My cat has weird itching spasms despite being flea-free. Help!

Thanks for visiting Petcoach! Not every flea product is effective, so I would still not rule out fleas if they are using a product not veterinary approved (many over the counter products are not effective). Food allergies are very rare and even rarer in cas; however you can recommend a high quality food for overall healthy haircoat and skin such as Royal Canin skin support, Royal Canin Ultamino or Evo (Innova). Oral pet formulated fish oils from your local pet store are most helpful with skin issues because they are a natural anti-inflammatory. I would recommend visiting your local vet for effective medications to calm the itch. There also may be an actual skin condition that would require specific treatment to cure. If everything checks out then a short course of allergy medication may resolve the itch. Here is a website link with more helpful general tips on itchy skin care. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=599 Good luck to your brother and his kitty. Take care.

Those spots on Karloff could be several things including allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Comfortis or a broad spectrum anti-parasitic like Revlution. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having karloff wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea your cat regularly 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.

Not all flea medications are equal. I find that fipronil/Frontline products don't work very well. I would recommend that you talk to your vet about a prescription product like Bravecto or Revolution, or try a Seresto collar. Fighting cat fleas is tough, and even with excellent products, it may take 3 or more months to get rid of the fleas due to their life cycle and new fleas hatching. See the articles below. That being said, overgrooming (hair loss) and black skin (caused by chronic inflammation) can be caused by many things. Food allergies are possible, but Rengar is more likely to be allergic to chicken or beef than grains. Anxiety or pain are other possible causes. It would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet. https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-best-flea-prevention-plan-for-your-cat/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/

Those spots on your kitty could be just dry skin causing itching bad enough to lose hair (do know that dry skin alone should not cause hair loss) but there are several things including fleas, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or endocrine disease which could also look the same way. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. That's great that you are using an omega 3 fatty acid supplement this can help improve the skin health. Make sure it is a formula for pets (better absorption) and you may need to squirt it directly in his mouth. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at all times. If the skin does not start improving within 2-3 weeks or if it is getting worse, have him examined by the veterinarian to look for other causes. Unfortunately, lotions and sprays don;t tend to moisturize as well as supplements and diet. There are some moisturizing sprays and your cat will need to wear an elizabethan collar at all times because otherwise he will lick the product. Moisturizing shampoos and conditions for pets are also an option but not all cats enjoy baths and may bite and scratch their owners. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

This could be a sign of several things including environmental allergies, mites, ringworm, and food allergies. Without doing a physical examination on Shyannne it's difficult to say what it causing her to itch. Even if you are not seeing fleas, if she is not currently on a good quality flea preventative like Revolution you may want to start. You may want to try bathing with a soothing shampoo. Once a veterinarian checks her out they may prescribe a medicated shampoo. The Douxo line makes medicated shampoos and also mousses for animals that are more difficult to bathe. Omega-3s are naturally anti -inflammatory so these may help as well. If Shyanne's symptoms persist then she should be taken to your veterinarian. Her skin can be tested for mites and other types of infections. There are many treatments for allergies available as prescription medication. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope Shyanne's skin issues resolve quickly!

I am sorry to hear about Jewel. Fleas are definitely a possibility in any pet who is itching, even if they are supervised when outdoors, a flea can easily jump onto a pet without our notice. They can also be very difficult to find on a pet if there are just one or two fleas. In addition, some pets are very sensitive to flea bites and just one or two bites can make a pet very itchy. Other possible causes could include allergies to things in the environment such as grasses/pollens/dust. If your kitty has red lesions/spots/scabs/bald patches on the skin I would recommend an examination by your vet. If you don't see any skin lesions you could try using a flea preventative (your vet carries several types such as Comfortis, Bravecto, Revolution or you can purchase a product such as Advantage or Frontline at the pet store- be sure to purchase a product specifically for cats). You can also try a fatty acid supplement which can decrease inflammation in the skin, such as Cutaneo trubenefits which you can purchase online at: http://www.vrshealth.com/feline-products/?petcoach=1977956 If the itching persists or skin lesions develop then a vet exam is needed.