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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
Cats can be affected by many medical conditions. Some of these conditions don't seem very harmful, but they can be. Over-grooming is one of them. Doesn't sound harmful, does it? It is very similar to OCD, or obsessive-compulsive disorder in humans.
It is a stress related problem. As harmless as it may seem, it can be a real problem. If you see signs of this disorder in your cat make sure to call your veterinarian to see how you can put a stop to it.
You may begin to see signs of over-grooming when your cat has been stressed. Usually some kind of change has occurred, like a new baby in the home, or perhaps the arrival of a second pet. If your cat has been stressed by a change he may try to calm himself by grooming. This is fine.
It is when you see that your cat begins to lick excessively, or even pull out his own fur causing bald spots. The usual spots for this to happen is in the inner thighs or your cats forelegs. at the inner thighs and forelegs.
If your vet determines that you cat is over-grooming he will let you know what to do to stop the problem. The first thing you would want to do is define the cause of the stress that has triggered this reaction, and eliminate it if you can.
Only your vet can do this since there are some medical conditions that can cause baldness. Some of these conditions can be fatal to your cat and need medical treatment. These conditions include: thyroid problems, allergies, fleas, mites, ringworm, and bacterial pyoderma. These conditions will have to be ruled out before your vet can help.
It just could happen that over-grooming has become a habit, and may not be an easy one to break. You need to distract your cat by various stimuli. There are cat videos that you can play for him, or you may want him to discover a fish tank to keep him occupied, especially when you are not home to play with him yourself.
There may be some medications you can give to your cat to help him stop over-grooming. Anti-depressants and/or anti-anxiety medications may help your cat to alleviate his stress and stop the over-grooming. These could be prescriptions or they could be herbal.
Your vet can also educate you on the hows and whys of over-grooming. He can tell you what positive signs to look for to make sure you know your cat is on the mend.
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