Ask a PetDoc: Cat scabs and flea collars

Ask a PetDoc: Cat scabs and flea collars 

Dr. Jim,

My brother owns two cats. One of the cats recently developed two scabs on his eyebrow. It started as one, but a second one developed about 2 days later and they are now the same size. The scabs have only been there a week, and we have been trying a bit of antibiotic ointment for the past 2 days, but it seems that they are not healing.

The scabs look like the kind of scab that a child gets when they scrape their knee. When we put the ointment on, the scabs tend to look “goopy” and liquify a bit. The cats don’t fight, and they are up to date on their vaccines and we replace flea collars regularly. Mostly they break after about 6 weeks so the 3 months rarely arrives before their collars are replaced. Any input you might have would be appreciated.

Thanks, RoseMary

Dr. Jim says:

RoseMary,

There are a number of possibilities:

1. You may be using an antibiotic ointment that is out of date thus having an incomplete effect on the bacteria that are involved.
2. The antibiotic ointment may not have ingredients that cover the range of bacteria that are affecting the area with the scab.
3. If there is a reddish look to the margins of the scab the kitty may have ringworm. Ringworm is an infection of the skin caused by an infectious fungus and is in the same class of infection as athlete’s foot. It is called ringworm because the lesions are generally circular, have a red outer edge and may be scabbed over. It is important to get a confirmatory diagnosis by your veterinarian as the other cat and other household pets and the human inhabitants can contract the disease. Your veterinarian will be able to render a differential diagnosis and prescribe a treatment.

My experience with flea/tick collars for dogs or cats is that they just do not work that well. I worked with a veterinary parasitologist who often said that the flea/tick collars simply provided a good place for the fleas to hide. There are some very effective once-a-month flea/tick preventatives so talk to your veterinarian about their use. For our family pets we use the flea/tick topical treatment and the oral heartworm preventative year-round. In northern areas where there are hard freezes and little chance of a warm spell then you can suspend both treatments December through March. Remember that these preventatives are cheaper in the long run compared to treating a pet for Lyme disease or to get rid of heartworms.

Dr. James Sokolowski, DVM, PhD is a veterinarian with 40 years in the pet industry. He has appeared extensively on radio and TV including CNN, Fox, ABC and other national and local radio and TV programs. Dr. Sokolowski is a recipient of veterinary professional awards for his contributions to the veterinary profession. Read his full bio here.

Have a health question for Dr. Jim's next column? Just send an email to AskThePetDoctor@PetDoc.com. Can't wait till next month's column to see if your question gets answered?  You can either ask a question on our forums or scroll down to the bottom of the page and pay for an immediate answer from JustAnswer.com. 

Need an immediate answer to your pet question?

Get an answer in 10 minutes or less from a veterinarian or a vet technician

Type your question here

 letters left

100% RISK FREE. You pay only for the answers you like. Fees are typically $9 - $15.

In the event of a medical emergency, please contact your veterinarian immediately. JustAnswer is not to be used in the event of any medical emergencies.