scabs

Okay,

I've posted on different question but this question concerns scabs.
My Oscar is 7 weeks old, and I hope I rid him of the fleas he had, I comb him every day and no bugs but I noticed that when I do comb him his fur comes out in spots with dry skin attached to it. So I went ahead and searched through his fur and found scab looking patches on his head, his back and tail.

Is all this from the bugs? or is it from his birth? or is was his diet so bad his skin is flacky?

We go see the Vet on monday but I was hoping someone can tell me something before we went to the vet.

Thank you,
Sandra and Oscar

Well, yes it could be from the fleas but he should be checked for ringworm as well. It will be a good idea having him checked for everything since it's his first visit. If it might be ringworm, I would make sure and wash your hands really well after handleing him. I would also just leave the scabs alone until you see the vet.

Agh! My same problem.

I went to the vet, and at first she thought ringworm, but when she found out about the fleas...

Turns out my cat has 'Flea Allergy Dermatitis", meaning she's really really allergic to fleas. They itch more on her and she scratches huge patches of skin off. It's awful.

Make sure you have this and not ringworm though. Ringworm is contagious to humans and very bad for you and kitty.

If it is fleas, make sure you get rid of them. Feed your cats some brewer's yeast and garlic in a healthy food. Wash them with a natural soap formulated for cats(I use www.desertsudz.com). I add eucalyptus oil to the bath with helps repel fleas. I never thought my cat would like baths, but her skin feels so awful she loves the soothing water.
Add rich supplements such as a little olive oil or egg to her food to help her skin heal. Also, you can use boric acid around the house to keeo away fleas. Rub it into carpet, furniture, etc. It's sharp to fleas and cuts them up but won't hurt people or pets.

Eucalyptus oil is toxic to cats and should never be put directly on them.

Yes, good point. I should have said that! I add a little of the oil to the bath when I wash them. I then drain the tub, refill it, and rinse extremely thoroughly. The scent remains which helps repel fleas. We've had an extreme flea problem and the one cat is very sick from them. I actually found this idea in an herbal cat remedy book, but it stressed to make sure you rinse thoroughly. Eucalyptus oil is actually toxic to all animals, including humans I believe, if ingested.

My cat gets scabs too, but I don't think it's fleas. I've never ever seen fleas on her. Sometimes she goes outside, but not often. I have no other cats. She's had this problem all her life. She's 9 years old, long hair. I've had several vets diagnose different things, from "Nervous Condition" to most recently "Flea Allergy Dermatitis". But I have her on flea control / Advantage, per the vet's recommendation, and that doesn't make a difference. It comes and goes, sometimes her skin is clear with no scabs and other times her neck is very scabby. Usually the vet just gives her a steroid shot and then they make me feel like a bad mommy. What could be the problem? I've changed her food thinking it was a food allergy, I've thought it was the dry heat of southern california but she was like this when I lived in Virginia. Any ideas?

Argh. I am having the same problem.

It started around November, and we've been rid of the fleas for a while now, and I just don't know what to do.

I don't think she's really stressed, our house is quiet and big and she's still really lovey and purrs, although our kitten harasses her sometimes.

I don't use anything but natural products on her or to feed her.

She is so scabby and has bald patches!

It's not ringworm either.

Help us guys! My vet doesn't know what to do either.

Scabs around the neck especially is a sign of flea allergy. Now you have to remember that with cats and dogs who are allergic to flea bites, all it takes is one bite to cause a reaction like that. With the advantage, it works great..however a flea has to bite in order to die. If you have an animal with flea allergies you have to keep a constant control on the enviroment. Lets say with Kristie's cat...you would have to treat the yard so that when she does go outside, there are no fleas to bite her even the once. It is also best if there ever was a flea problem that you treat the house with something reliable.
If it were a food allergy you would usually see signs around the ears, flanks and stomach. There you normally notice redness and bald patches. This can also be the case with a contact or inhaled allergy.

When I say she goes outside, I mean I live in a condo and she goes out on an enclosed porch, not running through a yard of grass. I'm still not convinced it's a flea bite. Maybe it is, but for it to come and go her whole life and she hasn't always been allowed outdoors. Sometimes she gotten the scabs on her back near her rearend. So does the flea control not help if the flea bites then dies? Again I've never seen fleas on this cat or in my house.

My cat gets them around her neck and on her back end above the tail. It started with fleas, but I swear they are gone now. I do see her scratching and biting these areas. Could it be that she still itches or has a skin condition?

Hi all,

I'm going to the vet tomorrow to find out what he has and to see what to do about it, I will let you know what he has.

Right now I noticed that he starting to get dry skin and scabs around his neck and head area. I've been treating him with neem oil and neem leave and it seems to help.

I'll post tomorrow after noon when we get back okay.

neem oil and neem leave?

What's that? I saw somewhere someone recommended aloe vera. Is this ok for kitties, even if they lick the area?

My poor kitty is looking really patchy and ragged!

Aloe vera is poison to kitty's and cats.

Neem oil and leaf is a natural product that repels insects like fleas, help the skin.

Neem oil is a broad spectrum botanical insecticide, miticide and fungicide treatment derived from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). Neem trees are native to India and Burma and are a botanical relative of mahogany. The main active ingredient of neem oil is Azadirachtin. Neem has been used for centuries in India for pest control. Neem oil is biodegradable

It is non toxic to humans, birds, earthworms or animals. Being an oil it can affect bees if it is actually sprayed on them so it is recommended to use it when bees are not visiting. Once the spray has settled it will not hurt the bees.


Research studies indicate that neem works on insects in many different ways. These include:

* Feeding deterrence - primary effect is in insect's brain, secondary effect is on gut motility.
* Insect growth regulation - hormonal effects of neem on moulting (ecdysis).
* Disruption of mating behaviour - effects insect reproduction.
* Oviposition deterrence - females deterred from laying eggs.
* Repulsion - some species are repulsed by taste of neem.
* Adult sterilisation - sterilisation of males, some females and eggs.
* Toxicity to larvae and adult - neem does not generally have a 'knockdown' effect on insects, but species such as mosquito larvae, fruit fly and head lice are reported to be killed on contact with neem.
Insects affected by Neem

Research studies report that a broad range of insects are thought to be affected by neem. These include:

Broad spectrum of phytophagous (plant eating) pests including:

* Orthoptera: grasshoppers, katydids, crickets.
* Coleptra: wide range of beetles/weevils.
* Lepidoptera: extensive field trials on moths, butterflies, borers, caterpillars (antifeedant and growth retardant in larvae of most species).
* Thysanoptera: Thrips.
* Diptera: fruit fly, buffalo/blow and march fly, mosies.
* Heteroptera: Sucking bugs - Green vegie bug, spotted fruit bug etc..
* Others: Nematodes, snails, some funguses and pathogenic viruses

I hope this helps to understand Neem oil.

Wow!! Thanks!