What is a Flea Allergy and what causes it?
Studies have shown that there are over 15 different antigens in the saliva of the flea. Each one of these is capable of causing an allergic response in a sensitive cat. Despite recent advances in flea control, flea bite allergies still continue to be a common problem.
What are the symptoms of a Flea Allergy?
Cats that have flea allergies will bite at the base of their tail and scratch frequently. The bite of a single flea can cause hours and days of intense itching. Many cats have a characteristic loss or thinning of hair above the base of the tail.
Flea allergy symptoms tend to be worse around peak times such as Spring and Summer.
How can a Flea Allergy be treated?
There are many products available which kill fleas once they have got onto your cat, these can range from flea collar to flea sprays.
There are also products containing pyrethrin which do not kill fleas but they can repel them, reducing the chance of your cat being biten. Controlling the contact of fleas with your cat appears to be the most successful route. If a cat is on a good flea control program, but occasionally still gets bitten and has a flair up, antihistamines, or in severe cases oral steroids, can be used to get the itching under control.
In addition to the treatment given to your cat, the treatment of their environment is equally important to halt the breeding of fleas. Good environmental treatment for fleas involves treating the house, yard, and sleeping area of your cat with a product that kills the adults (adulticide) and kills any eggs which have been laid.
If your cat is diagnosed with having a flea allergy, it is advisable to discuss your cat's flea programme with your veterinarian to ensure that you are taking all the steps possible to avoid future flair ups.
