Hi! My cat recently had a flea attack. It appears that he was bitten on his lower back, just above his tail and has itched the area so much that he has lost his fur in that area. His fur feels very stiff as well in the area surrounding the now-bald-spot. We administered the recommended does of flea medication yesterday; Frontline Plus to be exact. I am wondering if simply controlling the flea problem will help our cat as recommended, or if there is a medication I can apply (Vaseline, Neosporin??) that will help meanwhile. Thanks for any insight :)
2007-10-16 07:42:42 · 7 answers · asked by Maddie'sMom 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
Don't use Vasoline, especially if the area appears red or irritated. This could make it worse. You could use Neosporin or A & D Ointment to assist in breaking down any germs that could cause an infection. I used A & D Ointment when my cat burnt her paw pads on the stove....it helped. The hair should grow back on its own, but it will take time. It may come in thinner than it was originally.
2007-10-16 07:53:58 · answer #1 · answered by J9 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This depends on what kind he got. If he got a cheap kind, it won't work at all. Period. In fact, some of them are downright toxic and should be washed off the cat. The recommended spot-on treatments are Advantage, Frontline, and Revolution. Note: some cats are allergic to one or more of these products. it's not common but it has been known to happen. Watch your cat closely for the next few days after applying the treatment. If there is ANY sign of sickness, take her to a vet immediately. If you used one of those products, you should start seeing improvements within a couple of days. However, don't stop there. She needs a monthly dose of the stuff because the eggs that the fleas are laying now will be hatched and adults laying more eggs in a month's time. The only way to break that cycle is to flea-treat the cat every month. Treat your house too. If there are fleas on the cat, there are flea eggs in the carpet and on the furniture too. Your vacuum cleaner is your best friend in this situation. Vacuum daily. Flea eggs are not sticky and will get sucked right up. Flea larvae, however, ARE sticky and will not get vacuumed up so you will have to keep vacuuming until the flea cycle is broken. Empty your vacuum cleaner outside away from your house after each vacuuming. Flea larvae like to live in pet beds because they eat adult flea droppings. They depend on the pet to come there daily so the droppings can fall out of their fur and feed the larvae. Shake the bedding out outside away from the house each day. The larvae may stick to the bed, but you are shaking out its food when you do that. Starve them suckers! Lastly, if your cat has fleas, there is a very high chance she has worms too. Most fleas are infected and give it to the cat or dog when they bite. Best get your cat de-wormed.
2016-05-22 23:23:39 · answer #2 · answered by marietta 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know if Frontline Plus is dispensed by vets or if its over the counter, so bear with me.
Usually the fur will grow back with time, neosporin may help with the itch but I would wait until you speak to your vet before putting anything else on your cats skin. You don't want more skin issues. You may want to also ask if there is a product you can use for the house--sprays and stuff. Vets would probably suggest Revolution (that helps with environment as well as kitty), its a topical liquid that goes on the back of the neck once a month.
Be patient, most kitties get their fur back!
2007-10-16 08:11:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Skin medication (as directed by your vet) as certainly useful to control the sores, but a strict and correct flea treatment regime will allow you cat's fur to grow back and the skin to clear up.
Your cat is allergic to fleas, so you will have to be stringent in you treatments - Frontline Plus prevents infestation of the environment, but since your house is probably already infested you should probably spray first.
Chalice
2007-10-16 12:45:37 · answer #4 · answered by Chalice 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My cat has had bald spots from fleas and from fighting. It takes around 2 months or so for the fur to grow back properly - you will have to be patient.
2007-10-16 10:19:10 · answer #5 · answered by blackgrumpycat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! my dog has fleas and she had them all removed in the vet and her fur did grow back!
2007-10-20 07:48:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the fur will grow back but you should get some medication from your vet. It' like a feline bacitration ointment
2007-10-16 07:47:10 · answer #7 · answered by nyjae 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋