Why is my 12-year-old cat scratching frequently, but has no fleas?

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!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. The treatment would depend on the underlying cause. 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!

You will need to take your cat to a veterinarian for a skin exam. Your cat could be suffering from an allergy, mites, fleas, a bacterial or fungal infection. each of these requires a different treatment, so it is important to find out what is causing the itch. Your vet will do a thorough exam and maybe a a skin scrape. He will then discuss the options with you and then prescribe medications, possibly give an injection to stop the itching.

Poor Ollie sounds itchy! This itching can be caused by fleas, mites, ringworm, or allergies. If he isn't up to date on his flea treatment, I can give you one for him. First, I would give him Capstar. It's a one time pill that starts killing fleas within 30 minutes. Then follow up with a spot on treatment, such as Advantage or Revolution. This is a treatment that has to be used once a month. You will also have to disinfect the environment. Wash his bedding in hot soapy water, and vacuum the furniture and carpet surfaces. You can use a spray to kill fleas in the house, such as Indorex, or a flea bomb would work well to kill the fleas in the home. If he is up to date on his flea treatment, I recommend taking him into the vet for an exam today or tomorrow. The vet can do blood tests, skin scrapings, and use a Wood's lamp to diagnose allergies, mites, and ringworm. Once the cause of the itching is found, the vet can prescribe the appropriate treatment. Best of luck!

A flea bite can cause itching and irritation for several weeks after the fleas are controlled. The majority of a flea problem is the environment. The fleas still have to get on the cats to bite and get the medicine to die, so you can still have a flea problem without seeing fleas on the cats. IF the spots and itching persist you will need to see a vet for a culture to diagnose ring worm. To get rid of the fleas you will need to get everyone out of the house and treat the house also

I recommend to either have Lilly checked for hyperthyroidism or try a diet trial with a hydrolyzed protein for 12 weeks. Call your vet to discuss which option seems like the best for Lilly. Unfortunately, Allergies to something in the environment, food allergies, flea allergies and hyperthyroidism will all look the same so you must start ruling them out one by one. You may also look into joining a clinic like Banfield or VCA that offer wellness programs. These programs are not insurance but the office visits are free and you get a discount of services and medications outside of the program. You will need to check and verify details with any of these clinics in your area. Not every service will be covered by the program. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! George's itching can be caused by a reaction to the fleas, a secondary skin infection, ringworm, or other skin parasites such as mites. George may need antibiotics, medicated shampoo or ointments to resolve the issue completely. I recommend having her seen by her vet, who can take a sample of the affected areas to determine what is going on. I hope this helps and that all is well with you and George!