The most common allergy for cats is an allergy to fleas. It can be a difficult diagnosis for a pet owner as the constant grooming of cats removes evidence of fleas. For a feline allergic to the pest just a couple flea bites a week can cause a bad skin reaction that can lead to additional skin infections.
Some cats may have numerous fleas with little apparent scratching but that does not mean they can tolerate the fleas over a long term. Fleas are bloodsuckers and a high population on your cat can lead to anemia and other serious health problems.
For the unfortunate cat with an allergy to flea saliva, one or two fleas is too many to tolerate. The animal may scratch behind his ears until he has bald spots and the allergic dermatitis can affect his skin all over his body very quickly.
For a healthy flea, humidity is more important than temperature. In area of high humidity a flea can survive from three weeks to a year while temperatures in temperate climates do not cool sufficiently in winter months to kill fleas outdoors. Cats in humid areas of the country need monthly flea protection year round.
Symptoms of Fleas on Your Cat
* Chewing the base of the tail
* Chewing the back legs and perhaps front legs
* Lesions caused by licking and chewing the bumps left by flea bites
* Hot spots above the base of the tail or on the face
Diagnosis and Treatment
An examination for fleas is often the first step to take in diagnosing itchy or irritated skin on your cat. Fleas are the most common cause of itching rashes and perhaps on of the easiest to eliminate.
A diagnosis of flea allergy dermatitis may be accompanied by a secondary diagnosis of bacterial skin infection for which your vet may prescribe antibiotics. Fungal infections may also be present as a result of the scratching that leaves the feline skin open to further infection.
The primary treatment is to prevent any fleas from biting your cat. This involves using flea control on the animal but also aggressively eliminating fleas in the cat's environment.
In extreme cases of flea allergy dermatitis in cats it may be necessary for the animal to take a course of steroids such as prednisone to break the cycle of itching and provide fast relief from the discomfort.
Preventive Measures
Using flea control medications on your cat monthly should be a standard part of the health care of your pet. In cold climates, flea prevention topical products should be started a month before flea season begins and continued for one month after cold weather resumes in the fall.
In coastal and humid areas, fleas are a problem twelve months of the year and flea control must be a monthly routine of flea prevention all year long. Grooming your cat with a fine toothed flea comb will remove dead fleas and flea dirt.
For the cats living area, bedding should be washed frequently in hot water and a safe flea killing spray used on carpets and furniture on occasion. Frequent vacuuming of carpets will remove flea eggs and larvae from the environment. Lawn sprays may also be indicated if your pets spend time out of doors during summer months.
Your veterinarian may recommend diagnostic tests to determine whether flea allergy dermatitis is the cause of your cat's skin problems. Most vets, however, will advise you on eliminating the flea problem and reserve testing and skin scrapings for those pets that continue to have skin lesions in the absence of fleas.
Most topical flea treatments for cats are available at discount pet medication sites online without prescriptions. By ordering products from a reliable source cat owners can avoid receiving outdated meds or ineffective copies of popular flea treatments.
Whether you choose Advantage or Front Line Plus to keep your feline flea free or ask your vet for a prescription for the wider protection of Revolution for Cats, shopping for discount pet medications online will keep your cat free of flea allergy dermatitis at the lowest cost.
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