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My cat has miliary dermatitis. Are watery eyes and hunger related?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Bombay | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 7 months old

My cat has miliary dermatitis on her neck and head Ive been applying (alcool iode) its like Petadine the vet prescribed it last time she had this case But im not giving her any antibiotic ( which the vet also prescribed one last time) I notice one of her eyes is more watery and has a little tiny more discharge than often And her apetite is way more she asks for food often Is this a sign of something? Should i give her antibiotics for the miliary ? Please help, thank you♡

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA

Answered By Menolly Cote, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on June 30th, 2017

Khafraa is very cute! Miliary dermatitis indicates inflammation in the skin. It is most commonly an allergic reaction to something like fleas, food or environmental contaminants such as pollen or dust. I would not recommend starting antibiotics without having her examined by a veterinarian. Oftentimes antibiotics are not needed. The best way to resolve her signs is to figure out what the underlying causes. I would make sure you're using a high-quality flea preventative. An examination with your veterinarian will be helpful to determine if an infection is present and what the best course of action is for determining the underlying problem. They may recommend a food trial or allergy testing to get a better idea of what's going on.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

    Veterinarian

    If the topical antibiotic isn't getting the infection under control on its own then Khafraa may need an oral antibiotic to help her as well. If she is scratching around her neck a lot she may have irritated her eye and that could be why it is runny and watery. If her eyes start having an abnormal discharge or she's holding it closed a lot you might need to get her checked out to make sure she doesn't have a scratch on the surface of her eye. I wouldn't worry about her eating a lot right now, the good news is that she is eating so she must not be feeling too bad. If you can't get the infection to heal with what you have at home after using it for about five days then I would recommend calling your vet to see if you can get an additional oral antibiotic. Hope this helps, good luck.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Lauren M. Jones, VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 28th, 2017

    I'm sorry to hear that Khafraa has had a recurrence of her miliary dermatitis. Miliary dermatitis is a condition that occurs secondary other issues, such as flea bite sensitivity, allergies to food, allergies to environmental factors, ringworm, mange, among others. With many cases of miliary dermatitis, secondary bacterial infections can develop requiring antibiotics, which sounds like this was the case with Khafraa. Unfortunately, I do not know which antibiotic your vet last prescribed for Khafraa and I cannot legally recommend a specific prescription-based medication without examining her. At this point, you can try using an over the counter antibacterial shampoo (here is one example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=27982), as well as assuring that she is receiving a high quality flea prevention, such as Advantage. If her skin lesions persist or worsen after baths with a medicated shampoo and flea prevention, she will need to go to her vet for further evaluation. I hope that all goes well!

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Vet Q & A
My cat has miliary dermatitis. Can I treat it without a bath?
With miliary dermatitis, the goal of treatment is typically focused on controlling underlying allergens and immune system stimulation. Some of these control methods include ruling out food allergies by doing a prescription hydrolyzed protein diet trial, ruling out the presence of mites and ringworm, and mediating the immune system with medication once mites, ringworm and food allergies are ruled out. In some cases, steroids can be beneficial in the short term to control inflammation and itching. There are no effective over the counter topical medications to manage miliary dermatitis.
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My cat has miliary dermatitis. What's a good treatment and flea prevention?
Hello, thank you for using PetCoach! Here is a link explaining more about miliary dermatitis. I cannot tell if that is exactly the problem based on that one photo. ( https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-miliary-dermatitis/ ) For a cat, I would use this leave on mousse product as treatment. I would apply it once a day in the beginning and once the clinical signs start to dissipate you can then go to every 2 or 3 days. Continue use until all the bumps on the skin are gone. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-6673-douxo-chlorhexidine-climbazole-mousse-for-dogs-and-cats-68-oz.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20mousse+Auto ) A good over the counter flea prevention for cats is Cheristin. I would apply the Cheristin and then wait 24 hours before bathing or using any topical products. If the miliary dermatitis is from fleas, you need to apply this EVERY month. If you are having a flea problem then you definitely should treat the environment for fleas as well, otherwise you have a major infestation in your house. I think this product is the best. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-1389-knockout-es-area-treatment.aspx?SearchTerm=knoc+Auto ) Hope this helps. Best wishes.
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Cat miliary dermatitis: Do falling pimples mean healing or worse?
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Why is my cat itching, losing hair, and has scabs and raw skin?
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What's causing my bottle-fed kitten's eye discharge and hair loss?
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My cat has scabs all over her body. Is it allergies or something else?
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