About six months ago, I agreed to adopt my son's pug, because his new wife didn't like her and was mean to her. Unfortunately, she brought some fleas with her. My 13 year old cat, Skippy, an indoor cat, had never had a problem with fleas, but we thought we would protect him, so my wife bought some Sergeant Flea application. We put it on his neck and his behavior immediately changed. Now whenever I pet him or touch his back, he aggressively starts chewing on his right front leg. He hasn't broken the skin or anything like that, but you can tell the hair is getting quite thin on that particular leg. It has been several months now, and he still has this issue. I brush him every day and use a flea comb on his back and sides, but never find any fleas. Any ideas on how to solve this problem?
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Cat chewing on leg
- Thread starter Ronman
- Start Date
Hi. Besides the Sergeant flea application, what else have you done in your home to ensure there are not fleas? Is the pug being treated, since I am guessing he goes outside? Does the cat's application treat only adult fleas or contain an IGR that stifles growth of eggs/larvae, and have you continued treatment? There still could be some fleas around. When Feeby had her first bout ever of fleas this past summer she did the same thing as what you describe. I treated her with Advantage II, but I also have spent months of treating the house (and outside yard) to try to eradicate the 'buggers'. And, yet she still does this biting thing when petted on the back end area. I am still treating the house for fleas and still giving her Adv II. When I flea comb her I start at her head and do long strokes toward her back end, beginning on one side and ending with the other side. But, I also make her let me comb her belly area which fleas are inclined to 'hang out'. Then, I do her legs, and lastly her behind - and you know what - that is where I find any fleas on her - all of them 'race' to her butt area. I always take a dish of soapy water and numerous paper towels, so that if I manage to find some fleas I drown them in the dish-soapy water, and dry off the flea comb with the towels in between.
See if this web site might offer you some information about how to get rid of fleas.
FleaScience
There are other things I could offer about the biting 'thing' but at least the flea issue is a place to start.
See if this web site might offer you some information about how to get rid of fleas.
FleaScience
There are other things I could offer about the biting 'thing' but at least the flea issue is a place to start.
I would get your kitty to the vet. It could be a reaction to the flea preventative.
Note the OP's post (see below), so it doesn't seem he would still be having a reaction, unless I am misunderstanding and the treatment has been given again and again.
I agree that it could be a reaction. Sergeant is a relatively inexpensive flea treatment which when it comes to flea treatments is not a good thing. They are generally less effective in the flea area while equally being more dangerous. Flea medication is one of those "you get what you pay for" things unfortunately. Or he could be just sensitive to it. If the treatment cause skin issues it could be a triggered item with lasting effect. It happens in humans where a skin problem lasts for months after the initial incident that triggers it (something I know personally).
Or it could be unrelated to the flea incident and an age related item. Chewing on the leg when touched there could also be a sign of arthritis or a bone related pain. He is basically attacking the part of his body that hurts but it's being triggered by touching it. It's what I would think if the flea thing hadn't been mentioned and is the more likely one since it is connected to one body part specifically.
Either way, an vet appointment soon is highly called for. Give his age, I would ask for xrays on the leg to be sure he doesn't have arthritis or injured the leg on some way for my peace of mind.
Or it could be unrelated to the flea incident and an age related item. Chewing on the leg when touched there could also be a sign of arthritis or a bone related pain. He is basically attacking the part of his body that hurts but it's being triggered by touching it. It's what I would think if the flea thing hadn't been mentioned and is the more likely one since it is connected to one body part specifically.
Either way, an vet appointment soon is highly called for. Give his age, I would ask for xrays on the leg to be sure he doesn't have arthritis or injured the leg on some way for my peace of mind.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #6
It's winter here and the pug only goes out to do her business. She was taken in and given a flea bath and we have treated both her and Skippy with Advantage since then, which I have learned is a more effective and safer treatment. The only other change I can think of, and I believe this was a few weeks after the problem began, was I started feeding Skippy a mixture of his usual Purina dry food and some Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight cat food. Could it be the change in cat food that's causing him the irritation? Thanks for the responses.
This doesn't sound like a food reaction. Ear itching can sometimes happen with food reactions because of yeast in the ear. But being sensitive to a hind leg being touched and biting that leg is more likely extreme pain in that leg related. Which could be an injury to the leg, arthritis, or any other number of things that effect the skeleton. You really need to see a vet and likely get an xray of the leg to know what is going on.
With the reaction you are describing your cat has probably been hiding the pain for a while at this point. Please see a vet soon.
With the reaction you are describing your cat has probably been hiding the pain for a while at this point. Please see a vet soon.
