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Cat has flea scabs, won't stop scratching. Cone or healing tips?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 10 lbs

My cat has fleas very badly. His skin gets so irritated that he scratches himself extremely hard to the point where he is developing large scabs all over his neck, face, and bottom. I have given him baths, I give him flea medication. I spray my furniture with flea spray to try and kill them off. He is making his scabs bleed and he won't stop scratching. Should I get a cone? What's the best way to get the scabs to heal? I've had this problem with him for a few months now and need help!

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on September 2nd, 2017

Sorry to hear about the flea problem! They can definitely be pesky little suckers. I would absolutely recommend getting the cone since it is the only essentially surefire way to prevent significant amounts of self-mutilation. Kitty definitely won't like it but it is for his own good. In terms of flea and tick medications, my favorite one to use is the Seresto collar. I find that in my geographic area it seems to be the most effective option. This certainly could be different where you live, and as such, I would tend to tell you to consult with your local vet and other pet owners for feedback. In terms of healing the affected regions, they look to me to be significantly inflamed and likely partially infected. At this point, they likely would benefit from an oral antibiotic which would require making a trip to your vet for the prescription. In terms of treating the environment, multiple flea bombs may be required. In some cases, hiring an exterminator is the only solution. I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 30th, 2017

    Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated cat shampoo (can get this at the pet store). I recommend discontinuing the use of any other products (except the flea control) for now, because overuse and misuse of certain products can actually delay healing or make the problem worse. It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until the cats start to look normal again, so stick with it and they should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the cats and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have your cats evaluated by a vet, because they may need additional treatment. I hope that helps and the kitties get better soon.

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