Expert: Dr. Louis N. Gotthelf - 1/28/2011

Question
My cat has scabs on her back and neck that she is continually itching.  She also has some hair loss around her tail.  We have been treating her for fleas with a topical liquid. These scabs and sores did not appear until a month or so after we started treating her for fleas.  My dog now has one of these same scabs on the back of his neck...what do you think could be the cause?  Please help!!

Answer
IF your cat had fleas, this could be a flea allergy called miliary dermatitis, which usually affects the neck and tail region of a cat.  Just treating the fleas is only one part of the treatment.  The other part involves giving the cat some long acting steroids to take a way the skin reaction to the allergy.  Ask your vet if your cat has miliary dermatitis. If the dog also has this, then it could be the topical flea product you are using.  Many of them have alcohol as the base, which can irritate the skin.  You might try changing the brand of topical flea control or go to the flea pill for the dog.