Should I worry about my cat's severe fleas, scabs, and hoarse meow?

With the exception of Seresto collars ( https://www.petbasics.com/cat-products/seresto-for-cats/?pref=cat ), flea collars do not work well for cats and can cause skin irritation, so I do not recommend them for cats. I would consider removing the flea collar and see if the skin lesions go away. If you have also applied a topical flea medication that should work better than the flea collar. If the skin lesions do not go away or become worse, you may need to have your veterinarian examine Luna. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Flea collars can cause reactions in cats, as they are exquisitely sensitive to flea medication. Given that Blue has wounds, I think an oral flea treatment would be best for her. I recommend Bravecto. You can get it from the vet. Keep in mind that fleas live in the environment, not on the animal, so you will have to treat the home as well. Wash their 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. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear of the flea issues you are experiencing. That is certainly an unusual response to Capstar and it would be worth reporting this to the veterinarian that you purchased it from. You are right not to put the advantage onto the scabby skin, it could worsen the irritation. A safe way of helping to remove some of the fleas is to give your kitty a bath with blue dawn dishwashing detergent. Whilst it has no protective effects it is safe and gentle to use. Capstar is only one effective for about 24 hours so it may actually have worked, it just isn't helping longer term. Environmental treatment for fleas is always very important too. Wash all of your cat's bedding and any blankets etc that she likes to sleep on. Your own bedding too if she is frequently on your bed. Consider steam cleaning all carpets and rugs in the house, and any fabric furniture too (like couches and chairs). You may need to resort to a 'flea bomb' product or call an exterminator if the problem is not easily controlled. You can also look on your cat's body to see if there is an area of skin that is NOT scabby, where you could maybe apply the advantage instead. The back of the neck is preferred since the cat cannot lick it off, but you can certainly apply it elsewhere if needed.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like flea dirt. If you put "cat flea dirt" into a Google search you will see many photos that resemble this. I suggest you get her a GOOD flea prevention and treat your house and/or yard for fleas. You can bathe her if she will let you with Dawn dish soap. Use the dish soap sparingly as it is very concentrated. Be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. You should only need to bathe her once. Bathe her either 24 hour before OR after applying the topical flea medication. If you can't bathe her, don't worry too much about it. Once the medication kicks in and you treat the environment her clinical signs will resolve. I have linked some products for you below: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=120766 ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Knockout-Treatment-Spray-16-Ounce/dp/B00AT6FY6A/ ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Killer-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B071XPK8M8/ ) Be sure to continue to use a topical flea prevention on her EVERY MONTH. Watch her poop closely in the coming months as often cats will get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. If you see any worms (look like grains of rice) on her poop or around her anus you should take her to your vet to get a dewormer. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Sorry to hear about the flea problem! They can definitely be pesky little suckers. I would absolutely recommend getting the cone since it is the only essentially surefire way to prevent significant amounts of self-mutilation. Kitty definitely won't like it but it is for his own good. In terms of flea and tick medications, my favorite one to use is the Seresto collar. I find that in my geographic area it seems to be the most effective option. This certainly could be different where you live, and as such, I would tend to tell you to consult with your local vet and other pet owners for feedback. In terms of healing the affected regions, they look to me to be significantly inflamed and likely partially infected. At this point, they likely would benefit from an oral antibiotic which would require making a trip to your vet for the prescription. In terms of treating the environment, multiple flea bombs may be required. In some cases, hiring an exterminator is the only solution. I hope this helps.

lHello, thank you for using PetCoach. There are are oral flea pills available, however, you also cannot take back an oral pill once you give it...... A 19 year old cat may have an underlying kidney or liver problem (actually this is very likely) that is making her more sensitive to these medications. If she has not been to the vet recently she should be examined and have some blood testing run. If you continue to try things and her organs are not functioning properly you may really put her over the edge. Luckily she recovered after the Seresto Collar incident. I suggest you: 1. Treat the environment (ie: the house) as the fleas will be constantly hatching and continuing the problem. I strongly recommend Knockout Spray ES. This works better than any foggers or other home treatments and can be used on all carpeted and upholstered surfaces. ( https://www.chewy.com/virbac-knockout-es-area-treatment/dp/53855 ) 2. ALL animals in the house much be on some type of flea prevention as well or the fleas will continue to thrive. 3. If you have a yard, you need to treat that too as part of the environment even if she does not go outside. ( https://www.chewy.com/vets-best-outdoor-flea-tick-spray/dp/45163 ) 4. To treat her specifically, without using the traditional flea medications, you can use this waterless mousse - it is only a temporary fix though. No real lasting effects like the topical/oral treatments so depending on the severity of the infestation, you may have to use it every day or every couple days. Also depends on how she reacts to the product. Please read the directions fully before using as they recommend a spot trial first. ( https://www.amazon.com/Vets-Best-Waterless-Treatment-Plant-Based/dp/B084PZSR8J/ ) 5. Whatever you do, DO NOT use any Hartz or Adams products on her. They have a high rate of causing serious reactions and even death in dogs and cats (even young and healthy ones). Again, at her age, I strongly recommend she see a vet before you try anything else on her body. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Fleas and allergies to fleas can set-up an environment for infection. It's possible that this is complicating the recovery process. The skin will often start to heal once the fleas are gone, but it's worth treating for infection by giving a bath with a medicated cat shampoo (can get this at the pet store). I recommend discontinuing the use of the other products (except the flea control) for now, because overuse and misuse of certain products can actually delay healing or make the problem worse. For instance, I worry about the use of the coconut oil, because fungal and bacterial infections will thrive in the coconut oil. It's best to just give a bath with the medicated shampoo once every 2-3 days, until the skin starts to look normal. It's expected that it will take a month or more until the cats start to look normal again, so stick with it and they should get through this fine. Treating for fleas is not just restricted to the host, because fleas can reproduce and nest in the environment and continually cause an issue. Below is a link to a short article that explains treating the cats and environment for fleas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-tips-to-get-rid-of-fleas/ If the skin problems are not getting better, or are getting worse in the next two weeks, then it's best to have your cats evaluated by a vet, because they may need additional treatment. I hope that helps and the kitties get better soon.