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My cat had lost a lot of fur in February so took him to vet who gave him a cortisone injection which cleared it up especially on his flanks although the new hair is a bit rough, however new patches have appeared, on his elbow and under his arm on his flank, will another cortisone injection clear this up eventually, or is there an alternative treatment

My cat had lost a lot of fur in February so took him to vet who gave him a cortisone injection which cleared it up especially on his flanks although the new hair is a bit rough, however new patches have appeared, on his elbow and under his arm on his flank, will another cortisone injection clear this up eventually, or is there an alternative treatment

Updated On May 27th, 2020

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 9 lbs

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hello. This is an indication that Tigs is allergic to something in his environment, be it pollen, dust mites, possibly even his food. Cortisone can keep his symptoms under control, but over time there can be side effects from multiple steroid injections. You could try allergy testing to see what Tigs may be allergic to & start a desensitization protocol. This can take some time, so it is best to work with a veterinary dermatologist to get the best results. If he might be having some issues with his food, then a trial with a hypoallergenic diet may be appropriate. Make sure you are doing as good a job as you can controlling fleas as this is a major cause if skin irritation in cats. The important thing to know is we can not cure allergies, just control the symptoms. Steroid injections ( cortisone ) are just one tool to help keep the symptoms under control. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

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