Hi I am worried about my cat gangsta. Although I am taking him to the vet tomorrow. He is 18 next month. I have given him broadband for fleas and worms before but I hadn't given him any for a while. Well I gave him some three days ago and he reacted badly for the very first time ever. I used to give him regular treatment. I think he has a flea allergy?? I'm sure that's what the vet said before?? Also eczema?? He has scratched the area that was done with the flea treatment red raw with bald patch. Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Male | neutered

Poor Jack. If cats have a heavy burden of fleas, yes they can get a flea allergy. I'm concerned that he reacted badly to the flea medication, but I don't know what reaction he had. I think it's best to take him into his vet today.

My senior cat reacted to flea treatment with skin issues. Why?

Health & Wellbeing

Hi! Jack is a cat just over a year old. He is on monthly flea treatment for a flea allergy. The first picture is perhaps ten small circular red lesions in his armpit. They are dry and don't seem to bother him much but they have existed for a week or

I am sorry to hear about Jack! I would be concerned these could be a bacterial or fungal infection of the skin, and possibly a condition in cats called eosinophilic plaques or eosinophilic granuloma syndrome, which can be incited due to an allergy and usually resolves with steroid treatment. I would recommend bringing Jack in to his vet for an examination of the area.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

So I have had Nala for over a year now, she was found as a 3 week old kitten in front of my job. About 5 months ago or so i noticed she started to have skin problems. She would have large gashes/ bumbs/ red skin all over her body. I took her to the v

This is probably due to a severe allergy, although it could also be fleas or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat her with a high quality flea treatment (e.g. advantage), then get her to 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 discovering the cause of the allergy. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair the skin lesions (steroids and antibiotics). simultaneously you should start her on a prescription hypoallergenic diet for at least 2 months. Hopefully you will see some results after all this, if not you and your vet should consider putting her on a long term allergy treatment (Atopica).

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

After administering activyl on the back neck of my neck, he has now developed bald spots around his neck and back. And now there are crusty bloody sores in some bald spots. My vet appointment is not until Friday, Dec. 8th, and I don't know if my ca

Poor guy. It sounds like he had a bad reaction to the Activyl. In cases of allergic reacitons you have to get him treated with a steroid shot +/- antihistamine shot to stop the reaction from continuing. Also you should wash the product off immediately to remove the stimulus. I would recommend bathing with a gentle dawn soap and then follow up with a cat friendly oatmeal based shampoo and a hot spot spray from your local pet store. Don’t put this spray on the face area and avoid the eyes. I am sorry your cat is having such a bad reaction. Hopefully this can help alleviate some of the irritation until his vet visit on Friday. This doesn’t sound life threatening, especially if he is otherwise eating, drinking and energy level is good. I would also consider getting his appt moved to an earlier date to get him some relief sooner. Best of luck with Sam and his skin and it’s best to avoid using this product in the future. Topical revolution can be tried the next time or even an oral medicati

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Hi, my 2 year old cat has had fleas for a while now (we've been trying to get rid of the fleas, but they keep coming back) and she's lost quite a bit of hair. I noticed today she has a bunch of red, circular, blister-like, moist welts all over her st

I would expect that all the symptoms you are describing are due to fleas and a developing an allergic reaction to the flea saliva. Fleas can be difficult to eradicate as new life cycles will hatch every few weeks. I prefer to use Revolution to treat for fleas. Make sure you treat ALL your animals. In addition, you will need to be diligent in cleaning your environment. You may need to use a chemical bomb to kill all the larvae and eggs. Washing fabrics in very hot water will help. Be persistent!

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

We put flea medicine on our cats but one of our cats can barely even move. It looks like he's twitching and loosing control of his body. He even bit me which is something he has never done before.

I am not sure the type of flea medication that you used but it sounds like he is having a reaction to the medication. Some flea medications can be toxic to cats so he needs to be seen by a vet ASAP. If your vet is not open than you should take him to an emergency clinic for treatment.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

Large Cat of 14 years (male). About 3 weeks ago applied Seargents Flea treatment.Not only did the stuff not work he has some hair loss on his back and when I try to touch or gently pet him there it's like he goes into A spastic state for A few Secon

It is true the better flea treatments are more expensive, but you do get what you pay for with them. Cheap ones as you saw do not work at all, and they do cause reactions on the cat. As long as Kidder is eating and drinking normally, and otherwise behaving normally there's no need at the moment to take him into the vet. The vet really can't do anything about the fur loss, it will just take time for it to grow up. I would avoid touching the area because he probably doesn't like it and has that reaction when you touch him there. Keep an eye on him for now, it can take a few months for the fur to grow back fully. I would take him in if the fur doesn't grow back, the hair with fur loss grows larger, or the skin becomes inflamed and red.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Training & Behavior

We put centreguard on him a little over a month ago. And he has been scratching at the spots ever since we have been rubbing on coconut oil on him but it just seems worse everyday we just don’t know what to do anymore

This is an allergic reaction and requires an immediate treatment to be resolved otherwise it could continue to spread and by scratching it will lead to secondary skin lesions and infections. Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions and treat allergic reaction (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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

My cat has sores all over her body. She is 2 months into Advantage 2 flea treatments and we have been using a hot spot spray for a week. She does not go outside, but the dog may have brought fleas in. We believe this is a flea allergy as she did som

Poor Callie! It only takes one flea bite to cause an allergic reaction in an animal that has allergies to fleas. She also could have a secondary bacterial skin infection and may need an antibiotic to treat. Have her examined by a vet to see if an antibiotic would help. A short course of a corticosteroid may also help with the itching and make her a lot more comfortable and your vet can prescribe.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Health & Wellbeing

I have two dogs that go outside. They are treated by a vet and have no fleas. My 2 cats already had fleas, which I have treated for many months with Advantage II. Did not help cats. One of my cats has flaking skin and sores and the other is not as ba

Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Poor kitties! Flea allergy can be so stressful to deal with. The main thing is getting rid of fleas effectively as that is the inciting cause driving the itchiness resulting in scratching and self-traumatic lesions like that. If she is already on a flea preventative right at this time, then you could consider switching to a different product. There are many great product in the market such as Frontline and Bravecto, among others. Also, you can use a product called Capstar which can help a lot of fleas at once and that can be administered along with other flea medications. Also, it is important to vacuum the house and all things that have contact with them frequently. Try this for 1-3 months and if does not make a difference, they may have another type of allergy such as a food allergy or environmental allergy. As for the wounds, try to keep the areas clean and have them evaluated by your veterinarian to start them on antibiotics. Good luck and thanks

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Training & Behavior

hi my cat always licks and scratches it probably has itchy. suffers from a little of this. it hurts my heart to see it like this. what can I do ?

Poor kitty! This scratching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

My senior cat reacted to flea treatment with skin issues. Why?

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Related Answers from Veterinarians

My senior cat reacted to flea treatment with skin issues. Why?

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Related Answers from Veterinarians

Related Questions

Hi! Jack is a cat just over a year old. He is on monthly flea treatment for a flea allergy. The first picture is perhaps ten small circular red lesions in his armpit. They are dry and don't seem to bother him much but they have existed for a week or

So I have had Nala for over a year now, she was found as a 3 week old kitten in front of my job. About 5 months ago or so i noticed she started to have skin problems. She would have large gashes/ bumbs/ red skin all over her body. I took her to the v

After administering activyl on the back neck of my neck, he has now developed bald spots around his neck and back. And now there are crusty bloody sores in some bald spots. My vet appointment is not until Friday, Dec. 8th, and I don't know if my ca

Hi, my 2 year old cat has had fleas for a while now (we've been trying to get rid of the fleas, but they keep coming back) and she's lost quite a bit of hair. I noticed today she has a bunch of red, circular, blister-like, moist welts all over her st

We put flea medicine on our cats but one of our cats can barely even move. It looks like he's twitching and loosing control of his body. He even bit me which is something he has never done before.

Large Cat of 14 years (male). About 3 weeks ago applied Seargents Flea treatment.Not only did the stuff not work he has some hair loss on his back and when I try to touch or gently pet him there it's like he goes into A spastic state for A few Secon

We put centreguard on him a little over a month ago. And he has been scratching at the spots ever since we have been rubbing on coconut oil on him but it just seems worse everyday we just don’t know what to do anymore

My cat has sores all over her body. She is 2 months into Advantage 2 flea treatments and we have been using a hot spot spray for a week. She does not go outside, but the dog may have brought fleas in. We believe this is a flea allergy as she did som

I have two dogs that go outside. They are treated by a vet and have no fleas. My 2 cats already had fleas, which I have treated for many months with Advantage II. Did not help cats. One of my cats has flaking skin and sores and the other is not as ba

hi my cat always licks and scratches it probably has itchy. suffers from a little of this. it hurts my heart to see it like this. what can I do ?

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