Is it fleas? Help!!

cherrii

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My three year old tuxedo cat has developed some kind of flecks that look a little like pepper. They range from roughly his chest all the way down his tummy. We took him to the vet quite recently and the vet didn't know what it was. It seems as though it could be flea feces, but there are no sign of fleas. He does not groom or scratch excessively neither is he lethargic. He shows no signs of having fleas. I recently tried to wash an area on his tummy with soap and it seemed to come off. The paper towel that I used turned slightly brown. I thought it was dirt. Could it be a rash, is he allergic to something? What is this?! I am so worried. Please, if you have any idea what this could be, notify me please.

If there are any further questions, please feel free to ask.

Thanks in advance.
 

feralvr

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Sounds like flea dirt (feces) to me. Put some of the specks on a white paper towel. Put a few drops of water on the specks. If they turn a reddish brown, it's flea dirt. You can also use a flea comb, from any pet store, to run through the cat's coat to check for fleas. Have a dish of water with Dawn or Palmolive soap to dip the comb in right away. I have to say, I am confused that a vet would not know what it is :confused: But, in my experience, it sounds like your cat has fleas. They can be very difficult to see if they are hiding out in the black coat of your tuxedo. Did the vet give you a topical flea product anyway, just in case? :vibes::vibes:
 
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cherrii

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Hi, thanks for answering my post. I have tried to clean off the "dirt" off my cat's tummy with a wet paper towel and it turned kind of brown?(he absolutely hates water though) I also used soap and the flecks did come off. We don't have dawn or palmolive, we use an organic dish soap, would that be alright as well? My vet did not provide any type of medication, neither did he mention anything about fleas. All he did was give my cat a distemper vaccination (I was worried how the shot would affect my cat, but he seems perfectly fine.) My main question is: can the fleas not be living on my cat but somewhere else? There are no fleas anywhere, that we can see and we have no bites. Also, some additional information - my cat hangs out a lot in our basement,which is not finished. The lawnmower tracks in grass and such from outside. Could the fleas come from that?

Thanks for your insight and answer. :D
 

orientalslave

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You don't see fleas on a cat unless there is quite a problem - they tend to hop on, feed and hop off.  And not everyone develops a reaction to being bitten by a flea, so if you are those sort of people you can get bitten without realising it.

Flea dirt is quite distinctive even when not day, it's like a tiny semi-circular curl of black though it does break.  Cats that go out and roll can have ordinary dirt in their coats but that is quite often gritty.

Have you got a flea comb?  If not, get one.  They are quite cheap. 

If it is fleas I'm astonished that a vet wouldn't recognise it as such.  My own inclination would be to get a safe spot-on (e.g. not a pet-shop one) and treat the cat every month for the next 3 months and see if there is any change.
 

stephanietx

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Have you recently changed litter?  Could be a reaction to that as well.
 
 
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cherrii

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Our cat is strictly an indoor cat, but does lay around in the grass brought in by the lawnmower. He has dandruff, but I was thinking it could be flea eggs? i think we have a flea comb, if not, then I shall definitely invest in one. Also, is cleaning the areas with flea dirt with organic dish soap alright? How much would the spot-on cost, and where could I buy it?

Thanks. :)
 

riccadawn

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You can buy some Frontline or Advantage II at any pet store like Petsmart or Petco for $45-55. That's for several doses though if I recall correctly. The vet's office also probably carries it and may sell it to you in a single dose. Although if it is fleas, I recommend going through at least 2 doses of it (a month apart).
 

orientalslave

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Flea eggs drop off into the carpets and so on, so whatever you are seeing isn't flea eggs.  And if you are combing etc. you need to deal with the whole cat, not just his white bits.  I'd go for three shots of spot-on a month apart.
 
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