Skin Scabs

I posted about this once before, but it was deleted during the crash.

Patchie, my current foster cat has skin scabs all over her body. On her back, down her spine and on her neck. They are small scabs and itch sometimes. Does anyone have any ideas on what to do? Thanks!

It could be anything from dermititis, to food allergies. Are you putting any type of flea treatment on this cat, and if so what type?

That sounds similar to Stinkie. He gets sores all over his body that itch all the time. His worse spots are also down his spine and neck. And since he scratches so much that makes the sores worse and sometimes causes his fur to thin out a little bit. He has a really bad case of feline miliary dermatitis due to an allergy to fleas. We give him frontline every month. He has to have steroid shots sometimes when it gets really bad, but be warned that long-term steroid shots can cause future health problems. But it is necessary for us sometimes because Stinkie's problem gets so severe that it starts affecting his health. Also when it is bad, his temperature goes up some. In the summer I use a flea comb on him and literally pick as many fleas off of him as I can. He actually seems to like that. Btw, it really seems to make him feel a lot better when I brush him and it seems to help. Good luck and hope she feels better.

she is not currently on any flea meds/spot treatment. I have combed here several times and never found a flea, the temperature has also been in the teens and twenties where i live so it's cold for fleas. I just bought some healthy food for her so maybe that will help, but she will only eat friskies canned, and she's not much of a dry food eater.

Is she losing fur in the places the scabs are? If so, it could be ringworm.
Otherwise, I'd suspect allergies.

Devlyn & Crew

Originally Posted by Pekoe Boo

she is not currently on any flea meds/spot treatment. I have combed here several times and never found a flea, the temperature has also been in the teens and twenties where i live so it's cold for fleas. I just bought some healthy food for her so maybe that will help, but she will only eat friskies canned, and she's not much of a dry food eater.

Click to expand...

Winnie has flea allergies and when she breaks out with scabs I can never find any fleas on her. The vet told me it only takes one flea for that reaction if they are allergic.

no she is not loosing any fur around the scabs. They don't itch her all the time, but i'm just a bit concerned because she has quite a few. i suppose it's an allergy to something...

If they are really persistent and bother her a lot, perhaps take her to a vet. If it is allergies, it is VERY difficult to isolate the alergen. It could be food, a cleaner that you use, or anything that she has contact with. I've had allergy pets, and by trial and error, we isolated the alergen to: wool rugs, a type of canned food, a type of laundry soap, other animals (I have a cat that was allergic to a border collie mix).

If it's not allergies, it could be some type of microscopic mite. A vet can do a skin scrape to rule out parasites, then if it is allergies, you may have to start eliminating some things from the environment to see if they help. If is maddening because it takes weeks if not months to prove or disprove a suspect.

At this time of year in New Jersey, I doubt if it is flea allergies - they are usually the obvious suspect but its the wrong time of year for you to worry about that.

Hope this helps!

don't think ti's fleas and i'm almost positive it's not the food, as she has been eating the exact same thing since we got her. I tried to give her healthy dry, but she wouldn't eat it. i suppose it could be something else in the environment, i will have to see what has changed.

thanks so much for all the help!

Hi Pekoe Boo,
You may want to have her checked for pemphigus. Our cat was diagnosed with it last year after almost 6 months of seeing vets. It's usually always mistaken for ringworm!
But now it's been in remission for 6 months after finally finding a medications that works.
Good Luck!