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My cat is itching. Can I give her an allergy pill for skin allergies?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 3 years and 10 months old | 5 lbs

My cat has been itching for a while and I just strongly suspect that she has a skin allergy. Can I give her an allergy pill?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

Published on November 25th, 2017

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It depends on which pill you are giving. I would recommend that you check with her veterinarian who knows her medical history well before giving any medications. I agree with you that this is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

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    Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 9th, 2017

    Hi and thanks for your post on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You are not alone in having trouble getting Trouble into a carrier. A lot of cat owners have issues with this. Unfortunately, the only way Trouble will be diagnosed is at her veterinarian where they can run a few skin tests to determine what her skin issue may be caused by. The most common cause of itching in cats and dogs is actually a flea allergy. It only takes one flea to induce a flea allergy, so making sure Trouble is on a flea preventative monthly can help to rule out a flea allergy. Best of luck to you and I hope Trouble is able to see her veterinarian soon!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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