My cat has bumps on his ears, chin and neck. Does my cat have allergies?

Original Question: Hi I have 9-year-old cat and I believe she has allergies at certain times of the year (particularly spring and fall) she gets a number of acne like sores/bumps around her neck chin and ears. She of course likes to rub her chin against the brush (my fingers) and to scratch the area. I believe this is allergies and I heard Dr. Clayton Greenway answer a similar question on the radio show some time ago. I'm not sure what the best route is to go for this and I live in Milton and have always taken my cats to a specific local veterinary clinic. When I reached out to them, I mentioned the issue and they have asked me to come in for a check-up, however they did state that they do not do anything specific for allergies (ie. they don't do any allergy testing like when a human gets those allergy spot tests). I am not sure if I should try to find a place that has specific experience with pet allergies or if I should bring the cat there for a check-up? (again not sure if they are the best place to go as they didn't seem particularly educated when it comes to pet allergies) What are your thoughts? - Scott

Jun 4, 2017

Hi Scott,

Allergies and skin problems can be one of the most frustrating problems for pets and their owners. The first thing that should always be done, whether pets are indoors or outdoors, is to make sure flea protection is adequate. There are actual allergy tests that can be done by drawing some blood and any general practitioner should be able to do this, so consider asking your vet about this. The intradermal skin test (the spot test you mention) is much more open to interpretation and is typically only done by specialists. Yes! There are dermatologists for your pets that you can always ask for a referral from your regular veterinarian. If you have an overall good relationship with your veterinarian, then have a discussion with them about your concerns, otherwise, a second opinion does not hurt.