My cat is chewing her fur off and has red, scabbed skin. Is it fleas?

Question

My cat has been chewing her hair off and it is all red an scabbed. I saw a flea on her before so I put a flea collar on her and have been putting bag balm on it as well. Any other advice or ideas of what it is before I take her to vet and spend money for them to tell me it is what I thought it was? Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 3 years old

Megan, DVM, CVA · Accepted Answer

Poor Princess. You are right that this is most likely a reaction to fleas. Fleas can cause a nasty allergic reaction therefore, causing a lot of itching, licking and chewing and resulting in a bacterial infection and ulcerations as seen in the picture. I would consider using a different flea preventative as most flea collars do not work very well. I would talk to your vet about some of the options they have. These would be the most effective. Also, fleas do not live on the pets but in the environment so make sure you also treat your house and yard for fleas. For her skin, you could try to give her benadryl twice a day and also put a cone collar on her to prevent excessive grooming. See link below for benadryl dosing. You can try some coconut oil on the wound. You can also give her a medicated bath twice a week using a cat friendly chlorhexidine shampoo. If she isn't improving, I would have your vet take a look at her. Your vet will be able to ensure there isn't anymore more complicated going on. They will also be able to get her started on antibiotics and a stronger allergy medicine like steroids if needed. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat /benadryl

My cat is chewing her fur off and has red, scabbed skin. Is it fleas?

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