Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats: Causes, Signs, and Remedy

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Flea allergy dermatitis (FAD) is an allergic response to flea bites that causes some cats to have extra extreme pores and skin issues than are often seen with fleas. It happens when a cat is allergic to particular allergens in flea saliva.

For many cats, the presence of even a number of fleas will nonetheless result in solely gentle itching and scratching. In cats with FAD, nevertheless, the immune system identifies allergens in flea saliva as international and harmful to the physique, resulting in a extra extreme pores and skin response.

Learn on to be taught what flea allergy dermatitis is, how you can acknowledge it, widespread therapy choices, and how you can finest forestall it.

Fast Overview: Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats

Causes of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

An allergic response to a flea’s saliva is all the time the reason for flea allergy dermatitis. KanphotoSS / Shutterstock.com

There is just one reason behind flea allergy dermatitis: an allergic response to a flea chew.

The severity of flea allergy dermatitis doesn’t depend upon the variety of fleas current. In idea, a single flea chew might trigger signs in cats with a big allergy. In actual fact, it is vitally widespread for only a few fleas to be current in cats after they arrive on the vet for an examination. The severity as a substitute relies upon solely on a person cat’s immune system and the way pronounced its response is.

Signs of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

There are three classes of signs which may be seen with flea allergy dermatitis.

Presence of Fleas

In some circumstances of FAD, stay fleas could also be seen on the cat’s pores and skin. Fleas are small however are seen to the bare eye.

Nevertheless, not with the ability to spot any of those creatures doesn’t rule out flea-allergic dermatitis. Once I see these sufferers, I’ve discovered it’s really widespread to see few or no fleas in any respect. It’s because a cat with FAD is commonly extra proactive in eliminating seen fleas via grooming conduct as a result of the bites are a lot extra irritating. Nevertheless, a single stray flea might also induce FAD.

If no stay fleas are seen, there should still be proof of their presence via flea filth. That is the time period for the feces that fleas go away behind on the pores and skin. After feeding or taking a blood meal from a cat’s pores and skin, fleas will defecate tiny specks of darkish black materials. Flea filth could also be down close to the pores and skin on the base of the fur and hidden from view by fluffy fur coats.

Pores and skin Look

There are particular dermatological indicators you may even see in a cat with FAD:

• Papules and crusts: One of many hallmarks of flea allergy dermatitis is the presence of small raised pink bumps, or papules, which might be usually a bit of crusty in look. These are often discovered across the head and neck in addition to close to the bottom of the tail. These bumps should not the precise bites themselves however the best way the allergy manifests on the pores and skin.
• Excoriations/Rashes: Crimson, uncooked, ulcerated areas could also be current, particularly in cats which have been scratching lots. Cats’ sharp nails may cause vital trauma to their very own pores and skin, resulting in irritation and reddened patches of pores and skin.
• Hair loss: Affected cats might groom and scratch to the purpose of shedding hair over drawback areas.

Habits

The itching and scratching attributable to the sensitivity to flea bites and the ensuing irritation can result in behavioral modifications. Cats might act erratically when bitten, racing off via the house after which licking or chewing excessively. Some cats overgroom (groom or chew at themselves extra usually or for longer spells) and may seem stressed and unable to settle.

Analysis of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

Hair loss, rash, or raised crusty bumps on the top, neck, or base of the tail are a standard sample with flea allergy dermatitis. Miroslav Pesek / Shutterstock.com

A veterinarian’s prognosis of FAD is predicated on three issues, alone or together.

Stay Fleas

Your vet might use a flea comb that has slim bristles to search for fleas and flea filth. In lots of circumstances, only a few fleas – and even none in any respect – are current. Nevertheless, the absence of fleas throughout an examination doesn’t rule out FAD. On this case, your vet might depend on the presence of attribute pores and skin lesions and/or allergen testing.

Pores and skin Lesions

The looks of crusty pink papules on the top, neck, and high of the again close to the tail might extremely counsel FAD as a trigger to a veterinarian.

I do know from private expertise that it could definitely be tough for a vet to have the dialogue with a cat mum or dad that fleas are the seemingly trigger if that is the one signal. That is comprehensible, however it’s essential to do not forget that cats can nonetheless have FAD even when they’re indoor solely, if fleas have by no means been seen within the dwelling, and even when fleas aren’t current on the cat throughout an examination.

Flea Allergy Testing

There are two methods for flea allergy testing to be carried out.

The primary is intradermal pores and skin testing. A small quantity of flea saliva allergen is injected below the pores and skin. The scale of the localized pores and skin swelling (known as a wheal) that outcomes is in comparison with a unfavourable management. If the dimensions of the flea saliva allergen web site is 3-5mm bigger than the management, this helps FAD. This testing technique is most frequently supplied by veterinary dermatologists.

The second technique is with blood, or serological testing, which may be supplied by basic practices like my very own. On this technique, blood serum is evaluated for antibodies, or immunoglobulins, to flea saliva allergens. The presence of immunoglobulin E (IgE) directed towards flea saliva antigens might assist an FAD prognosis.

Therapies for Flea Allergy Dermatitis

The fundamental parts of treating flea allergy dermatitis are to kill and eradicate the fleas, and to deal with the allergic response.

Flea Remedy

If fleas are visibly current, our first focus as vets is to kill the fleas and finish the infestation on the cat. This can be with an oral medicine like Capstar (nitenpyram) or a topical product like Frontline spray. There are many different merchandise for cats that proceed to deal with and forestall fleas. Some merchandise kill fleas quicker than others, and a few deal with extra levels of the flea life cycle than others.

In cats that enable it, bathing could also be useful to take away lifeless fleas, flea filth, and to calm irritated pores and skin. Your vet might suggest a selected shampoo. Remember that bathing a cat inside 24 hours of software of a topical flea product might lower effectiveness of the product.

The house atmosphere should even be addressed. Flea eggs and pupae which might be current within the dwelling might hatch days or perhaps weeks later. On the minimal, all bedding must be washed on a scorching water cycle and the house must be completely vacuumed, together with between sofa cushions and below pillows.

There are dwelling therapy merchandise, like sprays, that can be utilized to deal with arduous to achieve areas like cracks in floorboards and below furnishings. These will not be secure on or close to pets when sprayed, so comply with instructions fastidiously. Skilled therapy could also be required in some circumstances the place a flea infestation is in depth.

In lots of circumstances, relying on what number of fleas are current within the dwelling atmosphere and what number of eggs they’ve had a possibility to put (as much as 50 a day!), it could take anyplace from 1-3 months to completely resolve a flea infestation within the dwelling.

Allergy Medicines

Addressing the allergic response might contain steroids and anti-histamine medicine. Most often, over-the-counter antihistamines won’t be ample on their very own and steroid medicine will probably be mandatory. The commonest steroid medicines used are oral prednisolone and the injectable Depo-Medrol (methylprednisolone acetate).

Immunotherapy consists of utilizing small quantities of allergen to desensitize the physique and prepare the immune system to not react to it. It is a widespread method to treating pets with a generalized environmental allergy dysfunction, or atopy. Immunotherapy for flea allergy particularly could also be included in immunotherapy, however has various outcomes ^[3].

Antibiotics

If a cat scratched themselves, resulting in open wounds, secondary bacterial an infection is a chance. Your veterinarian will assess the pores and skin to see if treating for bacterial an infection is important with an acceptable antibiotic.

Prevention of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

The correct place to use a flea therapy medicine is on the base of the neck simply in entrance of the shoulders. Nick Alias / Shutterstock.com

The one solution to forestall flea allergy dermatitis is to forestall any flea bites from occurring.

Common use of flea prevention for cats is essentially the most dependable method to make sure that fleas are faraway from the house atmosphere. If all pets in a house are handled, fleas can’t reproduce and an infestation can’t happen.

I’ve discovered it could be very difficult to manage this dysfunction for cats who go outside as a result of most merchandise require a flea to come back involved with them. Repelling fleas and rapid-action merchandise are suggested, and environmental therapies across the dwelling might assist.

Cat Care Suggestions

• Deal with all pets: You probably have a cat with FAD, preserve all pets within the dwelling rigorously handled with preventative flea medicine to maintain the house as flea-free as attainable
• Deal with the atmosphere: Most flea merchandise for cats don’t repel fleas. A flea should still be capable of chew a handled cat and trigger a FAD response in severely delicate cats. In these circumstances, it’s essential to eradicate fleas from the atmosphere. Out of doors cats might should be acclimated to an indoor atmosphere the place management is more practical.
• Optimize pores and skin well being: Feed your cat an entire food regimen that’s balanced for his or her lifestage, and focus on along with your vet whether or not a complement might assist to maintain your cat’s pores and skin in high situation.