Why does my outdoor cat have red scabs above its eyes and how to help?

Poor Casper! This could be a reaction to fleas or another material on his paws. It is unlikely to be a reaction to his saliva. While this is unlikely, but with him being a white cat I would talk to your vet to ensure this doesnt look like pre-cancerous skin lesions. Finally, I would have your vet look at him so he can prescribe him some allergy medicine, antibiotics, and eye cream if needed. Your vet will also be able to check his eyes to see if they look okay. They will also be make sure he doesn't have any fleas. I hope this helps!

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 her allergies so that they can be treated or the specific allergen avoided. A secondary infection is likely and also needs to be addressed. This could also be something like mange. This is something that it is typically differentiated based on a physical examination and basic cytology which your veterinarian could do. 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!

Scabs like this could be caused by allergies (food allergies, or an allergy to something in the environment), or a bacterial or fungal skin infection. If you're positive that he doesn't have any fleas, then I would recommend having him examined by a vet when you are able to. It sounds like he will probably need antibiotics and a short-term steroid or other anti-inflammatory medication to treat the problem, and the vet can also talk to you about options to prevent this issue from recurring in the future - such as a diet chance to a prescription hypoallergenic diet, or a daily allergy medication if needed.

I have a flea-allergic cat too and it is very frustrating. Ask your vet about giving her an over-the-counter allergy medication to help relieve the itching. Chlorpheniramine and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are commonly used to help cats with itching. Something else to consider is that your cat may have other allergies that are contributing to the problem. A common allergy is to the protein source in the food. Ask your vet about a limited diet or about getting Boris started on a product like Prescription Diet z/d. This diet is formulated with hydrolyzed proteins, a process that changes the protein in the food in such a way that the body doesn't recognize it as an allergen, and it still provides the nutrition your cat needs to be healthy. Also, consider asking for a recommendation to a veterinary dermatologist. They have more and better testing available to them as well as specialty education in skin problems that may make them better able to help you and your cat.

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

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ciciregularly 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. This isn't an emergency by any means.

The fact that the lesions have appeared on both sides of the face in nearly identifcal locations almost makes me think that Benjamin maybe stuck his face in something that cause some sort of reaction resulting in what you are seeing there. I can't think of any other reason why the face would have been affected in such a way. As your veterinarian already indicated, there is really no way to be certain or precise about what we are seeing without tests like skin cytology and/or biopsy to send out to the lab. These tests can be time-consuming and expensive, but will ultimately give you the answers you might be looking for. If this isn't a possibility, I would treat the lesions with antibiotics and pain management, and get Benjamin on an antibiotic that is good for injections of the skin. There are plenty from which to choose. If the lesions are not cleared up within a week to ten days, I would revisit the idea of diagnostic testing. Hope this makes sense.