Why does my senior indoor cat have head scabs? Could it be fleas?

These scabs could be caused by scratching, and in cats, the base of the tail is a characteristic spot where cats scratch when they have fleas. If Kenchion isn't up to date on her flea treatments, I would get one now. First, I would give her 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 her 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. Hopefully, this will help clear up the scabs. If it doesn't, then she will need to see the vet. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com

If Morris is not on any sort of a flea control I strongly suspect this may be flea related. Cat skin off and have a flea allergy wear just the bite from one or two fleas will cause them to break out and scabs around the head and neck. Because cats groom so much you may not necessarily find any fleas or flea dirt on his body. If he is not on flea prevention I strongly recommend a product such as advantage board vantage multi for cats or Bravecto for cats if you have any problems with ticks in your area. It can take up to 3 to 4 months to get rid of a flea infestation by treating only the pets. If Morris is very itchy a veterinary visit for medication to help relieve some of the itching and assess for infection may be necessary while you get the fleas under control. If fleas are not a problem then other allergies can possibly cause the same type of skin lesions. I hope Morris gets some relief soon, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Mםמאט 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 could possibly be a flea infestation. I recommend treating for fleas all year round if she is having this problem now. I would treat once a month. It also looks like she may have a skin infection on top of it. I would recommend a trip to your local veterinarian. If Aries is scratching or biting a lot they can give medication to help stop the itching and give antibiotics (if needed) to help with the infection. I hope Aries feels better soon. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be 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. 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 you have ruled out fleas/skin mites. I recommend to have him tested for hyperthyroidism and if that's not the cause, have him on a 12 week food trial with a hydrolyzed protein diet. You must start moving down the list of potential causes of the skin lesions. Atopy is still on the list but is harder to test for so rule out these other causes first. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.