Conference misery::feline_v1

    One of my cats, Pippin has a flea allergy - a form of eczema that
    causes her to lose little patches of fur.  Didn't quite know what
    was happening when she first showed signs of this - but the area
    was red (mostly above the eyes and around the ear area) and there
    were little scales as well as scabs.  Tried taking care of it ourselves
    and when that didn't work we took her off to the Vet.  She actually
    needed an injection at that point and a corto-steriod cream to apply
    to the inflamed area.  She is very sensitive to flea bites and we
    are very careful to keep her flee-less.  We also use a medicated
    shampoo for the flaking problem she has on her lower back (she's
    black and the white flakes drive me up the wall)
    
    But I don't think flee allergies are unusual - what's hard is keeping
    the fleas off the animals - argggggg - I hate those things!!!!!!
    
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (pippin, Gino & Stitch Too!!)

    And another one! Kimi, too, is allergic to fleas.
    
    Shayne (New Zealand)

    
    
    	I think you guys may have helped me out with a couple
    	of Dukie's symptoms!!  He has scabs on his head and little
    	patches of fur fall out.
    
    	Will have to mention this on his follow up visit to the vet
    	next week.!!
    
    	Thanks!
    
    	JJ (who is beginning to think there just may be hope for her baby)
    

    I think Barney is too.  My cats were infested with them this year and
    Barney chewed all the fur off of his stomach, to the point he got a raw
    spot.  He had a worse flea problem the first summer I had him (7 years
    ago) and he had no problem then.  Guess cats, like humans, can develop
    allergies at any age.
    
    Mary
    

    Our dog has that problem.  He's on medication for it.  It's the flea
    saliva tha he's allergic to.

    Yup,  my Silvy is, he has to take pills during flea season.  He got the
    scabs and intense itching and some places the fur was gone.  The
    pills seem to help.  Let's face it, it's impossible to keep a flealess
    house with 6 cats!
    
                                     Denise

    Missy had the same problem this summer.  Her fur is regrowing really
    well now though.   8-)
    
    Barbara

    I keep a tube of Panalog cream around just in case Pippin starts
    getting a reaction around the head area - but my vet told me not
    to use it on parts of the body where she could lick it off.  This
    year has seen a stronger strain of flea - they are getting immune
    people - lucky I haven't had any at all this year - but my friends
    have been going crazy since august.
    
    
    Giudid in S.F. (Pippin, Giudi & Stitch Too)

    Gosh, I must be very lucky!  Neither my 11 year old dog nor my 3 cats
    have ever had fleas.  Honestly!!  We used to joke about the dog saying
    that she was so nasty that nothing would dare live on her!  But,
    seriously, I know that wasn't the reason!  They all eat some olive oil
    and garlic on occasion (except for Sweetie, who ONLY eat kitty food). 
    I wonder if that's why I've been so lucky?  Also, the cats are indoor
    only.
    
    
    Jeanne
    
    P.S. I swear by olive oil.  Try rubbing some on the bare areas and I'll
    bet that fur will grow back.
    
    
    Jeanne
    

    
    What is the purpose of the Olive oil and garlic? I think I've heard
    of giving cats olive oil but I never new why. Is it for there furr?
    
    Stephanie

    When I was in high school I worked for fun at some stables that
    raised standard bred horses (5 gaitor) and if by some chance one
    of them would bang themselves on a fence or in the stall, we would
    be very diligent about rubbing vasoline on the bare spot and soon
    the hair grew back. I have done that to all my four footed animals
    when the need arose. I'm sure olive oil works the same.
    
    Barbara

    The garlic keeps away vampires.
    

    
    
    It's true, my mother started feeding us garlic (we used to say she
    put it in our baby formula) at a very early age.  I'm sure that
    she didn't know how to cook without it.  None of us have ever been
    bothered by fleas or vampires.
    
    Feline flealess,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spot
    

   Garlic and Olive Oil Sounds very Italian to me and I've never been
    bothered by fleas either - but I have known a few Vampires - they
    all congregate in San Francisco and hold Rock Concerts at the Cow
    Palace.
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. (Pippin, Gino & Stitch Too)

    
    
    Vampires? Geez,is that what is causing the calloses on his neck?
    
    Poor old Bod,I'll get hima ton of Garlic when I get home.
    
    Feline Hungover....
    
    Phil in the U.K.( Mothball,Loudmouth,And Tb.)
    
    ( Catchy Numbers....;-})

    RE .16
    
    YES.  Fleas are the low-life blood suckers of the Vampire set -
    perhaps you should try hanging a cross around his collar as well
    as a wreath of Garlic.
    
    
    
    This is a very strange day....
    
    
    Giudi in S.F. + Cats

    Yeah,I think strange sums it up really well.
    
    
    Phil-off-to-buy-a-cross-+-

    
    
    Getting serious again...
    
    I looked up this note as I have two cats (brothers) who really	
    suffer from this allergy. It only takes one flea and they rip
    their fur out. I have got to the point where I decided that the
    vet bills and flea powder were costing too much and decided to look into an
    alternative. I have at last found something that really works,
    I saw results within a week. It's a powder called PROTECT-UM
    (yes really..) It is completely natural, no colours, preservatives,
    sugar etc. But it contains loads of vitamins and minerals and
    also Garlic and Yeast. (Fleas don't like the taste of garlic and
    yeast helps their coat grow)
    
    You sprinkle the powder on their food. It is amazing to see the
    difference. I had already tried garlic and yeast and had slight
    results but this stuff is really good. As mine are half persian
    it was heartbreaking to see their beautiful coats ruined.
    
    If anyone is interested I will try to find out the name of the
    manufacturer.
    
    Karen 
    

    Yes, Please!!  I see by your node that you are in the UK.  Where did
    you get this powder?  One of my 4 kitties suffers from flea allergy
    too.
    
    LaDonna
    

    
    
    I got it in Homebase in Basingstoke, believe it or not! I was 
    actually looking for grass seed and came across a little section for pets. 
    It was about 5.99, quite expensive, but it is a large pot and I
    think it should last a long time. You just need half a teaspoon
    a day per cat. Double the dose in peak-flea season. As I have got
    two cats suffering you can imagine the vet costs for injections
    and pills. Especially as due to the mild weather they were still
    being affected even at this time of year.
    
    I know it's made by M&C in Luton, but will post the proper name
    and address later.
    
    It has certainly worked for me. Before if I flea powdered them
    they went crazy and ate themselves even worse, I suppose the
    fleas were digging in for cover! And they also had little scabs
    all over their body as well as the sore patches. But Now they
    Are scabless, soreless and furry again! Plus the ingredients
    are a good general conditioner.
    
    Karen
    

    
    
    It's manufactured in the UK for Mark & Chappell Ltd, Po Box 237
    Luton, Beds, LU3 1RJ.  It claims to keep dogs and cats free from
    fleas, bugs, lice etc.
    
Karen
    

    I wonder if one of my cats suffers from a similar problem to flea
    allergy as mentioned here, perhaps some of you noters could give me
    some advice. The symptoms are :-
    
       She scratches her cheeks often until they are bloody. These sore
    patches never seem to heal as she opens them up regularly. She has been
    to the vet who says it may be a flea or mite allergy. He gives her an 
    injection and says to keep the fleas at bay. There has been no sign of
    a flea for about a year and her ears look clean and mite-free but she
    still scratches. I am beginning to wonder if it may be a psychotic
    problem she has.
    
       Another cat owner mentioned she may have eczema but elsewhere
    her fur is in good condition and there are no apparent skin problems.
    The only success we have had is to put an Elizabethan collar on her,
    which makes her very grumpy and upsets our other cat.
    
       I will try PROTECT-UM and possibly vaseline or olive oil to help
    the fur grow back but has anybody some other ideas of how to tackle
    the problem?
    
    Thanks,
    Barry.

    Barry -
      What do you feed her.  It might be an allergy - but perhaps
    an allergy to food.  OR - to something in the house.  Did you have
    your carpets or furniture cleaned?
    

    She gets fed on Whiskas or Felix (don't know if you have those brands
    in the states) and a crunchy cereal food called Brekkies. Sometimes
    she can be very picky about her food and shuns the canned food
    preferring to eat the Brekkies. I try not to let her eat just Brekkies
    as I have heard that this can cause kidney problems.
    
    I have looked for a correlation between certain types of food and the
    amount of scratching but it doesn't seem related. The same goes for
    the house furnishings (they haven't been cleaned much, other than
    hoovering). She sleeps on a foam-filled pillow.
    
    So far, nothing has had lasting success. She used to stop if I told her
    off, but now she is getting sneaky as she will leave the room to
    scratch. I have spied on her when she thinks I have left the room, she
    will have a quick look round and start to scratch!
    
    Keep the ideas coming,
    Barry.

    Barry,
    
    I have a cat that suffers from allergies.  There are things that you
    can do for your cat, but first you have to identify what she is
    allergic too.
    
    According to the veterinary dermatologist, if the rash manifests on the
    cats face, neck, etc, then it is most likely an ingested or inhaled
    allergy.  If the rash is around the base of the tail, the legs and
    abdommen, then it is most likely a flea allergy.
    
    My cat is allergic to molds.  She gets a rash on her face, neck, ears,
    and forelegs.  We sometimes treat her with steroids to help with the
    itching, but lately I have been trying a new approach.  It seems to be
    working.  I was at a Pet Fair and came across a product line called
    Veterinarian's Best.  It includes a fatty acid supplement for the skin,
    a special shampoo, a conditioner with anti-itch ingredient, and a spray
    that you can spray on between baths to help with itching.  A set of all
    four products cost me $30.  I have been using it since the beginning of
    June, and I am seeing a great improvement in Joui's skin, coat, and the
    amount of scratching she does.
    
    There are veterinary dermatologist's around.  If your vet has exhausted
    everything that he/she knows to diagnose your cat's problem and she is
    still suffering, ask your vet to refer you to a specialist.  The
    itching will drive your cat wild.  Poor Joui would constantly rub her
    face on everything, in an effort to scratch her cheeks.
    
    In order to check to see if your cat has a food allergy, you would have
    to switch her to a hypoallergenic diet of lamb and rice.  Lick Your
    Chops makes a lamb and rice canned food for cats.  I went this route
    with Joui in the beginning to try and find out what kind of allergy she
    had.  She loved the food, but still had her rash while she was on it.
    So, back to the drawing board for us.  While your cat is on the allergy
    diet, she can't have any other foods, treats, etc.  And you should
    leave her on the allergy diet for at the very least three weeks. 
    Otherwise you wouldn't have enough time to see any improvement should
    improvement occur.
    
    Good luck, if I can be of any help let me know.
    
    Jo

    I have heard that there is a connection (at least in humans) between
    chronic irritations and the development of cancers.  I would NOT
    leave this untreated for a long period (years) of time.  If you
    can not figure out what your cat is allergic to then start treating
    the symptoms - as Jo's vet did for Joui.
      Keep us posted.
      Nancy DC