Can a cat's flea allergy trigger an autoimmune skin condition in them?

I hate to hear Autumn is not feeling well. Pets with chronic skin conditions generally have allergies to fleas, allergies to something in the environment, food allergy or endocrine disease. Each one of these problems is detected and addressed differently and I recommend to discuss with your veterinarian which one to start hunting down first. Parasites are often ruled out with an oral medication like Comfortis. Food allergy is best ruled out with a diet trial using a hydrolyzed protein. Endocrine diseases are detected with blood work. Environmental allergies are a little more difficult to detect but a response to therapy or a blood test can give an indication. Therapy could include a drug called Atopica or immunotherpy. Once you figure out and address the underlying cause, the lesions should not come back. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You may also try changing her diet to something like Royal Canin or Nutro as they are aimed at skin health. Also protect the area from trauma by having Autumn wear an elizabethan collar at all times. Runny eyes and nose are not always associated with allergies. Sometimes this could be related to persistent herpes infection. Make sure Autumn has been tested for Felv/FIV within the last 6 months to rule out immune suppression from a virus. Sometimes Lysine for cats can help and a really good diet (again, I recommend Royal Canin or working with a nutritionist) to help strengthen the immune system. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I have a flea-allergic cat too and it is very frustrating. Ask your vet about giving her an over-the-counter allergy medication to help relieve the itching. Chlorpheniramine and cetirizine (Zyrtec) are commonly used to help cats with itching. Something else to consider is that your cat may have other allergies that are contributing to the problem. A common allergy is to the protein source in the food. Ask your vet about a limited diet or about getting Boris started on a product like Prescription Diet z/d. This diet is formulated with hydrolyzed proteins, a process that changes the protein in the food in such a way that the body doesn't recognize it as an allergen, and it still provides the nutrition your cat needs to be healthy. Also, consider asking for a recommendation to a veterinary dermatologist. They have more and better testing available to them as well as specialty education in skin problems that may make them better able to help you and your cat.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Simba 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.

I'm sorry your cats (and you!) are dealing with you. Unfortunately, once a cat has a flea dermatitis, the itching and skin problems can continue even once you get rid of the fleas. The degree of which really depends on the severity of their sensitivity to flea bites. Often, we have to use antihistamines or steroids to resolve the inflammation. Sometimes we also have to incorporate antibiotics if there is an infection. For dogs, there are topical shampoos we can use, but those are often not a good option for cats. So, I would recommend having your veterinarian examine your cats' skin to determine if there is a secondary skin infection or just inflammation in order to help you determine the best treatment. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry to hear about Tetra! That is a tough disease to manage and I know it can be so frustrating. The problem is, we often have no idea what triggers a flare up. It can be anything from something blooming outside to someone lighting a cigarette inside, to one tiny mite/flea/mosquito/ant bite to a tiny piece of something dropped on the kitchen floor, even stress or illness can sometimes contribute to a flare up ...you get the idea. In all honesty, you are doing basically everything I would recommend, though I would add on the omega 3's. I usually recommend about 130 mg of fish oil per pound daily. (Work up to this dose though because it can cause some soft stool if you start off too high.) I haven't heard of the canned food thing but certainly ask the dermatologist/internist if that might help. Unfortunately, many of these cats are on Atopica for quite some time but hopefully with the immunotherapy, etc. you can hopefully stop in time. Of course, consulting with a board-certified dermatologists or internists can be very helpful. Best of luck to you and Tetra

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could still be allergies that are not responding to therapy as expected. Since your veterinarian was able to actually take a look at Sophia, I would believe their diagnosis. It could be that a lack of consistent response to therapy could be that the allergic component is not yet being addressed. Her staying in the litter box is likely due to discomfort which is why re-evaluation at this point is indicated. Your veterinarian could consider referral to a veterinary dermatologist for further recommendations. 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 see one flea, there could be many more. I would recommend that Alice be on year-round flea prevention for this issue. What you describe could be an eosinophilic granuloma. I recommend that Alice get checked out by a vet to confirm this possibility, or to see what else could be causing it. These granulomas can certainly flare up with inflammation or allergies, which would be caused by fleas. Other possible causes of itching include mites, ringworm, or other allergies. Here is some more information about eosinophilic granulomas: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=656