Cat with possible flea problem - Frontline combo not working?

KittyKat154

Hi guys,

my cat has been loosing lots of his hair on his hind paws. We took him to the vet to find out what the cause was and the vet couldn't come with a 100% certain diagnosis but he said after I told him some things I noticed that It could be fleas and that the reason that there was no evidence present on the cat is because the cat may have licked it away.

The vet applied frontline combo and we brought him home and a week later, the hair is still missing (although it does show signs of growing back) however he is getting new spots where hair is missing. One particular note of interest is that some skin is bumpy around the head and he has a possible bite on his ear. He had tapeworm a few months ago, so that kind of reinforces the idea that he did/does have fleas.

There may be fleas in the enviroment I am sleeping in (I am getting a few bites myself - but we are washing my clothing/ spraying my room with Indorex spray) to try and get rid of them. The cat is never indoors during the summer though - he only comes into the tiled porch we have to eat his food so I don't think its that.

Could it be possible that the fleas are becoming immune to the frontline treatment/ they are just biting his head where the frontline might not be reaching?

We really can't afford more visits to the vets/more money on whatever is cuasing this

lorebringer

You need to go back to your vet and highlight all the problems you are having. Fleas can become immune to treatment so you could try another brand, just to make sure (I think you need to leave at least 2 weeks between applications though - check this to make sure). Your cat may need additional veterinary treatment to the flea spot on so your vet is the best person to have a look at the problem.

angeline

Frontline Combo works but does not stop the flea from biting the cat. It just dies after. Sounds like your cat has an allergic reaction to the flea bites and the bumps may be scabs from where your cat was bitten. Best to see the vet again to be sure.

tatli_lokma

As for your house, you need to vacuum your bed, sofa etc as spraying and washing won't be enough if there are any fleas or eggs in the mattress or carpet. When our cat got fleas I literally vacuumed the sofa/ mattress/ carpets/ curtains every day in addition to spraying and washing the sheets etc. It's a pain in the arse but worth it in the long run.

Sounds to me too that it is an allergic reaction so something. Hope kitty gets better soon.

IvySlayer

Yes, hoovering the carpets and furniture is vital. The fleas may die, but the eggs will remain. Fleas can live outdoors too though! Is there a spot he sleeps outside?

twomonkeys

Sounds like your cat is being bitten by harvest mites. They are rife at this time of the year, especially in areas of long grass. My cat gets bitten to shreds this time every year and you've described my cats sumptoms exactly. You wont find any mites on the cat...they bite and drop off, unlike fleas. Unfortunately there is no preventative treatment available. Frontline spray will work in the short-term but wont completely stop them biting. If the cat is going mental licking at its fur then you may need to bring it back to the vet for a steroid injection which will ease the skin irritation.

To be honest, i'm surprised your vet didnt pick up on it.