My cat has black dandruff and blood clots. Could it be fleas?

Hello, my name is Dr. Shines and I am happy to help. I agree that does look suspicious for flea dirt. It could also just be environmental debris or sometimes the skin will produce dark pigmentation from general irritation. First test it to see if this is flea dirt. Collect a few of those dark colored flakes on a clean white paper towel and apply a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. Then gently rub it around. If the towel turns reddish or rusty colored, it's flea feces (flea dirt). If it is, switch products. I recommend Revolution or Cheristan. If you must use something OTC, stick with name brand Frontline or Advantage. This could also be miliary dermatitis. Here's a link about the condition: https://www.petcoach.co/article/feline-miliary-dermatitis-in-cats/ If Hugo is licking more than normal, it could be causing the lesions to get worse. Plus it means they bother him. I recommend to make an appointment to have him examined. In the mean time, prevention the licking by having Hugo wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Start Hugo on an omega fatty acid. I like one called Welactin. You might also consider changing his diet to one that is good for over-all skin health. The two brands I recommend are Royal Canin and Nutro. Note it will take about 6 weeks for the supplement/diet to fully kick in. I hope this helps and please feel free to reach out any time.

It sounds like your cat may have a flea allergy. Flea dirt (small black specks) are often found in the skin and this is accompanied by constant scratching/licking and hair loss. The skin is also susceptible to getting secondary bacterial infections. Your cat needs to first be examined to confirm a flea allergy is likely present, then he/she needs to get a steroid shot to stop the itch quickly. The more your pet scratches the worse it will get. If your pet doesn't have fleas then another possible cause of hair loss and black specks is a mite infestation on the skin with lots of loose scans; although this is not nearly as common as fleas. Both require a vet visit to get any type of resolution. I hope your kitty gets well soon!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Unfortunately it is very hard to see exactly what is going on with the pictures you have posted. It does however look like there are little blood clots present, which suggests small little wounds or scratches present underneath. Possible causes of scratches/wounds on the skin would be fleas, fights with other cats/animals, mange and self-trauma scratching, tick bite craters, etc. I recommend you give her a bath and get it all cleaned up, and see if more are appearing or if they are healing up after a few days. They don't look infected so medications for the wounds themselves are likely not required. I would treat for fleas/mange if you are not already. Best of luck with Freckie!

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. This looks like flea dirt. If you put "cat flea dirt" into a Google search you will see many photos that resemble this. I suggest you get her a GOOD flea prevention and treat your house and/or yard for fleas. You can bathe her if she will let you with Dawn dish soap. Use the dish soap sparingly as it is very concentrated. Be sure to rinse it off thoroughly. You should only need to bathe her once. Bathe her either 24 hour before OR after applying the topical flea medication. If you can't bathe her, don't worry too much about it. Once the medication kicks in and you treat the environment her clinical signs will resolve. I have linked some products for you below: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=120766 ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Virbac-Knockout-Treatment-Spray-16-Ounce/dp/B00AT6FY6A/ ) ( https://www.amazon.com/Black-Flag-Killer-Concentrate-Treatment/dp/B071XPK8M8/ ) Be sure to continue to use a topical flea prevention on her EVERY MONTH. Watch her poop closely in the coming months as often cats will get tapeworms from ingesting fleas. If you see any worms (look like grains of rice) on her poop or around her anus you should take her to your vet to get a dewormer. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

The reddish color in the water comes from the flea poop (or "flea dirt", as it's often called). This looks like little black specks in the fur. The black specks are actually digested blood from the fleas, and will turn red in water. So this is nothing to worry about, just a normal part of having fleas. Once you get rid of the fleas, you should stop seeing the reddish color in the water :) I would suggest using a good quality monthly flea medication such as Stronghold or Advocate - you can get these from your vet. They're generally safer and much more effective than over-the-counter flea meds for cats.

Flicka may have allergies or some other skin condition that allows her fur to pull out or break more easily than it should. She might benefit from a diet high in omega fatty acids or a food allergy specific veterinary diet as well. The best place to start would be an exam by your vet to evaluate her skin and see if she needs diagnostics like a skin scraping or food allergy trial. Hope that helps!

Hi, thank you for using PetCoach. Those black dots are blackheads (clogged pores). It is not typically a serious problem. It is not related to a flea problem. Feline blackheads often result when cats don't groom themselves properly but it could also be from overactive oil glands or certain yeast or bacterial infections. Stress and food allergies can also contribute to this issue. You can try these medicated wipes on the affected area once a day. If after about 7-10 days there is not much improvement then you should have Dino examined by your vet. ( https://www.amazon.sg/Douxo-30-Count-Chlorhexidine-Pads/dp/B00G3D8JL0 ) Hope this helps. Best wishes!