A cat with a flea allergy should be able to be treated. But don’t panic, in this article, I’ll explain everything you need to know about this allergy and especially how to control it to make your cat’s life easier.
Flea allergy cat: What is it?
This allergy is a skin reaction to flea bites that cause the cat to itch and scratch excessively. In the long term, the cat’s skin is infested with scabs and plaques and the bleeding is constant, putting the cat’s health at risk. This infestation can affect all cats, regardless of age or breed.
How are fleas caught?
Fleas can be caught anywhere because they are present on animals and can even transmit larvae through mosquito bites, hence the interest in having them dewormed to eliminate them.
Fleas can therefore be caught by absolutely all cats, even those who live in apartments and rot their lives, just like mites , reproducing and always ending up affecting the life of the cat.
Outdoor cats are still more at risk when they go into tall grass where they are very present in spring and autumn.
Symptoms of this allergy
The cat’s allergy to fleas will manifest itself through several symptoms:
- Excessive licking : He tries to get rid of it this way. Usually, it’s in the early stages of a flea infestation when the itching isn’t too bothersome yet.
- Excessive scratching : Generally, scabs and sores are apparent when fleas have been present for a while. The cat will often scratch until the blood so the itch is strong.
- A lack of energy : Often the consequence of itching which can prevent him from sleeping or make him hostile to any energy expenditure.
- Cold symptoms : Runny nose, coughing and sneezing, for example, like when he has a pollen allergy.
- Digestive problems: For example, vomiting and diarrhea, when fleas are also present in his body.
How to solve the problem?
You can act immediately with a cat flea shampoo and a flea comb, but if nothing permanently solves the problem, the veterinarian can prescribe a treatment adapted to this problem.
It is vital to get him sorted quickly as the lesions and infections will get worse until he is in serious condition with constant bleeding and no hair.
Ideally, a flea shampoo and combing with a dedicated comb will be used to keep your allergy under control, especially in the spring when fleas are most likely to infest them.
What will happen without treatment?
Without action on your part, he will continue to scratch until he bleeds, but the fleas will still multiply and he will end up with sores and infections that will get worse and put your cat’s life in danger. Acting as quickly as possible is essential, both to cure it, but also to avoid any recurrence.
The veterinarian is sometimes the only solution
If nothing helps then the veterinarian is essential, he can give him a more robust treatment using injections allowing desensitization in certain cases and saying goodbye to the allergy.
A more radical solution is the establishment of corticosteroids which block the allergic reaction but which can have side effects in cats even if their organism is less sensitive than ours to the side effects of drugs.
Cat allergic to fleas: The final word
If your cat is allergic to fleas then make sure you have flea shampoo and a flea comb on hand and take him to the vet if the problem persists as a worsening of the symptoms can put you unhealthily at risk. danger.