What is flea dermatitis in cats, symptoms and treatment methods for allergies

Animals, like humans, are susceptible to various diseases, regardless of species, breed or size. Illnesses can affect not only wild fauna, but also pets living in an apartment.

The most common nuisance among animals is fleas, which are most often found in long-haired pets, such as cats. This, in turn, can cause inflammation - an allergy to the saliva of parasites. Moreover, for its development, just one flea bite is enough, because the saliva of these parasites contains many types of allergens to which cats are very sensitive.

Important: the disease can occur not only in long-haired breeds, but also in animals with short hair and even hairless ones.

Why does flea dermatitis develop in cats?

Individuals older than 1 year are more often susceptible to this disease than kittens under 12 months. But in the second case, the invasion almost always ends in death. The reason is weak immunity, which often cannot cope with the disease.

This kind of skin inflammation in cats doesn’t just happen. The most common causes of the disease are:

• warm season;
• dirt from the street;
• unsanitary conditions;
• contact with other animals;
• decreased immunity;
• self-walking

The peak of diseases occurs in the summer season, when the air temperature reaches its maximum, which provokes an increase in the activity of parasites. This usually happens in July-August. At this time of year, it is extremely undesirable to let your pets outside. Especially when it comes to southern cities. For a disease such as flea allergy in cats, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Anapa and other settlements in the southern regions are an ideal place for spread.

Fleas that cause the disease can enter the house, for example, with dirt on the soles or on outer clothing.

Outdoor animals, which are almost always infested with fleas, are especially dangerous for cats living in apartments. Therefore, walking pets on the street should only be done under close attention and on a harness. It is for this reason that self-walking cats should be reduced in time as much as possible, especially in the summer.

But not all pets, even if they have fleas, can become infected with this disease. Usually it is dangerous only for those cats that have a decrease in immunity. Most often this happens after an illness, as a result of which the protective functions of the animal’s body are significantly reduced.

Mechanism of infection

Did you know that, according to numerous testimonies from veterinarians, in 90% of cases, the majority of skin lesions in their patients are caused by representatives of the blood-sucking order? For some reason, many owners zealously deny the presence of fleas on their four-legged pets, which causes bewilderment among experienced specialists. Owners of small dogs, who “relieve themselves” in a litter box at home, like cats, especially suffer from this misconception. In their opinion, if a pet practically never appears on the street, then this unpleasant problem has nowhere to come from. It's time to dispel dangerous misconceptions.

The flea is a hematophagous insect and, as you probably know, they feed not only on the blood of animals, but also on people. Sensitive tiny insects are able to penetrate apartments and houses:

For the most part, you don't have to be the owner of a furry friend to attract a flea's attention. Without even meaning to, you yourself bring a parasite into your home, for example, on your clothes or dirty shoes.

As a rule, blood-sucking insects hide:

• in sofas;
• mattresses;
• in dust;
• under the parquet;
• in tile cracks;
• behind the baseboards;
• behind the wallpaper and in other secluded corners.

Almost the entire population of tiny bloodsuckers consists of larvae. For a whole year they exist unnoticed in human homes, waiting for their finest hour. And although the main period of outrage of insatiable creatures is considered to be spring, summer and autumn, it is the long stay in the pronymph (pupa) stage that makes these insects very viable and increases the likelihood of flea infestation even in winter.

As you have already understood: fleas are extremely tenacious and dexterous creatures. If a doctor suspects a tailed couch potato is infected with parasites, do not be reckless and deny the diagnosis.

Symptoms: descriptions and photos

All diseases have distinctive signs. Dermatitis in cats is no exception.

Home diagnostics

In most cases, you can identify the presence of fleas in a cat yourself. To do this, you just need to watch your pet for a while.

If you want to make sure that your cat is allergic to fleas, it is recommended to pay attention to the following:

• severe itching, especially in the head and tail area;
• redness;
• blisters;
• swelling at the site of the wound;
• anxiety, mainly at night;
• a cat scratching certain areas until they bleed;
• regular biting (the animal can bite itself).

Fleas are also easy to spot if you carefully examine the fur and skin. The presence of parasites can also be indicated by small black dots - excrement that look like beads.

To find out that this is not just dirt, but flea waste, you just need to dip one of them in a glass of water. If it has dissolved and the liquid has turned a slightly light brown color, you can be sure that the cat is infected.

In cats, a flea allergy has the following symptoms:

• the presence of ulcers or dense nodules;
• excessive dryness of the skin;
• partial swelling in certain places;
• severe scratching (sometimes to the point of bleeding);
• high temperature of certain areas of the skin;
• presence of problems with digestion and appetite;
• excessive fearfulness;
• frequent meowing.

Important: the above signs may be signs of other diseases, so to make an accurate diagnosis and choose the right treatment, you should first consult a veterinarian.

Forms of allergies to parasites

Divided into three types:

• acute;
• subacute;
• chronic.

They all have their own characteristics and characteristics, thanks to which the stage can be determined. In the acute form, the disease passes quickly and is accompanied by severe itching, which gives the cat a lot of discomfort. Due to regular combing, the hair may fall off in clumps, and in its place bald areas, often covered with a crust, may appear. With this form of the disease, the cat has parasites in its fur.

If treatment is not started on time, the acute form quickly becomes chronic, which is an intermediate stage between the first and third stages. There may no longer be fleas.

The chronic form is characterized by the presence of signs of both stages. This period of the disease may be accompanied by itching, redness, and then its sudden disappearance. Usually this process is recurrent in nature, because periodically there is an improvement or deterioration in the animal’s condition. The chronic stage is already difficult to respond to medications, so its treatment must be approached comprehensively and only under the supervision of a doctor.

Diagnosis at the veterinarian

If it is difficult to identify the problem yourself, it is advisable to visit a clinic where they will make a diagnosis and determine the stage.

When visiting a doctor, be prepared to provide information about the course of the disease, its main signs and the cat’s behavior. If the inflammation has already started, it will be useful to show the specialist a photo of the initial stage so that he can make an accurate diagnosis. This will allow the doctor to prescribe the correct treatment depending on the animal’s health condition.

A veterinarian can determine the disease in the following ways:

1. Technique for combing wool onto white paper . To do this, the doctor uses a comb to remove a scrap from a small area of ​​the cat’s body onto white paper slightly moistened with water. The presence of parasites is indicated by small dark dots around which a spot forms.
2. Blood analysis . When this disease is detected in an animal, cells (eosinophils) are found that are involved in hypersensitivity reactions. In this case, their concentration is noticeably increased.
3. By visual inspection . As a result, allergies, baldness in certain areas, dried crusts with blood, ear mites, fungal diseases and others may appear.

Treatment of dermatitis in cats

If your veterinarian has diagnosed flea dermatitis in cats, treatment should begin immediately to prevent it from progressing to a serious stage.

You need to start acting by eliminating the root cause - parasites. To remove fleas, you can use various methods - both folk remedies and products sold in pharmacies.

Antihistamines

They are aimed at eliminating signs of allergies - itching, swelling, redness. Typically, the duration of taking such medications does not exceed one to three weeks. Only a veterinarian can calculate the duration.

For convenience, they are usually mixed with food or water. Some anti-allergy drops and tablets suitable for humans can also be given to animals. These, for example, include Zodak, Suprastin or Zyrtec. In particularly severe cases, the doctor may prescribe injections.

Important: antihistamines are effective only with complex treatment. They do not eliminate the cause, but only help remove the symptoms.

Hormonal

They are usually prescribed for severe cases of the disease and are first given in large quantities to dull the manifestations of the disease, gradually reducing the dose.

Hormonal medications have a lot of side effects, so they are given only when other treatments are useless. Such troubles include:

• decreased immune function of the body;
• metabolic disease;
• problems with the digestive tract.

Because medications in the form of tablets or drops are difficult to administer to cats, creams and gels that are used externally, such as Stop Itching, are sometimes prescribed as an alternative.

Diet

To restore strength after an illness, an animal needs special cat food that will help it support its immune system. Food high in Omega-3 should be given as an additional nutrition to the main one. It is also necessary to completely exclude chicken, beef, lamb and food made from these products for a while - due to strong allergenicity.

Drops

They are usually used to eliminate the cause of dermatitis in cats - fleas. They are applied externally - to the withers, so that the animal does not remove the medicine when licking the fur. In addition, it is unacceptable for it to enter the animal’s body.

The drops are convenient because a small dose is required to remove all types of skin parasites; they allow you to get rid of them as quickly as possible, literally within 1-2 days from the moment of application. Such drops include, for example, “Beafar”, “Frontline” or “Advantage”.

Powder

It is used to heal sores caused by scratches on the body of an animal. When using it, the crusts heal faster, and clean and healthy skin appears in their place. In addition, the composition of the powder is aimed at reducing itching, which also has a beneficial effect on wound healing.

Collar

It is the most common type of treatment for parasites in cats. True, such a flea trap is more used for prevention, because it does not allow them to settle on the cat’s skin, repelling them with their specific smell.

And the composition with which the material is impregnated can also cause allergies, but the risk of its occurrence is much lower than flea infestation. The most common are “Bars” and “Clandestine”.

Shampoo

During the treatment process, most veterinarians, along with other methods, prescribe the use of special shampoos. Their composition is more aggressive than regular ones, because it is aimed at destroying parasites. It is recommended to use them only for pets older than six months. Cats younger than this age should be treated with different techniques. The most popular brands among such shampoos are “Clandestine”, “Lugovoy” and “Mskiss”.

Spray

To get rid of fleas and the consequences of their life on the animal's body, sprays are often prescribed (Bolfo, Bars, Frontline). The advantage of using this drug is that it covers a large area of ​​the affected area and penetrates into its deepest layers. In addition, the spray is usually sold in large quantities, which allows it to be used for more than one month.

Change in animal behavior

In addition to visual manifestations on the skin and hair loss, the psycho-emotional state of the animal changes. Due to severe, incessant itching due to an allergic reaction, the cat’s appetite decreases or completely disappears. The pet does not walk, becomes passive, spends most of its time lying down, scratching its skin.

Some cats, instead of passivity and apathy, on the contrary, may behave differently: their irritability increases, excessive aggressiveness occurs, which increases even more when the owner tries to touch damaged areas of the skin. The reaction to stroking the fur is a pitiful, prolonged meow.

Traditional methods of treating allergies to flea bites

In case of mild disease, traditional methods can be used to eliminate ectoparasites.

1. Use of needles for bedding . Fleas are repelled by this smell, so it is advisable to replace your pet’s sleeping place with a mattress stuffed with pine needles.
2. Salt . Pour half a pack of salt into a bowl of warm water and bathe the animal in this solution. As a rule, several such procedures are necessary to achieve maximum results. It is important to ensure that water does not get into your cat's eyes. Such procedures cannot be performed if there are open wounds on the animal’s body.
3. Garlic . The smell of this vegetable is known to repel many types of parasites, including fleas. To prepare the mixture, you need to pass 2-3 slices through a special press, add half a glass of warm water and let it brew for 6-10 hours. Gently rub the resulting solution into your pet’s skin and allow to dry.
4. Essential oils with the scent of lavender and cedar . To do this, make a medicinal solution: add 3 drops of lavender and cedar oil to 0.5 liters of warm water. Then shake well and spray over the cat's fur using a spray bottle. This procedure should be carried out 2-3 times a day until all parasites disappear.

Prevention

To minimize the risk of the disease, special attention should be paid to its prevention.

In order to prevent the occurrence of dermatitis in cats, the following measures must be taken:

1. Keep the house clean. To do this, every time you come home from the street, you need to wash your shoes and clean your outerwear. After these manipulations, you should put things in a closed space, for example, a closet.
2. The cat should wear a neck strap regularly. It is an excellent remedy for repelling skin parasites, because its composition is aimed specifically at destroying them. In addition, such a device is the most inexpensive method to protect your pet from fleas.
3. Avoid self-walking of the animal, especially in the warm season.
4. Periodically carry out a preventive examination of the cat's skin for the presence of parasites.
5. Visit your veterinarian regularly.
6. Do not violate the flea treatment schedule (2 times a year).

When a disease such as flea allergic dermatitis is detected in cats, timely treatment plays a huge role, since its health condition depends on the speed of reaction of the animal’s owners.

What about vaccinations?

Immunotherapy is used in an attempt to reprogram the cat's immune system.

Flea saliva extract (flea antigen) is administered to the cat in small quantities over a long period. This immunotherapy is used in an attempt to reprogram a cat's immune system so that it no longer overreacts to flea bites. If successful, the cat will no longer itch when bitten by a flea, or it will become less intense. This therapy is successful in approximately half of the cases.