Itchy Head And Neck - Flea Or Food Allergy?

[kimrenieu]

I have three indoor cats. One of them is always kind of itchy but the last few weeks she’s been tearing up her face until it bleeds. I’ve been treating it with Neosporin while making her wear a makeshift cone. I did find fleas on her and treated her with Advantage a few weeks ago as well as bought an electronic flea comb (useless junk). I’m still seeing a couple of fleas on her.

What I’ve read is that if they’re allergic to fleas they’ll usually scratch and chew around the base of the tail. She’s scratching mostly her face, chest, neck and eyebrows. That location is more associated with a food allergy. I’ve loosely put her on an elimination diet. I don’t really know what I’m doing. But I’m leaning more toward it being a flea allergy because of evidence of fleas.

I’m so confused and frustrated. Does anyone have experience with a cat that scratched mostly their head area and it turned out to a flea allergy? Thank you.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hello, these posts may help;

Kitten W/ Allergies. Question About Elimination Diet.

Raw Spots And Possible Chicken Allergy

 

[MissClouseau]

What I’ve read is that if they’re allergic to fleas they’ll usually scratch and chew around the base of the tail. She’s scratching mostly her face, chest, neck and eyebrows.

IME they scratch wherever the fleas bite. Hima is normally on a fipronil-based flea medicine and apparently it works on the skin. Well its effect ended early last month and Hima got fleas from a stray kitten outside in like 2 minutes. She does this very obvious thing when she has a single flea (sudden jump over the bite and running) later in the day I saw an alive flea on her nose when she was sleeping and another around her neck. She was indeed scratching those areas and her paws more. Maybe fipronil continued to work on rest of her body so the fleas stayed away from there?

I did have total success with Stronghold from Zoetis. Its said to be effective for ear mites as well. Maybe they also got ear mites. Mine gives an allergic reaction to them too.

 

[kimrenieu]

Thanks for the replies.

I’ve heard cats can have an allergy to the flea saliva and I’m wondering if that could cause certain general areas to itch sort of like an environmental or food allergy would.