My cat has a mouth sore, is itching, and acting odd. Is it fleas?

I am sorry to hear that! I do think going to the vet would be a good idea. Cats can get many types of lumps at their mouths. From your description one thing I would want to rule out is eosinophilic plaques. These can be caused by allergies so getting on a low allergen food (I would recommend prescription due to cross-contamination at the manufacturing level) and medications can be vital! Of course it is hard to tell without looking at her so your vet may want to rule tests or take a biopsy first! I hope this helps!

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.

The different options in Alice's case are a superficial moist (bacterial) dermatitis, feline acne or a fungal/viral infection with or without secondary bacterial inflammation. A check up and some skin testing would confirm one of these clinical suspicion. Appropriate treatment may require antibiotics. This disease may be infective for you (in case of fungal infection) or the other cat (all but feline acne).

Hi, I think one of the first conditions to rule out here would be eosinophilic granuloma complex (EGC) which refers to a group of inflammatory skin problems in cats. The skin lesion on the picture may be an eosinophilic plaque. Common sites are the hind legs and the stomach. The lesions can be large and may be itchy, and the cat may frequently tries to licks and even bites at the affected site which can make it worse. Most cases of ECG are due to allergies ( fleas /food/ atopy=environmental). Flea control is very important in the treatment. Most cases respond well to medical treatment with corticosteroids (prednisolone commonly) and antibiotic if infected. She will need to be checked by a vet to confirm and to be treated. Hope this helps

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. I don't think it looks like an ulcer. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello. The wounds could be from flea bites, & Rascal is scratching to the point of making things worse. Cats can also harbor a demodex mite. It is important to make sure you are using a good flea & tick product that is labeled for cats to see if this is the cause of the sores. Cats can also develop sores from allergies. This is called miliary dermatitis & this is generally treated with a steroid or other immunomodulating medication like cyclosporin. You will need the help of a veterinarian to diagnose a skin mite & prescribe a treatment. I hope Rascal is doing better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Bugs responded to steroids and antihistamines it may be an allergic reaction. You may talk to your vet about allergies caused by flea bites, food allergies, or environmental allergies. In some pets, 1 flea bite can cause a body-wide allergic reaction. He may also need a hypoallergenic cat food for a few months. Common causes of increased eosinophils are allergies, parasites (external and intestinal parasites), and fungal infection.