If Your Cat Is Itchy And Losing Fur From Fleas, Here's What You Can Do
Posted on: 19 October 2021
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Fleas are annoying pests that drink blood and cause irritation for cats' skin. In some cats, this irritation can be so extreme that they end up losing fur or even have patches of sores or wounds develop on their skin from trying to relieve the itch they're feeling. If you're worried about your cat's health and condition, here's how you can help your fuzzy friend.
Flea Control
The first thing to do here is to get the flea situation under control. While there are products sold over the counter to kill and resist fleas, they may not be the most effective solution. Instead, it's wise to speak with a professional groomer or veterinarian about what flea products work best. There are many prescription-only flea medications that can help protect your cat from things like heartworms, so it's well worth upgrading your flea medication to keep these nasty pests and other problems at bay.
Skin Health
The next step is to consider your cat's skin health. Whether your cat simply has bald patches or is also has lacerations or sores, a pet pro can help. They'll diagnose what's wrong with your cat first. In some cases, these problems can just be caused by an excess of scratching, but in other cases, cats may develop a condition called flea dermatitis. This is essentially an allergy of the skin in response to fleas and their droppings. Depending on the source of your cat's problem, you may be prescribed medication to help prevent infection or to simply soothe your cat's skin and help reduce inflammation and itching.
Prevent Excessive Licking
Finally, it's not a bad idea to consider putting an e-collar on your cat temporarily. E-collars are the sort of Victorian-shaped cones that you may have seen on cats or dogs following medical procedures.
In some cases, a cat can lick itself so much in response to flea bites that it can cause its fur to fall out. While it's understandable that your kitty is feeling itchy, this can make problems even worse, and can potentially cause infection if your cat licks an open sore. Putting an e-collar on them temporarily will keep them from licking themselves until their skin has had time to fully recover.
Simply buying an over-the-counter flea product isn't always enough to handle these situations. If you're worried about your cat, contact a veterinary service to discuss your options and these steps.