I'd first get the cat to a vet that will try to find what's causing the behavior, not just give it a drug. It could be medical problem vs mental and hopefully once it is treated, the cat can have a normal life.

As for dry eye, the prescription eye drops may be antibiotic + lubricant. The OTC meds will just be a lubricant and may not work long term like the Rx does.
Does the dog have glaucoma? If so, the dog needs to be treated by a vet. It can be a very painful condition.......

Here is a link that might be useful: chewing

All pets have been to the vets. We are looking for alternative answers and alternative solutions to what has been prescribed to date

Both your questions sound like they need to asked of a real vet. If the dog owner can't afford the prescribed eye drops, she needs to ask the vet if something can be substituted. And the cat, what did a vet say about it?

Is this a matter of money, or do the owners not like the vet's diagnoses? Some alternative treatments are just fine & in fact may be preferred, but for some conditions, it's best to stay w/mainstream treatments/meds. Your info is to vague for a layperson forum to advise.

This is not a question of affordability in either case, and I doubt if there are any fake vets practicing in our area.
These questions are for people on this forum who may have had some experience with these conditions and might be able to provide alternative protocols which might work better. This forum is a wonderful resource for this type of question. I specifically made the queries vague - it is sometimes best to start questions off simply and not get into too much detail. As for laypersons understanding these questions - Im looking for an owner who has had a similar situation to respond, not have those who can just refer me to a web site or who is just guessing what might work, I can work with specifics with an owner who has had similar experiences and we can PM each other to work out the details. Thanks

I doubt this forum will provide you with many responses in regards to cats that self-mutilate. I'd suggest checking out cat-only forums.

Mazer my cat has been chewing her hair off her legs and belly lately. That and a couple other actions have us thinking that she has some anxiety or 'nerves'. Vet suggested trying Feliway prior to moving on to medications. I bought the diffuser and may go ahead and order the spray. It's only been a couple days but she does seem calmer. She has not chewed but I wont say yet that it has stopped.

If you want to try it I would suggest looking for it on Amazon or elsewhere. The diffuser with one bottle of the liquid was $37 at my vet's office, less than $22 on Amazon.

As for the dry eye, my horse's vet has suggested that Teddy could use some dry eye drops because the lower lid on one eye doesn't meet snugly with the eyeball because of an old injury.

She recommended Genteal Severe. It's in most pharmacies, over the counter, and comes in both drops and gel, I believe.

I haven't gotten it yet because I'm still using a triple antibiotic gel to clear up some gunk right now.

have the cats hormone level checked. My cat chew her belly hairless, vet checked hormone level, she gets a shot once or twice a year. no more chewing

Wonderful!!!!!!!! just what Im looking for, I knew you guys would come through.
Happy Holidays

Hi Mazer,

I don't recommend putting human eye drops in the dog. We have different ph and it may hurt. There are lubricant / steroid eyedrops for dogs and they need to be used twice a day, but the vet needs to prescribe it.

I am concerned about the cat and wonder if the vet did extensive tests. There are a few different options for a neurotic cat (after physiological problems are eliminated). See the article attached, and also try Pet Naturals Calming treats. It works for my friends' cat.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pheromones

mazer, I meant ask a vet not a forum. I wasn't implying you're seeing a fake vet.....

just curious as to what the veterinarian suggested and why you chose to not follow his/her suggestions? There are plenty of holistic veterinarians if you want an educated answer from someone who knows about alternative therapies. Or are you just distrustful of the profession in general?

I worked in the profession, so no, I trust them, but I also know in my area, vets are far too willing to be a second hand to the pharmaceutical companies and proscribe meds before really trying to work out every possibility. The vet wanted to put the cat on anti depressants - pretty heavy duty for a 8 month old cat. Not my idea of trying to work out other possibilities. I recommended the owner change cat food - Since grains, corn and chicken are the top allergens and can cause behavioral changes like excessive scratching. BINGO, that was the fix needed, tho we are keeping an eye on the cat. It isnt that I dont trust the profession, I use to work in it, but I have intutition about certain things and tend to try to want to find answers that dont involve spending lots of money on meds that are very powerful and can create issues in side effects that are often more troublesome than the "cure"

" It is curently on prescription eye drops for dry eye, can we use something else like Tears two over the counter to help clear up this new stuff or not. "

what type are the prescription eye drops mazer? I had an old dog with this and she was on prescription cyclosporin drops which was to reduce further damage and eyesight loss, but my vet also recommended using regular fake tears from the pharmacy a few times a day as well to keep the eyes lubricated. I just had to use the fake tears separate from the cyclosporin so the fake tears didn't dilute it. If the dog is on cyclosporin drops, you definitely don't want to stop these but you can use fake tears if the eyes are still dry during the day

This post was edited by trancegemini_wa on Wed, Dec 26, 12 at 23:31

Hi Mazar:
I was just about to suggest the change in food for the cat.
My daughter had a cat with the same chewing issues (mostly on herself). Once she switched to a grain free - hi protein, organic food, the chewing stopped.
Dog dry eye? no clue - we dealt with glaucoma for 3 years & unfortunately that was all really expensive prescription eye drops.
Good Luck