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Cat has scabs, itching. Miliary dermatitis? What to do without a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 4 years and 5 months old | 10 lbs

My cat has scabs all over her body, with excessive licking and scratching but no sighns of fleas. We feed her all Natural food and she always says inside. We do not let her go outdoors. We are thinking of buying some kind of ointment or spray to put on her but wasn't sure if that's a good idea. We are a little tight on money at the moment so we aren't able to take her to the vet. We are thinking she has miliary dermatitis. What should we do?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

Veterinarian

Published on September 5th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When you are petting her and your feel little seeds or what feels like little millet seeds, then it is very possible she could have miliary dermatitis. The #1 cause of military dermatitis is actually an allergy to fleas. It is only takes one flea to induce a flea allergy and the adult fleas can be hard to spot! Eggs and larva can be hard to see as well. Fleas find cracks and crevices to enter your home making household cats susceptible to acquiring fleas. If going to a vet is not an option, you can try bathing her in dawn dish soap (that will get rid of the adult fleas). You can then purchase an OTC flea treatment and preventative product such as Frontline Plus or Advantage to use monthly to ensure your are taking care of the entire life cycle of the flea. If the itching does not subside in a few weeks with the flea preventative, then it may be possible she has another environmental allergy or a food allergy, but I would rule out an allergy to fleas first. :) Thank you so much for your question and I wish you and Ishiban the very best!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 4th, 2018

    While it is important to treat Princess for the fleas, you will also need to treat the environment to prevent a reinfestation (https://www.petcoach.co/article/flea-control-and-prevention/. The dermatitis looks fairly severe and it may not resolve without antibiotic treatment.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 7th, 2017

    Oh no, poor Stokely! Feline miliary dermatitis commonly results from an allergic reaction. The most common cause is an allergy to flea bites, so make sure he is up to date on his flea treatments. If he's not, I can give you a flea treatment program. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. I would have have Stokely seen by a vet. Miliary dermatitis may also require corticosteroids to treat itchiness and discomfort, which the vet can prescribe. In addition, the vet can determine what is causing the dermatitis and can treat the inciting cause if he is up to date on his flea treatments.

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 9th, 2017

    Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Frank. Sounds like he is suffering from the following- Small scabs which can cover the head, neck, back, etc are indicative of a condition known as Feline Miliary Dermatitis. Most times there is hair loss and increased itching also. The causes are many including fleas, ticks, mites, allergies, skin infection, immune-mediated problems, etc. Unfortunately, there really isn't much you can do at home to address the condition and intense itching. Just make sure that the flea situation is under control, treating all pets and treating all indoor environmental areas. To break the flea cycle, typically this can take up to 3 months of diligent attention. That allows enough time to get all of the life stages of flea under control. I would advise that you take Frank to your vet for a thorough history and evaluation (physical exam). Your vet can then advise either diagnostics (lab tests, skin tests including skin scrape, etc,) and/or treatment for this condition. This condition is treated with steroids (often by injection, long-acting), antibiotics, other allergy medicines, good flea/tick products, and many others depending on what your vet thinks is the inciting cause. Here is some information from a veterinary only website- Miliary Dermatitis Becky Lundgren (author) Cats can get a condition called miliary dermatitis, which is the descriptive term used for a cutaneous reaction pattern of focal (localized) or generalized small papules (bumps) or crusts. Miliary dermatitis is not a specific disease. It is secondary to many other diseases. Causes of miliary dermatitis include insect (flea, mosquito, ear mite, etc.) bite hypersensitivity, atopy (sensitivity to aero-allergens such as pollen, mold, house dust mites, etc.), adverse reaction to a food, bacterial superficial folliculitis (inflamed skin follicles), dermatophytosis (fungal disease), feline scabies, mast cell tumors, and pemphigus foliaceus. Flea hypersensitivity is the most common cause of miliary dermatitis. Diagnosis of the root cause of miliary dermatitis may require cytology, skin scrapings, insect control trial, elimination diet, fungal culture, and biopsy. Treatment is based on eliminating or treating the root cause of miliary dermatitis. Here's a client information guide from Univ of FL veterinary school vetmed-hospitals-smallanimal.sites.medinfo.ufl.edu/files/2011/09/Skin-Diseases-in-Cats-client-guide.pdf Good luck with Frank. I hope this resolves quickly. I just treated my outside cat Opie for this particular problem.

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