Help with cat who licks

[sassycat]

his back until you can see skin.     Has anyone had this issue?

He is a Main Coon who I adopted a few years ago and he had these scabs on his back. I wasn't worried too much as he had been abandoned or ran away and I just figured they were war wounds. 

Well  I have had him at the vet and they don't have any answers either but maybe think they are hot spots.  He has had skin testing  (with nothing showing up).  We give him coritsone shots to maybe help  and benadryl to help with the itch, Oatmeal baths, and anything else vet has suggested.  

NOTHING IS WORKING.  he has a huge spot on his back that is now hairless and he won't stop licking it.  ( I do have a cone but don't want to keep it on all the time)

Does anyone have any suggestions.  I am frustrated and feel so bad for my kitty as it is obviously something that is bothering him.

Thanks in advance for answers. 

[niemand88f]

When we found our 3rd cat as a stray, she had licked her fur off her legs due to stress. She stopped once the stress of being sick & hungry outside was gone. Maybe try Feliway diffuser or plugin in case it is stress.

Maybe also try a grain free food, some cats get itchy from corn or wheat that is in a lot of brands. Wellness and Blue Buffalo are two good brands you can find at Petco & Petsmart.

[sassycat]

Thanks so much.. I am also thinking it could be stress, but man this cat lives high on the hog, has really no stressors around him. He has the house to himself, and there are no other animals or small children around.

I thought of food as well, I am leaning toward a tuna or salmon allergy and looking at that at this point. I have changed her food to a natural one to see if this will help, but I did just buy it.

I hope something works as it looks so painful for him.

Thanks again for the input.

[sunnysally]

We have a cat who is an obsessive licker. He lives a pretty charmed life and has nothing to be anxious about, but as the vet puts it he has a "quirky" personality. She recommended this:
www.amazon.com/Rescue-Remedy-Cream-30-gm/dp/B004JMMK58/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414507656&sr=8-1&keywords=rescue+cream

We rub a very small amount on his ears when the licking gets out of control and it does seem to help.

[Deleted]

The feliway diffusers have helped greatly (but not completely cured) our compulsive licker. Feliway also makes collars that are supposed to help, but our cat doesn't normally wear a color do he just pulled it off within minutes.

[Mashara]

How is your cat doing?

One of my cats used to be an obsessive licker. At one point, she had licked off a strip of hair along her spine, similar to what you describe. I dealt with hers through a lot of redirection. I played with her often, either using my hands of toys, and made her stop licking any time she was near me. After awhile, she licked less often and the hair grew back, though it was a lighter shade of black for a long time.