Can I use flea treatment on my cat who has open scratching wounds?

If they are not very deep and only small wounds, I would recommend to clean them with diluted hibiscrub twice daily until completely healed. Flea allergy must be treated and fleas as well. A combination of steroids and flea treatment is usually needed. A vet care is not needed if in 3-4 days the wounds are healing. If not, antibiotics may be needed.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Snoops. It should be fine to apply his Frontline Plus as normal. His wounds appear to be healing well from your pictures. As long as he is feeling well, eating/drinking and does not have a fever, he can have his Frontline Plus. I hope this information helps!

You are right, it's not safe to use on cats. Cats groom and ingest most of the topical ointment you apply and therefore should be used only under direct veterinary supervision and if there are no other appropriate options. Many human ointments contain multiple other ingredients which are not necessarily safe to be swallowed. I would speak to Miyu's vet about oral antibiotics to prevent infection. I'd also have him neutered. That will cut down on the fights with other cats. I hope this helps.

Depending on where it is located, you could try to do a light neck wrap using rolled gauze or a ace bandage. Do NOT stretch the material. Just lightly wrap it. You could also get a cone collar to prevent him from scratching if the sore is far enough up on the neck. I would try to use some oral Benadryl and Benadryl spray to help with e itching. You can also put a small amount of Neosporin on it twice a day to help it heal. If it isn't improving, I would have your vet take a look. Your vet will be able to put him on the proper meds and allergy meds to help it heal. I hope this helps! https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/cat/benadryl/

I would recommend a vet check to thoroughly examine the area and determine if any infection is present or if it is an inflammatory / allergic response to the fleas which would be expected to respond quickly to prescription antiinflammatory medications. Your vet can also review your current flea prevention programs and advise on additional steps which may help

That wound on his foot looks swollen which is concerning for a deeper infection or a wound to the bone structures in the leg. I recommend to get this examined since a physical exam is the first step in determining the extent of the injury. As for the fleas, top products for cats are topicals such as Revolution and Cheristan. There is also an oral product called Comfortis that both dogs and cats can take. You will need to switch all the pets over to a good flea product. Make sure to discuss these products with your veterinarian first. These products are generally safe for all pets but there are some conditions which are contraindicated for the oral products. Cleaning up and treating the house and yard will also help but it will not clear all the fleas. The main control is making sure the pets are on good products. This is what will ultimately stop the infestation. Also remember every female fleas lays about 50 eggs a day and it could take up to 6 months before the eggs hatch. Therefore, you will need to treat for at least 6 months. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Smokey! Smokey could be flea allergic, meaning he only needed to be bitten by a single flea and exposed to the saliva which is what flea allergic animals react to. I would still treat him for fleas since he was in the cattery. Otherwise he should see your Vet to treat him for the scabs which may consist of antibiotics and steroids. If not fleas it could be an allergy. Scab formation is common in cats with allergies. Cats metabolize medications differently than people and dogs and only veterinary approved medications should be used. I wouldn't self medicate Smokey. I wish you the best of luck and a speedy recovery!