My cat has a skin mark and I saw a flea. What should I do next?

Question

I recently saw ticks in my yard and saw a single flea jump off my cat this morning. I used a flea comb and checked extensively but did not find anything else. However, under his color I noted this mark and am concerned as to what it could be. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 15 lbs

Lauren Jones VMD · Accepted Answer

The lesion that you noticed on Kitty's skin could be due to a number of issues, but is most likely a superficial scratch/abrasion from another object or from scratching at himself. As long as he isn't bothering it, you should be fine to continue to monitor the lesion for changes. If it is still there in another week or seems to be getting worse, he may need to go to the vet, but I doubt that this will be necessary. Fleas are rarely present alone. It can be extremely difficult to find fleas (even with a flea comb!) in cats with dense coats. If you aren't already doing so, I recommend putting a good quality flea and tick preventative on Kitty regularly, according to the product's label. My favorite products to treat/prevent both fleas and ticks are Bravecto and Revolution Plus, but these products are both prescription-based, so you would need to discuss them with your veterinarian. Frontline is an over the counter alternative for fleas and ticks, but in my experience, does not work as well as the prescription products.

My cat has a skin mark and I saw a flea. What should I do next?

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