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Stray cat has scabies: Can I treat it at home or should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Hello my name is Milling, I have a question there's a stray cat around my street, I named her Baby since that's what she responds to and he or she has a bad case of scabies and I was wondering if i can treat it at home or is it better that I take s/he to the vet. I really want to save he/r. Please respond back. Sincerely, Milling Carreno

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on October 15th, 2017

The first thing I would do is treat her with Advantage or another flea prevention product until you can get her in for an exam. Fleas can cause some of these lesions and she most likely has ear mites also. If you are able to take her in they can examine her ears and skin and give her medication to stop the scratching and antibiotics or an antibiotic injection to treat the skin infection. If she is a stray I recommend a blood test first for feline leukemia and FIV as these are serious cat diseases that there is no cure for and are infectious to other cats. If she is negative for those getting her skin treated and getting her neutered are important for her health. I'm glad you are taking care of Baby as she certainly needs veterinary care. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Baby.

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