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My cat is scratching but I don't see fleas. Should I use Frontline?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 5 months old | 11 lbs

my scat is scratching a lot, I checked for fleas no sign of fleas, can I use frontline just in case

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on November 26th, 2017

Fleas are a very common cause of scratching, so it will be worthwhile to apply Frontline if he is not on any other flea products at the moment. There are also some other causes of itching, like mites and certain skin diseases, so if the Frontline is not helping within three days of use, then it would be best to take DC to a vet for diagnosis and treatment of his condition. I hope that helps and all is well with DC.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can definitely be due to flea allergies and yes you can use Frontline. However, it could also be due to food or environmental allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his 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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