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My cat has flea allergy scabs that keep returning. How to help him?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered

Our cat is allergic to fleas. They have given him steroid shots and antibiotics and he is on flea medication. The steroids and anti biotics work for a little but then the scabs come back. I have bathed him before with a little dawn dish soap and it really helped clear it up for a good amount of time but I don't want to irritate his wounds or hurt him. how can I make him more comfortable

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Debi Matlack

Answered By Debi Matlack

Veterinary Technician

Published on August 8th, 2018

I have a flea-allergic cat too and it is very frustrating. Ask your vet about giving her an over-the-counter allergy medication to help relieve the itching. Chlorpheniramine and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are commonly used to help cats with itching. Something else to consider is that your cat may have other allergies that are contributing to the problem. A common allergy is to the protein source in the food. Ask your vet about a limited diet or about getting Boris started on a product like Prescription Diet z/d. This diet is formulated with hydrolyzed proteins, a process that changes the protein in the food in such a way that the body doesn't recognize it as an allergen, and it still provides the nutrition your cat needs to be healthy. Also, consider asking for a recommendation to a veterinary dermatologist. They have more and better testing available to them as well as specialty education in skin problems that may make them better able to help you and your cat.
Vote Icon2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 20th, 2017

    Itchiness can be caused by various reasons such as fleas, mites ,fungal infection, bacterial infection and allergies. the first 4 needs to be ruled out before we start treating for allergies. in order to do that first de-flea her with a high quality flea treatment such as advantage spot on, if it doesn't help - take her to the vet in order to check for/treat the other possibilities.

    If everything is ruled out, then an allergy treatment can be started. Usually an hypoallergenic food is a good way to start together with anti histamines. if it doesn't help - the best solution is a medication called Apoquel which treats allergies with great success and without side effects.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Vet Q & A
My cat has scabs and hair loss. Is it a flea allergy? What to do?
This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ciciregularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy. This isn't an emergency by any means.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
What treats cat flea allergy dermatitis itching and skin sores?
I'm sorry your cats (and you!) are dealing with you. Unfortunately, once a cat has a flea dermatitis, the itching and skin problems can continue even once you get rid of the fleas. The degree of which really depends on the severity of their sensitivity to flea bites. Often, we have to use antihistamines or steroids to resolve the inflammation. Sometimes we also have to incorporate antibiotics if there is an infection. For dogs, there are topical shampoos we can use, but those are often not a good option for cats. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine your cats' skin to determine if there is a secondary skin infection or just inflammation in order to help you determine the best treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why is my cat so itchy all the time with scabs and skin infections?
Hi there! The most common cause of excessive itching like this in cats is allergies - either food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment. You may want to talk with your veterinarian about allergy testing to help identify the source of the problem so that you can put together a treatment plan based on this information. If he's allergic to something in his food, he may need to be on a prescription diet like Hills z/d or Purina HA to help resolve the itching. If he has environmental allergies, you could consider hyposensitization injections or long-term daily medication like prednisolone or Atopica.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why does my cat have scabs, bites, and sneezes despite flea meds?
It sounds like Missy has allergic dermatitis, which can be to something in the environment or something in her food. I would suggest taking her to your vet for treatment, because over the counters don't really work for allergies in cats. She will likely need steroid therapy and antibiotics to treat for any secondary infections on her skin. You can also give her daily fish oils, which are a natural anti-inflammatory for the skin, and can be given long term. Best wishes with your pet Missy and her allergies. I hope her skin resolves soon. Take care!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My cat has scabs. Could her milk cause an allergic reaction? How to help?
It does sound like she is having an allergic reaction to something. This can be an insect bite hypersensitivity (such as fleas or mosquitoes) food or environmental allergy. A vet visit would be a great place to start if she is itchy or any of the lesions appear to be infected as she may need medication to feel better. I would recommend stopping the milk as this may be a cause and typically is not good for most cats. Discuss your concerns with the vet and they may also recommend a diet change but as long as she is on a good quality cat food I would not immediately change it. Make any changes one at a time so you can evaluate her response. It can take up to 4-6 weeks to notice a difference after resmiving a possible allergen. Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Training & Behavior
My cat has bald spots & scabs. What food helps with allergies?
The first thing I would do with Bonnie is put a flea prevention on her. Even if she doesn't go outside and you do not see fleas she can be very allergic to them. The reason I jump to this first is the two locations for fleas to go are at the base of the tail and the belly. Cats typically you cannot see the fleas or flea dirt since they groom so much so you will just see hairloss and sometimes scabs. If she has scabs or she is licking a lot, a veterinarian can give medication to make her feel more comfortable. If this does not help then I would pick a salmon based formula food and gradually wean her onto it. It can take up to 12 weeks for a food to help. If either of these doesn't work then it is most likely behavioral and your veterinarian can prescribe medication. If this is a new thing then it is more likely a flea jumped on her at one point creating an allergic reaction. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My cat has seasonal allergies, scratching & biting. How to help?
Although not the typical affected areas, make sure flea are controlled as this can contribute to ther allergies. A food change may make a bit different as this can be a food allergy. You want to switch to a hypoallergenic diet; royal canin, Purina and science diet all have good diets for this. From there you may need a low dose of cortisone intermittently to help but cats can build a resistance to long term use and have side effects. There is another immunosuppressive drug known as atopica that is helping some cats now. There is another drug called Apoquel that is not labeled for cats but is showing good relief in several
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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