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

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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 normally 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, nonetheless, the immune system identifies allergens in flea saliva as overseas and harmful to the physique, resulting in a extra extreme pores and skin response.

Learn on to be taught what flea allergy dermatitis is, acknowledge it, widespread remedy choices, and greatest stop it.

Fast Overview: Flea Allergy Dermatitis in Cats

Causes of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

An allergic response to a flea’s saliva is at all times 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 rely on the variety of fleas current. In principle, a single flea chew might trigger signs in cats with a big allergy. In actual fact, it is rather widespread for only a few fleas to be current in cats once they arrive on the vet for an examination. The severity as an alternative 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 instances of FAD, reside fleas could also be seen on the cat’s pores and skin. Fleas are small however are seen to the bare eye.

Nonetheless, not having 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 by way of grooming conduct as a result of the bites are a lot extra irritating. Nonetheless, a single stray flea may induce FAD.

If no reside fleas are seen, there should still be proof of their presence by way of flea grime. 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 grime 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 specific dermatological indicators you might even see in a cat with FAD:

• Papules and crusts: One of many hallmarks of flea allergy dermatitis is the presence of small raised crimson bumps, or papules, which are typically a bit crusty in look. These are normally discovered across the head and neck in addition to close to the bottom of the tail. These bumps aren’t 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 quite a bit. Cats’ sharp nails could cause vital trauma to their very own pores and skin, resulting in irritation and reddened patches of pores and skin.
• Hair loss: Affected cats could groom and scratch to the purpose of shedding hair over drawback areas.

Conduct

The itching and scratching attributable to the sensitivity to flea bites and the ensuing irritation can result in behavioral modifications. Cats could act erratically when bitten, racing off by way of the house after which licking or chewing excessively. Some cats overgroom (groom or chew at themselves extra typically 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 typical sample with flea allergy dermatitis. Miroslav Pesek / Shutterstock.com

A veterinarian’s analysis of FAD relies on three issues, alone or together.

Stay Fleas

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

Pores and skin Lesions

The looks of crusty crimson papules on the top, neck, and high of the again close to the tail could extremely recommend FAD as a trigger to a veterinarian.

I do know from private expertise that it might definitely be troublesome for a vet to have the dialogue with a cat dad or mum that fleas are the probably trigger if that is the one signal. That is comprehensible, but it surely’s necessary 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 underneath the pores and skin. The scale of the localized pores and skin swelling (referred to as a wheal) that outcomes is in comparison with a adverse 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 could be provided 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 could help an FAD analysis.

Remedies for Flea Allergy Dermatitis

The essential parts of treating flea allergy dermatitis are to kill and get rid of the fleas, and to handle the allergic response.

Flea Therapy

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 handle 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 grime, and to calm irritated pores and skin. Your vet could suggest a selected shampoo. Remember the fact that bathing a cat inside 24 hours of software of a topical flea product could lower effectiveness of the product.

The house setting should even be addressed. Flea eggs and pupae which are current within the dwelling could hatch days or perhaps weeks later. On the minimal, all bedding ought to be washed on a sizzling water cycle and the house ought to be totally vacuumed, together with between sofa cushions and underneath pillows.

There are dwelling remedy merchandise, like sprays, that can be utilized to deal with onerous to achieve areas like cracks in floorboards and underneath furnishings. These might not be secure on or close to pets when sprayed, so observe instructions rigorously. Skilled remedy could also be required in some instances the place a flea infestation is intensive.

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

Allergy Medicines

Addressing the allergic response could contain steroids and anti-histamine medicine. Most often, over-the-counter antihistamines won’t be adequate on their very own and steroid medicine shall be crucial. The commonest steroid drugs used are oral prednisolone and the injectable Depo-Medrol (methylprednisolone acetate).

Immunotherapy consists of utilizing small quantities of allergen to desensitize the physique and practice 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 risk. Your veterinarian will assess the pores and skin to see if treating for bacterial an infection is critical with an applicable antibiotic.

Prevention of Flea Allergy Dermatitis

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

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

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

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

Cat Care Ideas

• Deal with all pets: When you’ve got a cat with FAD, hold all pets within the dwelling rigorously handled with preventative flea medicine to maintain the house as flea-free as potential
• Deal with the setting: Most flea merchandise for cats don’t repel fleas. A flea should still have the ability to chew a handled cat and trigger a FAD response in severely delicate cats. In these instances, it’s essential to get rid of fleas from the setting. Out of doors cats could should be acclimated to an indoor setting 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 together with your vet whether or not a complement could assist to maintain your cat’s pores and skin in high situation.