Each owner wants his pet to live happily ever after. Therefore, any disease is a small tragedy. But it’s especially scary when the animal suffers, and you cannot help him. Many owners of cats will understand what it is about. This is the moment when sores appear on the cat's neck, and she combes them with her clawed legs to literally meat. Areas that are particularly prone to this ailment are also areas behind the ears. What is it, where does it come from, and what should the owner do? About all this in order in our article.
What is the problem?
It’s very a pity to watch when non-healing sores appear on the cat’s neck. Therefore, the best option is to take her to a veterinarian. However, it is good if you live in a city. True, in this case, a person also faces a problem: veterinary clinics issue an invoice for their services, which not everyone can afford. And in small towns and villages, there may not be a veterinarian at all. Therefore, let's look at the main reasons why sores appear on the cat’s neck, and how to deal with them.
Option No. 1: blood-sucking parasites
Indeed, quite often it happens that insects choose their neck as their favorite zone for life. Therefore, the cat intensively scratches these places with claws. As a result, if you do not take action, the business will take a bad turn. Itching provokes scratching, small sores appear on the cat's neck. But insects do not stop their activity and continue to bite the animal. As a result, combs continue, dirty claws can cause infection and an abscess begins.
What to do to the owner? Inspect the animal. If he has fleas, then the places of their deployment should be visible on the neck and near the tail. You can find adult insects and their eggs. In this case, you need to treat the animal from insects, and then heal the wounds. You can use a special collar or drops on the withers. When the source of itching is eliminated, it will be much more effective.
Subcutaneous ticks
If the cat itches to sores on the neck, but no fleas were found, the cause may lie a little deeper. It can also be skin diseases, which are a reaction to the vital activity of subcutaneous ticks. They can also be different, but most often they diagnose demodex or sarcoptosis. In this case, it is also advisable to first conduct an examination with a veterinarian. If scraping shows a positive result, the doctor will prescribe the optimal treatment. Usually these are Ivermek injections, or oral administration according to a special regimen. Intramuscular injections are given once every 8-10 days. All you need to do three procedures, and you can forget about the problem.
If the cat combes its neck to sores, but there is no way to get to the vet, you can try "Ivermek" (gel). Just do not apply it to wounds, otherwise you can increase irritation. In addition, there are drops of Stronghold and Front Line on sale. They are affordable and freely available through a network of veterinary pharmacies.
If nothing helps
The most difficult moment for a loving owner is when he goes through different methods one after another, but nothing works. The cat has a sore neck, a blood scab, which also begins to rot. Until you find the cause, you need to fight at least the investigation so as not to start the disease. In this case, it is best to choose the spray "Terramycin" or "Amidel." They very well help to dry wounds and relieve inflammation. But the effect will be temporary, since we still have not eliminated the cause. However, it is very important not to aggravate sepsis, so continue to look for treatment options, but for now, constantly use a spray or ointment.
Allergic reaction
If a cat has blood sores on its neck, then you need to think about what this may be associated with. Perhaps you recently introduced a new feed into the diet, underwent a course of treatment, or acquired a vitamin complex. Then an allergic reaction cannot be ruled out. Only a doctor can make such a diagnosis, because the symptoms are too blurry. Itching, hair loss and scratching can talk about dozens of causes, including diseases of the internal organs.
At the same time, food allergies are just one of the options. To provoke a similar reaction can be pollen and household dust, mold or household chemicals, hygiene products. Today, there are a lot of allergens in the environment, and you will search for the true cause yourself for a very long time. However, in order to diagnose, you can undergo treatment with antihistamines. If, as a result, the condition begins to improve, then you are on the right track. Now it remains only to find the source of the allergic reaction, and the problem will be solved.
Miliary Dermatitis
If the sores on the cat’s neck under the hair look like a scattering of small acne, then the doctor can make such a diagnosis. In fact, this will mean only one thing: you need to immediately look for a new veterinarian, more competent. The fact is that miliary dermatitis is not a disease, but only its symptom. Moreover, there can be countless reasons, which the doctor must deal with. You need to build on the localization of the rash. In some cases, it covers only the neck, in others it spreads to the whole body.
This condition can be caused by allergic reactions. In this case, it is extremely important to determine the cause of its occurrence. This may be a reaction to fleas, inhaled allergens, or food. By the location of the rash, you can roughly say what exactly caused it. If pimples and wounds are concentrated in the neck, then it is most often a food allergy.
How to help your pet?
What should the owner do if the cat has sores on his neck? How to treat this condition, because every day it only worsens. Diagnosis begins with a series of tests. Having learned the true reason, you can understand how to treat the animal. If miliary dermatitis is a consequence of a food allergy, then the rashes will last until the pet receives one or another product.
To diagnose dermatitis, you need to put the cat on a special diet. It usually includes components that it has never received before. If the symptoms disappear, then the cause is detected. Now, one component of the old diet begins to be introduced into food. As soon as the first symptoms appear, the cause is discovered. Diagnostic feeding can last up to 12 weeks and is accompanied by veterinarian supervision.
Some scrapings will be taken from the cat to determine the presence of skin parasites. Three types of ticks can cause skin damage:
- Cheyletiella is often called vomiting dandruff. White, moving parasites resemble scales of dandruff. They live in the upper layer of the skin.
- The second type, Otodectes cynotis, is an ear tick that also causes miliary dermatitis on the head and neck.
- Finally, the third pathogen is demodex.
Ringworm
This may be a consequence of the activity of several types of parasites. In this case, bald patches form, which turn red and itch. Therefore, when diagnosing miliary dermatitis, it is recommended to take a piece of skin and wool for analysis. The sample is placed in a growth medium that stimulates the growth of the fungus. For effective treatment, special drugs are used that remove the cause of itching.
Getting rid of itching is not a solution.
First of all, the owners seek to alleviate the condition of their pet. If you apply the standard treatment of allergies, then after a while the symptoms will return. It is necessary to use local products that dry the wounds and relieve the condition, but this is not the main focus. Therefore, the main task is to find the real reason for what is happening. Only after diagnosis can an effective treatment be prescribed.
Any skin diseases are treated long enough, so do not be discouraged in the absence of quick results. The most important thing is your attention and accompaniment of an experienced doctor.