Why is my cat pulling out fur and bleeding if flea meds don't work?

This sounds like a reaction to fleas or some other allergen. Fleas are the most likely. Fleas don't live on the animals so make sure you treat your house and yard for fleas as well. Make sure you have them both on a high quality flea preventative like frontline plus or comfortis or cheristan. The over the counter flea preventative like hartz don't usually work and can cause bad reactions. Finally, since you are seeing scabs and swollen bald areas, they likely have secondary bacterial infection. I would have your vet do an exam. They will be able to determine if they need an antibiotics or even an injection to help with the itching. I hope this helps.

The treatment needed would depend on what is causing the problem. It may be [allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/), or an infection. A visit to your veterinarian would help identify the most likely cause and point you in the direction of the best treatment. It sounds like her issue is quite severe if she's making herself bleed, so I would get her in to see your veterinarian as soon as you can. If her issue was quite mild, a soothing spray, such as [Zymox](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone), may be helpful but I'm afraid Phaedra's problem may be beyond conservative home care. Get her in to the veterinarian or a [veterinary dermatologist](https://www.acvd.org/tools/locator/locator.asp?ids=16_Find_Dermatologist) when you can! Thanks for asking PetCoach!

[Allergies](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/feline-allergies/) are the most common cause of hair loss and [excessive grooming in cats](https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help), but there are several other medical causes as well - including [fleas](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/), bacterial or fungal infections, or skin mites. I would definitely start your cat on a good monthly spot-on product such as [Advantage II](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/cat/cat-flea-and-tick/cat-flea-and-tick-drops/advantage-ii-once-a-month-cat-and-kitten-topical-flea-treatment-over-9-lbs) to make sure fleas are not the problem - you can get this over the counter at many pet stores. If this doesn't resolve the problem, you will need to have your cat examined by a vet - he/she can do some testing if needed to diagnose the problem and get your kitty the appropriate prescription medications to treat it. Behavioral causes, such as stress or anxiety, can also lead to overgrooming. [Calming supplements](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/cat/cat-training/cat-training-calming-aids/calming-cat-supplements) or [pheromone products](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/brand/feliway) can be found at the lcocal Petco. If these do not improve the condition, your veterinarian may recommend prescription strength remedies.

That could be due to an allergic disorder (usually flea allergy dermatitis), presence of parasites, or psychogenic type of overgrooming (usually related to stress). The different causes must be ruled out treating for parasites, giving meds for allergies and eventually trying to remove stress causes. A check is then required. Please do not hesitate to contact us agli if you want to discuss it any further. We are available for one to one chat (consultation).

If she isn't on a flea preventative, that is one thing she should get on right away. Some cats have an allergy to flea bites, and all it takes is one flea to cause the itch to start. You may not find a couple fleas with a flea comb. Since she has trauma to her skin, I would recommend that you have Meow Meow examined by the vet. She may need an antibiotic or anti-inflammatory while we work on why she is pulling out her hair. In addition to fleas, there are other causes, such as pain, anxiety, mites, food allergies, etc. Here is a good article explaining what might be going on: https://www.petcoach.co/article/excessive-grooming-in-cats-what-it-means-and-how-to-help/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly due to allergies. It really comes down to figuring out what is causing his allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. There are many things that can cause allergies though in most cases they can be broken down into 3 big categories: flea, food and environmental allergies. Allergies are usually worked up in a stepwise fashion starting with flea allergies as this is the easiest and cheapest to take care of. If not on a flea preventative, then it would be a good idea to get started on one. If already on one then it would be a good idea to change to something else (there are many new products out in the market). If not improved in 1-3 months then it is time to move on and check for food allergies by switching to a novel diet (new protein and new carbohydrate). If that does not seem to be the issue then you are left out having to check for environmental allergies which require blood and/or skin tests. Allergies can be very frustrating to deal with at first but so rewarding at the end when we are able to treat them effectively!

If there is no medical reason such as fleas or food allergy and it is behavioral there is medication to help. She may notice another animal or cat outside that is new that is stressing her out and causing her to do this more, There may be a new neighbor with a dog that she smells passing by the door increasing her anxiety. You can start with feliway diffusers and sprays to help in side the apartment. You can also talk to your vet about anxiety medication to start her on to decrease this behavior.