Itchy cat now has scabs

[MichelleRooJnr]

A little while ago I posted asking for advice because my cat (3yr old) was scratching all the time.
I took him to the vet in Oct who checked for fleas, ticks and earmites - could find no sign of any but we bought and used a course of flea & mite treatment anyway.
He continued to scratch.

About a month ago we used frontline again.
There is never any sign of fleas.
He loves being combed and I check him thoroughly at least once a week.
No flea dirt, no fleas.

I also - on vets advice - clean his ears out regularly.
He loves having his ears cleaned out with cotton buds, and although waxy/mucky sometimes there is no sign of mites.

But he continues to scratch.
He has bald spots behind his ears from scratching.

Now - I have just discovered he has lots of little scabs all down his back and esp on his rump.
These are deinitely new (within the last week).

I took him back to the vet today who said it looks like a flea allergy and suggested more flea treatment.
Even though he could find no evidence of fleas.
(different vet than last time)

I feel a bit palmed off.
Could he really have fleas that leave absolutely no dirt but cause him to have scabs?
He doesn't seem bothered by the scabs - he scratches around his face and neck and they are all down his backbone.
He allows me to search through his fur and have a really good look and doesn't wince or seem distressed.

He is a contented, spoiled happy cat who cuddles and eats and shows no signs of anything bothering him.

I'm sorry for the long long post.

Does anyone have any experience of anything similar or any ideas?

[cozietoesie]

In my experience, flea dirt is only around when the fleas have been there for a bit. You can have a few fleas who haven't got that far. (I've never seen flea dirt on any of my cats in recent years but there has been the odd flea every few years which is easily spotted because I get scratching behaviour, they have pale fur on their necks - which is where the blighters tend to hang out - and they're groomed pretty well daily.)

I believe that Frontline has ceased to work properly in certain areas of the country due to flea immunity. What treatment did the new vet suggest?

[cozietoesie]

PS - did you treat the house as well? (To minimize stray eggs lying around.)

[FamiliesShareGerms]

My cat is having problems with this at the moment, despite being fine for 8 years! Vet suggestions have included series of tests for other intolerances (v expensive) and a dietary supplement (difficult to do with two, plus expensive)

I don't understand how he is fine for weeks then has an outbreak around his head where he gets scabs and bleeding patches, despite regular applications of Stronghold

[Loquace]

I have a itchy cat that scabs easily. Stronghold did a much better job of eliminating much of the irritation compared to Frontline.

Plus the vet got me to add a teaspoon of olive oil to her daily intake. Which she licks off the spoon in a very purry manner.

But vet is Italian so that stratagy may be more cultural than medical.

Does seem to have made her skin less flaky and itchy though. Or Alternativly I am experieriencing a placebo effect as her owner and seeing what I want to see and it is all the Stronghold's doing.

[cozietoesie]

Again, Families - are you treating the house as well? I think that if there are eggs lying around eg on the edges of the carpet, he'll be re-infected just as soon as the Stronghold wears off - which could indeed be a few weeks later.

Fleas are a right pain.

Is he a cat who goes outdoors?

[cozietoesie]

The reason I mentioned outdoors is that many moons ago, I had an outdoors-going cat who had a spot in the potting shed where he sat of a sunny day. Unfortunately, it was on a pile of old sacks where we discovered that the local feral cats used to sleep of a night. So your house could be clear, but if he goes out and sits in - say - a garden shed on eggy material (for example) then he could be infected again as soon as soon.

[cakeandcustard]

My cat is exactly the same - I got told by the vet it was flea allergy and have been using stronghold religiously but the cat is still itchy and scabby

I don't think we're infested, I can't see any fleas in the cats fur, normally I am a flea magnet so at the first sign of fleas in the carpet my feet are bitten all over. I've been hoovering regularly.

Am watching with interest to see if anyone can suggest another cause?

[Loquace]

A house can carry fleas without you being bitten. Seriously worth getting one of those sprays and using it on everything that can't be given a good hot wash.

Even with all 8 being Strongholded I regularly spray just in case one gets carried in on presents (mice, rats, bunnies, fucking still alive snakes that whizz out from under the cooker and try to give me a heart attack, etc.)

I think Stronghold works by killing fleas once they bite, but they can still be on the cat and leaving the dirt that irritates between landing and dying. Not much I can do about the great outdoors and Poppy (the irrtatable skin cat) getting fleas on her out there though.

[pod3030]

have ruled out ringworm? our cat kept getting diagnosed with a flea allergy, turns out twas ringworm.

[MichelleRooJnr]

Thank you everyone for replies.
The flea treatment we got from vet is 'Fiproline' - apparently suitable for cats with sensitive skin.
We are to keep a close eye and comb him daily and if no improvement take him back in 3 weeks.
Vet will then do a skin scrape.
We do treat all his areas when we do flea treatment, but other cat is not scratching (treating him anyway) and both go outside a lot so can't really treat everywhere.