Dr. Marie replied:

Sorry to hear that Little One is having problems. It's always hard to talk about skin problems without seeing your cat in person but I can give you a few of my thoughts.

Fleas are definitely the first thing I think of when an animal is itchy. You don't always see them. Sometimes we will see flea dirt which looks like little black flecks, but not always. If I am suspicious of fleas but don't see any I always recommend a good prescription strength flea product such as Advantage, Frontline or Revolution.

It is also possible that she has an allergy. It could be an allergy to food or it could be to something in the environment such as ragweed. Many cats with allergies need steroids in order to keep the itchiness under control.

If you are seeing green scabby areas on the skin then I am concerned that there is infection. If this is the case she will need to be treated with antibiotics prescribed by your vet. Sometimes a type of bacteria called pseudomonas can cause the skin to turn green when it is infected.

I wouldn't recommend peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is good for initially cleaning a dirty wound. But, if used regularly it will slow down wound healing.

It sounds like she definitely needs to see the vet!

Dr. Marie

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