He has what looks to be "flea dirt" in his fur but no fleas! He has had this off and on over the years, also with no sighted fleas. He is very overweight which we are trying to help him with, so he can't groom himself. I brush him every other day and he has quite a bit of white dander build up but the stuff that looks like flea dirt is not always there. It seems to build up on his back. Is it possible to have tons of flea dirt without having fleas? Could this be a dermatitis or parasite? Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 15 years and 3 months old | 30 lbs

My cat has flea dirt but no fleas. What are these dark specks?

Hi, I was petting my cat and found these black/beige specks on her. The biggest difference being these are only in two small areas. One on her lower back, and one on her tail. Roughly the size of a toonie. I thought it might be fleas or flea dust but

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment (even if the test you did was negative!), then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Mybcayt is losing LOTSvof hair. in it, thrte are small black specks. Whar does he have?

It sounds like your cat may have a flea allergy. Flea dirt (small black specks) are often found in the skin and this is accompanied by constant scratching/licking and hair loss. The skin is also susceptible to getting secondary bacterial infections. Your cat needs to first be examined to confirm a flea allergy is likely present, then he/she needs to get a steroid shot to stop the itch quickly. The more your pet scratches the worse it will get. If your pet doesn't have fleas then another possible cause of hair loss and black specks is a mite infestation on the skin with lots of loose scans; although this is not nearly as common as fleas. Both require a vet visit to get any type of resolution. I hope your kitty gets well soon!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Woody was starting to itch pretty bad I decided to shave him down last night and as I was doing so I was getting little pin prick stings on my hands and my arms I couldnt see much. Tonight was the same but worse so I decided to bathe him again and he

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Hi, I was petting my cat and found these black/beige specks on her. I thought it might be fleas or flea dust but the images I found are not quite what this stuff is. I did the damn paper towel test and there was no residue on the paper towel. What is

It definitely looks like flea dirt. If you search through the coat quickly, you may see them scampering around. You can also try using a flea comb to find them. The article below has some good tips for finding them and treating for fleas. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ I hope that helps and all is well with Yuki.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My cat has lots of sore skin on his belly. I have noticed there are lots of black dots where the sore parts there. It looks like flea dirt but he is on monthly flea medication? Please help it looks very sore.

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. I agree that does look suspicious for flea dirt. It could also just be environmental debris or sometimes the skin will produce dark pigmentation from general irritation. First test it to see if this is flea dirt. Collect a few of those dark colored flakes on a clean white paper towel and apply a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Then gently rub it around. If the towel turns reddish or rusty colored, it's flea feces (flea dirt). If it is, switch products. I recommend Revolution or Cheristan. If you must use something OTC, stick with name brand Frontline or Advantage. This could also be miliary dermatitis. Here's a link about the condition: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-miliary-dermatitis-in-cats/ If Hugo is licking more than normal, it could be causing the lesions to get worse. Plus it means they bother him. I recommend to make an appointment to have him examined. In the mean time, prevention the licking by having Hugo

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Black specks/dots recently appeared on the skin of my unneutered male cat's tail. I have formed speculations that it may be stud tail, flea dirt, or a result of being exposed to sunlight. I think flea dirt is unlikely because we have never seen fleas

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing him allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. Even if you have not being able to see fleas, this could still be flea dirt but I agree that it is less likely. 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 prot

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I see mostly small small fleas on two of my cats, then I go to comb my oldest cat and I only comb out two small tiny fleas I grabbed alot of flea droppings mostly, but kept combing and I wasn't getting anything? I even added diluted vinegar to agit

Fleas hatch from larvae and then still grow to adult size, so you are seeing fleas of different ages. Unfortunately fleas only hop on the body of your pet when they want to feed, then they hop off again and stay in your pet's environment. So you need to treat all pets in the household as well as the environment (which contains the fleas, their eggs and larvae). Flea treatment: 1) Get some flea medication such as a Flea spray or a spot on from a pet shop or your veterinarian and apply monthly 2) get flea powder, put some in your vacuum cleaner bag and vacuum your house and furniture and also non-carpeted areas frequently to remove flea larvae and eggs which live off house dust., Dispose of the bag in the trash outside. Hot-wash all the pet's bedding, If you do this diligently for a few months you will get rid of the fleas. Flea products: Spot-ons and/or chews Advantage, Advantix Advantage Multi (Advocate in the UK) Frontline (ticks as well) Bravecto spot on (ticks as well) - for cats,

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My male cat (a "Show Persian" cat) has black dots/specks on the skin of his tail. From searching around on the internet, my mother has decided that it could be stud tail or flea dirt. I believe there are other possiblities. These have only appeared r

Hello, I suspect based on location and appearance flea dirt is highly likely. I would advise you to apply a monthly flea prevention to all of the pets. I recommend Revolution for cats. If you see fleas in the home, you should contact your local pest control company to discuss pet safe home treatment.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Male neutered senior Persian indoor only cat recently (2 mos) started on Feline Advantage for fleas, has something that is leaving Brown j-shaped hard remnants in fur, not around anus. About 1\16th - 1\8th inch in length, maybe smaller. Not flea poop

What you are describing sounds exactly like flea dirt. What I would recommend is putting a few of them on a wet paper towel and rub them back and forth with your finger or another wet paper towel. If they turn the paper towel brown or red, then they are likely dried blood and flea dirt. If Bailey had fleas when you started Advantage 2 months ago, there were likely still eggs, larvae or pupae in the house that have now hatched into adult fleas and may be biting Bailey resulting in flea poop even though he is on a flea preventative. I am attaching a handout below that includes some information on the flea life cycle. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1575 I hope that makes sense and answers your question. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM THIS QUESTION... Hello! My cat has been losing hair lately and it is not growing back. The skin underneath almost looks like a dark blue/black color. I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about or if it

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be

Updated on September 24th, 2025

My cat has flea dirt but no fleas. What's causing these dark specks?

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My cat has flea dirt but no fleas. What's causing these dark specks?

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Hi, I was petting my cat and found these black/beige specks on her. The biggest difference being these are only in two small areas. One on her lower back, and one on her tail. Roughly the size of a toonie. I thought it might be fleas or flea dust but

Mybcayt is losing LOTSvof hair. in it, thrte are small black specks. Whar does he have?

Woody was starting to itch pretty bad I decided to shave him down last night and as I was doing so I was getting little pin prick stings on my hands and my arms I couldnt see much. Tonight was the same but worse so I decided to bathe him again and he

Hi, I was petting my cat and found these black/beige specks on her. I thought it might be fleas or flea dust but the images I found are not quite what this stuff is. I did the damn paper towel test and there was no residue on the paper towel. What is

My cat has lots of sore skin on his belly. I have noticed there are lots of black dots where the sore parts there. It looks like flea dirt but he is on monthly flea medication? Please help it looks very sore.

Black specks/dots recently appeared on the skin of my unneutered male cat's tail. I have formed speculations that it may be stud tail, flea dirt, or a result of being exposed to sunlight. I think flea dirt is unlikely because we have never seen fleas

I see mostly small small fleas on two of my cats, then I go to comb my oldest cat and I only comb out two small tiny fleas I grabbed alot of flea droppings mostly, but kept combing and I wasn't getting anything? I even added diluted vinegar to agit

My male cat (a "Show Persian" cat) has black dots/specks on the skin of his tail. From searching around on the internet, my mother has decided that it could be stud tail or flea dirt. I believe there are other possiblities. These have only appeared r

Male neutered senior Persian indoor only cat recently (2 mos) started on Feline Advantage for fleas, has something that is leaving Brown j-shaped hard remnants in fur, not around anus. About 1\16th - 1\8th inch in length, maybe smaller. Not flea poop

HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS FROM THIS QUESTION... Hello! My cat has been losing hair lately and it is not growing back. The skin underneath almost looks like a dark blue/black color. I am wondering if this is something I should be concerned about or if it

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