by Michael
Be ready to be shocked and upset. This is a cat flea allergy dermatitis picture, a photograph taken by the veterinarians or their associates at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic.
This photo has been used with permission for teaching/educational purposes at www.pictures-of-cats.org (PoC). I want to thank Ryan G. Gates, DVM of the clinic for granting permission.
If people want to use the picture please ask the clinic first.
It is a particularly shocking picture but I suspect that it is not that rare.
Some cats are resistant to flea bites and can cope with a lot of fleas without symptoms but some suffer an allergic reaction even to one or two flea bites.
The two most common sites on the cat for fleas, flea bites and itchiness are (a) the base of the tail, just at the end of the spine and (b) around the neck spreading, perhaps to the shoulders.
Fleas can be found in other places but these are the places to check with your 32 prongs to the inch flea comb. A flea comb is a useful part of the cat caretakers kit.
This horrible flea allergy dermatitis picture shows the neck area. I wonder if this cat had a human companion and if so what happened? We should be aware of fleas on a daily basis and flea comb and treat regularly. To let thing go this far is shocking but there may be a good reason. Perhaps this was a stray, homeless cat, rescued by a kind person.
I feel sorry for the cat but pleased that he or she was being treated at last because it is very, very unpleasant for the cat – intense itching. Itching persists long after the fleas have been eliminated. Always check for fleas. Make it as routine as feeding your cat particularly if your cat goes out. If your cat is scratching – check slowly and thoroughly with a proper flea comb around the areas specified above. And kill those ghastly parasites.
This cat required comprehensive veterinary care in response to the severity of the condition. It is far better to take preventative steps and that is our job as decent cat caretakers.
As the cat flea allergy causes scratching the symptoms overlap with with other conditions that cause overgrooming and scratching. OCD (caused by anxiety) is one condition that causes overgrooming and overgrooming can also include scratching. So it can be tricky to diagnose this allergy. It only takes on flea bite so you might not even see a flea on your cat.
You really need a vet to diagnose it. In the comments a 16 year old person says she can’t afford a vet. Although I sympathise etc. I cannot condone that approach because the cat flea allergy is unpleasant for the cat. Responsible cat ownership dictates that the owner deals with an illness that is this nasty and deals with it promptly.
Michael
I have a kitten that i think has flea allergy dermatitis, but im only 16 and i dont think i could afford to take her to the vet. what are the best ways to get rid of fleas, flea medicine, flea collar, or what?
You’ll have to stop your cat from being bitten by a flea even a single flea.
That means a total clean up of your home, top to bottom. The carpets if you have any should be thoroughly cleaned and hoovered.
You should then flea comb your cat daily or twice daily with a flea comb (32 prongs to the inch). It must be a flea comb.
Then apply Frontline flea drops to your cat as per the instructions. It must be treatment for a cat and not a dog and it must be applied per the instructions.
Then keep cleaning and combing and dropping! If your cat is allergic to the flea bite it is very hard to cure because it is hard to get rid of all fleas. It only takes on flea and one bite to cause the allergy to start up.
You might read this page too: Why does my cat overgroom? Also Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth might prove useful.
Cat flea bite allergy is one of the tough ones for both the owner and cat. The flea is a very durable parasite so you have to DECLARE WAR ON THE BLOODY THING!