My cat has sores and bald spots from flea treatment. What can I do?

Oh poor girl. It looks like she has a hypersensitivity to the Revolution. This isn't very common, but it can happen on occasion in some pets. I would recommend washing as much of the product off as possible with a Betadine solution diluted 50:50 with warm water. Then you can apply a "hot spot" spray ok to use in cats, from your local pet store to the area until it is healed. If it is having a hard time healing properly, then it is best to have your vet look at it and prescribe stronger medication for Georgia. I hope this clears up soon and for next go round, I would recommend trying another product such as Advantage Multi for cats.

I hate to hear that Sam is so miserable! Definitely for the fleas I would recommend an oral flea product such as Simparica or Comfortis. These are the top products on the market and will kill any fleas that land on Sam within 3-4 hours. Topical products take 12 - 24 hours. You will need to use a good flea prevention on him and any other pets in the house for a solid 6 months. To help his skin to feel better, give him a cool water bath daily. You can also give him an over the counter antihistamine. If you have an elizabethan collar for him, you can also apply a small amount of cortisone cream. The collar will keep Sam from licking. You need to rub it in well and make sure he cannot lick it. You might also call the clinic daily and check to see if they have any cancelations. You might be able to get Sam in earlier. I hope this helps!

Poor Zero! Unfortunately, Hartz is a very poor brand of flea treatment and it can cause things like fur loss. I'm not a fan of it at all, and I personally never recommend using it. Good on you for washing it off of him. Because he has a bald spot on hi from where the flea treatment was applied, I would not use another spot on treatment on him. Instead, I suggest an oral treatment such as Comfortis. It kills fleas and ticks, and is approved for use in cats. You can get it from your vet's clinic.

Poor kitty! It's possible it's the Revolution but reactions are generally localized to the area where the product was applied. The only way to know for sure is to change your product and see if things get better. Advantage Multi is another product similar to Revolution but a different make up. Other reasons for chronic skin lesions and itching are allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Fleas are less common since you are using a medication like Revolution. You may want to use a flea comb and check your kitty and the kitten for any evidence of fleas just to be sure there are none. Comb around the lower back and between the hind legs. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for petss, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing his diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having your cat wear an elizabethan collar at all times. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

I'm sorry your cats (and you!) are dealing with you. Unfortunately, once a cat has a flea dermatitis, the itching and skin problems can continue even once you get rid of the fleas. The degree of which really depends on the severity of their sensitivity to flea bites. Often, we have to use antihistamines or steroids to resolve the inflammation. Sometimes we also have to incorporate antibiotics if there is an infection. For dogs, there are topical shampoos we can use, but those are often not a good option for cats. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine your cats' skin to determine if there is a secondary skin infection or just inflammation in order to help you determine the best treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!