Pet MD Hydrocortisone Topical Skin Spray
Our tuxedo cat Gumby is FIV+. It may be due to his condition that he suffers from terrible allergies that used to leave his skin in pretty bad shape. When we first had him as our foster kitty, he had bumps on his skin at the base of his tail and at his haunches. We could see he was in misery from the itching -- it was awful. It was recommended we ask the vet for a steroid shot to help relieve the itching. This did wonders for his comfort, but we still had to get to the bottom of the skin issues.
Something else that helps with skin irritations and allergies is this topical hydrocortisone spray from Pet MD.
This is a safe and gentle formulation made for pets, including cats. If I had known about the availability of cortisone for cats when we were working with Gumby's skin condition, I would definitely have tried it. At less than $15 (at time of writing) for a 4 ounce bottle, this is a lot more affordable than a steroid shot. The shot is supposed to be good for a month, but just a couple of weeks after the shot Gumby's skin flared up again. Having something on hand to use as needed would have been both convenient for us and a big help to Gumby.
Meanwhile, we knew there had to be underlying issues causing Gumby's skin issues. In the first weeks we had him, he needed to visit the shelter's vet to be neutered. He also needed to visit the shelter's open days several times. Unfortunately, this exposed him to other cats, and to fleas. Was a flea allergy causing his skin condition?
We also suspected that he might suffer from an allergy to his food. We started to offer Gumby different foods to see if that would help. In the meantime, we were able to proclaim him flea-free. But he still had bumps and itching. We saw some real improvements when we tried grain-free foods -- that did the trick! Now Gumby is on a high-quality grain-free diet, and his skin and fur have never been better. In addition to the other problem areas, Gumby had a bad case of feline acne on his chin. We didn't expect this to clear up too, but today his little tuxedo chin is pure white!
It's pretty awful when your kitty is suffering. While you work to find the underlying cause of skin irritations, which can be caused by diet, flea or insect bites, or other factors, consider trying a hydrocortisone topical spray made for pets to give your pet relief. You should be able to pick this up for under $15 (at time of writing) with free Amazon Prime shipping.
Here's a picture of Gumby making a funny face. Look at his pretty white chin and healthy, shiny fur!
