beyond belief. Watching the two cats, I think I know how it started. They do fight, and it sometimes gets beyond a game. This time of year, her sister Sybil seems to get on heat (despite being spayed) and picks on Polly. She lays in wait in the garden, and ambushes Polly when she appears over the fence. It did get so bad last year, we did wonder about trying to rehome Sybil.

One problem solved, another arises! 

[alisonandarchie]

Do hope Polly gets used to her collar soon. I also know how distressing it will be for you.

When Parki had her ear biopsy she came home with a soft collar that tied on. Do not know if this would be suitable for Polly

[nickynoo93]

Poor girl, hope you resolve the problem with her. I don't have any advice as such, only that I used a strip of stretchy bandage to tie on Poppys collar, i made it long enough to be able to tie it better.

She got used to the collar and grew quite fond of it in the end. I only took it off to feed her and she sat by her bowl waiting for me to take it off.

I put a couple of bowls inside each other tho raise them up a bit for her.

Good luck.

Nicky

[Rosella moggy]

I am reading this thread with a great deal of sympathy for you and poor Polly 

If you are going to buy stress reducing products you may want to try Vetuk (no I'm not on commission!)  They will be a great deal cheaper than your vet and usually supply very quickly. 

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/feliway-products-c-1/feliway-diffuser-pack-incl-feliway-diffuser-and-feliway-vial-p-334

http://www.vetuk.co.uk/behavioural-training-aids-zylkene-tablets-c-198_427/zylkene-100-x-75mg-tablets-p-2094

If you go through the VetUK link on these cat charities, they get a 5% donation....

http://www.coventrycatgroup.org.uk/

http://www.pawsinncatrescue.co.uk/

[trevgti]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I will discuss the biopsy with the vet - she said they have a dermatalogical  specialist at the practice and I shall ask to see him. I do have confidence in them - it's a huge practice and they always seem very good.

I will try the Feliway plug in - the site gives Goddards as a stockist, so no problem there!

I asked if it would be good to clip her claws - the vet said she could do so, but she didn't think it would reduced the damage she is doing to herself by much. As a psoriasis sufferer I am more than familiar with itchy spots!

It is indeed a nightmare! I'm trying to leave her to sleep as much as possible. If anything, she is more fussy than usual, but it seems to provoke excitable behaviour during which she goes potty! This morning she was leaping around and ended up on top of our huge American style fridge freezer! The situation is not made any easier, as we have to keep her in, and allow her sister to go out (the catflap is blocked, of course).

If the Feliway works, it could be a great help.

[souffle]

I am sorry you are having so many problems with this sore.
I wonder if it would be worth having it biopsied to try and find a route cause? There is a small chance it could be a histamine secreting skin tumour. Their nature means they secrete histamine and are itchy all the time. They are easily removed. Have you tried an antihistamine to see it that helps get her over this itchy stage if it is a healing itch? Is there any way of covering the sore until it heals?
Just trying to think of anything that may help. I would definitly consider the allegy tests too.
Best wishes and hope you get there with this wound xx

[Tiggy's Mum]

What a nightmare 

Soft paws are plastic tips that go over a cats nail to blunt them and stop them being able to do any damage, I think they were designed in the US to stop cats damaging furniture and so are frowned upon in the cat world (get a teddy bear if you're worried about pet damage!) but for medical purposes they may have their uses.

http://www.spuk.com/

Feliway is a plug in diffuser (like an air freshener plug in) that gives off calming cat pheromones. I use it with great success on my 'sensitive' cat who is a different cat with Feliway plugged in, so much more confident and relaxed.

http://www.feliway.com/gb

I know when I've had wounds heal in the past (scuba diving accident with a rock!) the wound was really itchy even though it had healed over so I wonder if that's a factor too along with the behavioural aspect?

There's a few links here of similar threads on Purrs so there might be snippets/suggestions that are of use...

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,31680.msg569363.html#msg569363

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,1072.msg17678.html#msg17678

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,17649.msg300186.html#msg300186

[trevgti]

have you considered the soft paws option? do you use feliway?

I have no idea what either of these are, so any links would be appreciated.

Took her to Goddards this morning (just down the road from their HQ) and the vet was excellent in as mch as she gave Polly a very thorough examination and discussed the matter with me for 20 minutes.

She said the sore had healed very well, was way beyond the itchy stage, that there was no sign whatsoever of any infestation, mouth infection, ear infection. We talked a lot about food allergy. She said not to rule it out, but in her experience there would be more evidence of skin irritation (of which there is none) and her opinion was that this was not the cause. Her opinion was that if there was any allergy it would be more likely to be the soft food we give her and not Royal Canin, which she said was top notch dried food (and not the brand they sell).
She said it was far more likely to be behavioral, and that once the collar was off she would be very unlikely to continue the scratching. She took the collar off - said to watch her closely for a while and let her out after 48 hours.

Incidentally, I said that someone had mentioned de-clawing and she said the practice would never, ever do such a thing and that it was illegal in the way the docking of dogs was. Not that I would ever consider such a barbaric thing. I went home feeling optimistic.

Once home, she went ballistic and ripped the (healed) sore open within 30 minutes despite my best attempts to stop her. It's bright red and weeping again. The collar is back on and we are back where we started. I am convinced it is complusive behaviour. She is a neurotic little animal, undoubtedy. She now knows I do not approve of her manic scratching - I shout and clap my hands, and she meows and stops. Until I am out of sight, when she starts again.

I cannot see a way out of this and am desperate.

[Angiew]

have you considered the soft paws option? do you use feliway?

[trevgti]

Stress would seem to be an obvious cause, though there is nothing that seems to trouble her unduly. She is slightly neurotic and nervy and totally independent. Won't be picked up under any circumstances - but on her own terms is incredibly affectionate and will go into a relax stupor if fussed! If she's in an attention mood it is impossible to ignore her, and she will get up to all sorts of tricks to attract it.

The only thing that winds her up is being kept in at night, and I am reluctant to give in to this. Ironically. it was when the evenings started to draw out, and she wouldn't come in for a couple of nights that the recent problem manifested itself.

[Jiskefet]

If is is stress (which may still be the case, even if food allergy is involved, as stress often triggers or worsens allergic or atopic reactions), you might want to look into what may have triggered the episodes of intense scratching.

Tuppence, one of my rainbow cats, licked her belly clean of all hair, and we found out the appearance of the window cleaner freaked her out. Even the rattling of the ladder was enough to set her off. So we sent him packing and cleaned out windows ourselves.

Then it started again...... after our neighbour got married. His wife had a son who played very loud music, mostly when we were at work. We found out because she stopped plucking herself when they were on holiday, and started again right after the brat was back.

[trevgti]

I've booked an appointment at the vets for Sat AM, which will be 10 days with the collar on. The sore has healed nicely, though is still bare of fur. I am hopeful they will say to take it off, but fearful as I suspect she will be at it right away.

Far from curing the scratching problem, the collar seems to have made it much worse and the longer it is on, the worse she will be. If it is back to square one in no time, I don't really know what I will do. She cannot spend the rest of her days in the darn thing. I may ask them to clip her claws, so the damage will be limited until she sharpens them up (and my furniture pays the price!). She is frantically trying to groom, and licks the inside of the cone for ages,

I will definately try an allergy type feed, and the vets sell several (though main brands I suspect).

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

Please please do not think about declawing ... it really is barbaric.

Have a look at the food available on Zooplus for cats with food allergies ..... I would try Orijen it is very good .... http://www.zooplus.co.uk/ask?query=allergy+cat&num=20

[trevgti]

one of our foster cats was the same and eventually it was a food allergy. I'd suspect the wet food you are giving her. I'm not sure on the dry, but the vet might try you with a low hypoallergic (sp) one - they do exist!.
It about keeping it as simple as possible and its usually a chicken and rice combo..
It might even be worth trying the softpaw things on her back legs while shes got the collar on. May be easier for you to see how they are used and you could see how she takes to them if a diet change does not work. Always nice to have a back up plan, and if she gets her collar off again, you will be able to see if they are any good.
http://www.softpaws.co.uk/?gclid=CPrwwv66t6gCFUEa4Qod92u9Aw

Thanks Angie.

I've decided to book her in to the vets on Weds, so they can check on the sore and discuss the root cause. I tied the collar on more tightly (not too so) which has made her worse today and she had a flip moment this morniong when she went absolutely nuclear trying to get it off. She didn't succeed, but in the process managed to take the scab off the wound again. I've looked at the alternatives on the net, but I don't think any of the softer options would stop her getting at the sore.

De-clawing would be a desperate last straw I doubt I would countenance. To deprive her of the outdoors would be unthinkable. If you think it could be the wet food that could be the allergy cause, then it's no problem to stop that, as frankly they prefer it to the top price tinned gear we get them. I'm just uncomfortable with a 100% dry diet. Sybil gets a few fresh scraps as she will eat them. She is a scavenger bigtime and will take anything that's about. We arrived home the other day to find the cake we'd left on the breakfast bar, which was still in Waitrose double wrapping, had been torn open and all the chocolate licked off the top!

The softpaw things might be an idea, though I'm reluctant to put anything else on her that will frustrate at the moment. I'll ask the vet what she thinks.

Thanks again for all the replies. Googling the problem it seems it's a pretty average experience. Stick a cat in a hood and the result is never going to be easy. We'll have to get through it, but certainly have to start to tackle the root cause as I know we'll be back to where we are now in no time otherwise.

[Angiew]

one of our foster cats was the same and eventually it was a food allergy. I'd suspect the wet food you are giving her. I'm not sure on the dry, but the vet might try you with a low hypoallergic (sp) one - they do exist!.
It about keeping it as simple as possible and its usually a chicken and rice combo..
It might even be worth trying the softpaw things on her back legs while shes got the collar on. May be easier for you to see how they are used and you could see how she takes to them if a diet change does not work. Always nice to have a back up plan, and if she gets her collar off again, you will be able to see if they are any good.
http://www.softpaws.co.uk/?gclid=CPrwwv66t6gCFUEa4Qod92u9Aw

[Tiggy's Mum]

Actually it's a Hills product, but certainly worth a try. I have my doubts as I've tried various alternatives tp thhe RC but she will have none of it! Sybil, her sister, will eat anything, which sums the pair up !!

Doh!  I was thinking of the Royal Canin sensitivity my cat was on for a while and knew that the Hills DD was another option so somehow in my head thought the Hills DD was RC DD!

There's no point in switching/trying new foods if your vet doesn't think it's food allergy related though so defo ask about the possibility next time you go.

[Miroslav]

My Dopey had one of these and she was too distressed to wear it, especially as the other 4 at the time hissed at her as they didn't like it.

We just adjusted sleeping patterns so we could watch her 24/7. I feel asleep for 30 minutes once, but I think she slept through those 30 minutes as well.

[trevgti]

One of the foods which is often recommended by vets for skin allergy issues is a Royal Canin dry food so if that's an option to explore then hopefully she won't be too put out.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=876&pf_id=50502

Actually it's a Hills product, but certainly worth a try. I have my doubts as I've tried various alternatives tp thhe RC but she will have none of it! Sybil, her sister, will eat anything, which sums the pair up !!

[Tiggy's Mum]

I will speak to the vet on Tuesday, as we have to try to get to the bottom of this. If it is food, then it's another battle. I'm not happy with the dry diet, but she refuses to eat anything else other than Gourmet tuna/prawns and of course, her beloved Royal Cain which she scoffs.

One of the foods which is often recommended by vets for skin allergy issues is a Royal Canin dry food so if that's an option to explore then hopefully she won't be too put out.

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=876&pf_id=50502

[trevgti]

How was the cone secured? I think there's a tendency to not do it up as tight as it can go for fear of hurting them but this has to stay on so she can get better so you need to put it on as tightly as possible without hurting her 

They are chipped and don't wear collars. The vet put a thin piece of bandage through the lugs of the collar which is designed to fit through a regular collar, and it is obviously this she has managed to loosen. I reckon she'd managed to get through this to scratch whilst we were out this afternoon and opened the wound. Thanks for your comment - I will tighten it a little.

[trevgti]

You havent said when this started in relation to when she came to you.....this may be an indicator of the reason.

It could be allergy or stress with something that she perceives.

These problems are always so hard to resolve or know the reason, I am sure someone else on the forum had this problem but cant remember who.

They came from a rescue centre, and she has scratched from day one though only twice has it manifested so far this far.  What astonished me was that she placidly allowed us to put the collar back on again.

I will speak to the vet on Tuesday, as we have to try to get to the bottom of this. If it is food, then it's another battle. I'm not happy with the dry diet, but she refuses to eat anything else other than Gourmet tuna/prawns and of course, her beloved Royal Cain which she scoffs.  Won't even sniff tinned tuna, let alone standard tinned foot or fresh chicken/fish.

[Tiggy's Mum]

How was the cone secured? I think there's a tendency to not do it up as tight as it can go for fear of hurting them but this has to stay on so she can get better so you need to put it on as tightly as possible without hurting her 

[trevgti]

Oh jeez, she's managed to get the collar off and by the time we realised, she's opened the wound and we're back to square one.

What are we going to do with this puss!

[Tiggy's Mum]

If your vet has ruled out mites and fleas then I would seriously look into the food allergy side of things, just beacuse you're feeding decent quality/expensive foods doesn't mean she doesn't have an allergy to one of the components in the food. I'm really surprised your vet hasn't mentioned it as something to explore when you've taken her in the past. Has she always scratched ever since you've had her?

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

You havent said when this started in relation to when she came to you.....this may be an indicator of the reason.

It could be allergy or stress with something that she perceives.

These problems are always so hard to resolve or know the reason, I am sure someone else on the forum had this problem but cant remember who.

[trevgti]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm reconciled to having to get through this. The sore is now dry and looking better, though it was so bad it will take a lot more before the collar can come off. The skin has to rebuild and fur to emerge before we're on the home straight, and that is at least a week away I would say.

When it is done I will ask the vet for all possible causes and solutions. It could be food allergy I guess, but she is a very fussy eater. She loves Royal Canin dried, and we suppliment it with the few (megga expensive!) wet foods she will eat.  She won't touch any fresh food whatsoever. I find it very difficult coping with an animal we love so much who is in such obvious distress. I will try anything to avoid going through this again, though anything that involves her being kept indoors is a no no. I've never been comfortable with indoor only cats, and Polly just loves roaming outside. She is such a little darling!

[Tiggy's Mum]

This won't help with the cone collar problem but has your vet discussed possible food allergies as the cause of the compulsive scratching?

[CarolM (Wendolene)]

This is a link to a thread which describes a more comfy collar but unfortunately I doubt it would work in Polly's case.    The cat in question was bu=iting her stitches where she had been spayed rather than scratching her face.  However, if you are at all handy you may be able to adapt it to work.

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,37166.msg659074.html#msg659074

Sorry I cant be of more help and sending you and Polly lots of these   

[Angiew]

I don't normally recommend using them, but have you thought of trying the softclaw things to prevent her doing damage?
We did have one cat that had very thin skin around her neck and was declawed - obviously she then needed an indoor home. It was before my time in the group and I'm sure a decision that was not taken lightly.

Have you explored the allergy cause?

[trevgti]

Polly is our adored tortoishell mix. I've had cats all my life but never such a beautiful looking, sweet natured, affectionate, funny, sparky, characterful one as her.

We have her sister too, who has a completely different personality. We get them in at night, otherwise they have free run and roam the local neighbourhood. Polly loves to sit on the front gate post where she gets endless attention from passers by. A bunch of kids were taking her picture on their mobiles the other day, whilst she posed like a prima donna! I cannot believe they are stressed in any way.

She does compulsively scratch though. She's been to the vets numerous time to check for ear mites or flees, but she's always clear. She also slightly over-grooms, which is why she is always immaculate. 18 months ago we noticed she's scratched the side of her face behind the right eye and below her ear to the point of there being a nasty sore. It would appear to be on the mend, then a day later, worse than ever as she'd had a real go. After a while it finally healed, however.

A couple of weeks ago, it appeared again, and we went through the bad/getting better cycle, only this time it didn't heal up. I cancelled one vet's appointment as it appeared to be improving, and I knew what the remedy would be. 2 days later and it was awful, so we took her and they have put her in one of the cone shaped collars and she said for 2 weeks at least as there was a lot of healing to be done. It would also cure her of her complusive scratching. Had a antibiotic injection.

It has made the scratching far worse. She is so distressed I find it very upsetting. I find it hard to believe in this day and age they can't design a collar that would be less uncomfortable - it's horrible. We looked in Pets at Home to see if there was a better one, but only for dogs. She is behaving oddly, crashes into everything, and keeps vomiting. Very fussy and wants to be with us the whole time, but even that is difficult. I can't imagine getting through the next 10 days like this. And it's a nightmare in the hot weather as we have to be so careful opening windows as it would be a disaster if she got out.

I'm also concerned about when it comes off - if she starts at it again, we'll be back where we are now.

Has anyone else been through this? I'd appreciate any thoughts. Sorry for a long post.